A fine addition to the Alien canon

Rating: 8/10 (4 June 2012)

****SPOILERS**** I thoroughly enjoyed this film , and while i recognize that there are some weaknesses and unanswered questions, I would heartily recommend it nonetheless.
Weaknesses first; the motivation of the engineers could have been more fully explained. Against this I would set the fact that this is a question deliberately set up (I hope) for another film at the end. More time could have been taken for character development; perhaps a fuller cut would address this ('cause it's not like Scott's averse to filling in the story of a film in the DVD release...). The "twist" with Vickers turning out to be Weyland's daughter was so heavily foreshadowed by her being there at all, the comment in his video message about David being the nearest thing to a son that he'd ever have and so forth that I hardly think it counts.
OK, that's out of the way. Rapace, Fassbender and Marshall-Green turn in excellent performances. Rapace melds a lively intelligence with a combination of vulnerability and strength. Fassbender's David effectively conjures the spirit of Pinnocchio combined with a ruthlessness redolent of Ian Holm's Ash. Although not given nearly enough screen time to develop, Marshall-Green brings an infectious enthusiasm to the role of Charlie. Elba and Theron are effective in their roles rather than inspiring, but to a certain extent it is down to Rapace (Shaw), Fassbender (David), and Marshall-Green (Holloway) to carry the story and this they do very well. I am hoping that the aged Pearce is a hint that another film may develop Weyland's character more.
The cinematography is excellent, and the overall design strongly reminiscent of the first film, not merely with regard to the aliens, or the discovered ship but also the Prometheus itself whose internal fittings and layout feel very reminiscent of the Nostromo. I saw the film in 3D and this is one of the better usages of 3D that I've seen. Although there are obvious showcase scenes (the stellar map in the discovered ship being a striking example) overall, the effect felt natural.
I had no issues with the script; in most sci-fi films, some proportion of the dialogue will always be expository, and I feel that Prometheus handled this well.
Overall, while the film is not perfect, I found it highly enjoyable and a very worthwhile addition to the Alien canon; certainly superior to Resurrection and 3.