Making familiar the Alien

Rating: 6/10 (4 June 2012)

I really wanted to like this so much, so there may have been a case of high expectations, but hey, it was Ridley doing the Alien film he had been talking about since the success of the first one!
(SPOILER) When the head of a "Space Jockey" is revealed to be nothing more than a helmet for a very human looking alien was like Qui-Gon Jinn (Lliam Neeson) explaining that The Force was nothing more than microscopic "midi-chlorians". (end SPOILER)
Back in 1979 we were given a very different view of the universe to Star Wars where our place within it was totally insignificant, and that universe was cold and uncaring.
In this instalment not only is so much of the technology readily conceivable instead of Alien, we are elevated to quite a significant place in the scheme of things.
Where's the cosmic horror?
Why was I constantly thinking how much better the prequel to The Thing was (and I think that the screen writers may have been watching those films a bit too much too).
If you are obviously making a sequel, why go to such lengths to contradict some of the good elements of the original?
If you wanted to treat this as a stand alone film there are so many plot flaws, undeveloped characters and poor pacing in the film it still isn't a good one.
Please stay away from Blade Runner...