Enjoyable

Rating: 8/10 (6 June 2012)

It may not be perfect but Prometheus still is an engaging sci-fi flick that comes with a mix of mystery, science, horror and some notable solid performances.
Director Ridley Scott tells a story that dealt with the search for answers regarding the origin of humanity and similar to his 1979 classic Alien, Prometheus has a star ship and a crew with a mission. At the same time, the famed director made great use of the technology and with his technical team delivering great cinematography, striking effects and most of all a great sense of immersion into the story.
The first half of the film had a strong sci-fi exploration flavor in it laced with mystery. In the second half, the tone changes into suspense, horror and shock all delivered in a fine pace. Along the way, there are lots of elements that connect Prometheus with Alien and for sure the nerds or the more observant moviegoers will have a blast connecting the dots.
The casting is a mixed bag although it is somewhat justified by the time the film ends. Sure there were crew members who are pretty shallow and not worth caring for. Of course, the more notable roles such as David (Michael Fassbender), protagonist Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) somewhat made up for the lack of depth from the others.
Noomi Rapace delivered a fine performance as a strong-willed woman who not only searched for answers but also came up with the courage to survive against tremendous odds ala Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) in Alien.
Charlize Theron is excellent as the beautiful but very cold-hearted Meredith Vickers, and for the most part her presence attracted a feeling of animosity from the viewers. Still, there is also that feeling that before you want to get rid of Vickers, you also would want to know what she knows, what she is after and more.
Michael Fassbender, in my view, stole the show as the android David. He is no copycat of Ash (Alien) or Bishop (Aliens) but rather he stands out as an android that not only tirelessly works to accomplish his goals but also learn about humanity as well as the search for answers on the galactic level. Quite symbolically, David is very much like a living, walking version of HAL (2001: A Space Odyssey) as well as a more sophisticated version of Star Trek: TNG's Data.
Will Prometheus end up as a timeless classic like Alien? That is something we won't find out until decades to come. No box office numbers or any wave of media reviews will be able to justify that because clearly only time will tell if Prometheus will be remembered whether as an indirect prequel to Alien or as its own sci-fi story.
In my honest opinion, Prometheus is a very solid sci-fi flick on its own and definitely it is one of Ridley Scott's best films in a long time.