Too many sci-fi nerd critics out there; Prometheus is a solid movie.

Rating: 8/10 (9 June 2012)

I'll start by saying that sure, Prometheus can be criticized for some over-the-top, Hollywood gaffs - Elizabeth's instant c-section recovery, the Geologist Zombie Attack, the complete willingness of the Prometheus flight crew to suicide bomb a gigantic alien ship, and the often silly and seemingly random decisions people make throughout the story. Sure, all of those things are there, and if your brain is set to "compare-this-to-classic-scifi-movies" mode, then you'll have plenty to complain about on the IMDb forums. But for those of you who do not consider yourselves self-appointed professional critics, and will allow your imagination to run wild with this film, then I think you're in for a treat.
The most important concept in this film, to me, is the evolution of the alien DNA. We first see it in the form of a black ooze in the underground temple. After David infects Holloway with it, and Holloway has sex with Shaw, it takes on the form of a weird tentacle creature (the mixture of the original genetic material with human DNA). Then at the end, the tentacle creature DNA merges with the superhuman DNA, creating a more human-like alien. This journey from genetic ooze to what looks a lot like the creatures from the original Alien shows us that this alien DNA is so adaptive, changes so quickly, and mimics its host bodies. These are all new concepts that weren't even hinted at in the original Aliens movies.
Another interesting concept here is shown in the opening scene of the movie. A superhuman is "dropped off" from his spacecraft onto what we can only assume is Earth. He drinks a liquid that is contaminated with the same genetic mutation that is uncovered later in the movie on the alien planet. As he decomposes and falls into the waterfall, I'm left with the suspicion that this was an early attempt by the superhumans to infect earth with this genetic virus. Obviously it failed, which is why I think they started stockpiling thousands of canisters of the stuff to launch against Earth.
For as many interesting concepts are presented, more questions are raised than answered. Why do the superhumans want to destroy Earth? David, somehow intimately knowledgeable about these people, suggests that "Sometimes to create, one must destroy." So, they weren't happy with our species and wanted to try again? Possible, but no indication is given either way. Another unanswered question, of course, is what is the origin of the alien DNA? Obviously, alien creatures hunted the superhumans in the temple, as seen by the holographic flashback that David triggered near the beginning. Did aliens exist independently of the superhuman race, or was it created by them? Either way, we know that the superhumans planned to use that alien DNA as a weapon of mass destruction, but we still have no clue where it originally came from. This movie actually begs its own prequel, since nothing is really revealed about our ancestors' real history.
Ultimately, for all its flaws - which are spelled out in great detail on this site - I think Prometheus is a solid, interesting, and beautiful sci-fi film that will age well. Right now, it's so fresh, and all the comparisons to the original Aliens movies are running rampant. But give it some time and come back to it in 10 or 20 years, and I guarantee you that this will be considered a much more involved and thought provoking sci-fi than it is now. Your mileage my vary, but at least give it a shot, if nothing else for the visceral experience and a look into the pre-Alien world.