Sadly Not as Original or as Daring as I had Hoped...However..

Rating: 8/10 (1 December 2012)

Many were disappointed by this film...
Those like me expecting a huge story shift from the Alien Universe and asking the bigger questions about our (human) existence such as why we were brought into existence & just who or what created The Universe & why? (The Gods that Created the Universe as was rumoured) will sadly be disappointed.
It DOES give us answers as to who created us...It was The Engineers as seen in the film (Incredibly advanced & could be seen as Gods by many of The Human Race but creators of the Universe & Everything? well sadly not it would seem, THAT FILM HAS YET TO BE MADE)
It then looks like these highly intelligent Engineers created us & a biological weapon (Alien Black Goo) which then creates havoc with the Engineers themselves.
If you go into this film knowing it's an Alien prequel plain & simple then you'll enjoy this more, although be prepared for very little Alien action as this is a Discovery / Adventure film.
HERE ARE MY MAIN PROBLEMS...
Having seen the Blu-Ray deleted / cut scenes I'm amazed at some of the decisions Ridley and the Editors made for the Final Edit of this film.
Better & more Important scenes were left out!!!
1) The Start of the movie does NOT show the rest of the Engineers observing the Engineer drinking this black goo and then sacrificing himself...the Theatrical version ONLY shows him so you don't really know if he's sacrificing himself or not really.
2) The Fifield Attack...In the Theatrical version it's OK (shows him basically in human guise with a blood shot eye and a few minor changes) in the Blu-Ray version there is a STUNNING full on Fifield Alien Monster type attack which is genuinely unsettling.
3) When the crew awaken the one remaining Engineer on the planet in the Theatrical version he more or less attacks them without so much as a word said or listening to anything they are saying...It seems like an unprovoked attack which I just couldn't understand!!! Why would a so called intelligent life-form attack them? Well if you see the Blu-Ray cut scenes you'll understand a little more why...Weyland was liking himself to the Engineers (Creating David) and was asking them for more life.
So how does David (the Android) know there are other ships? If you remember he interacts with one of their computers, although he never actually gives this information out in the film but he clearly has taken in all the information available & probably more he's not yet give up.
Although this is a prequel it is NOT THE SAME PLANET as in Alien.
I WOULD URGE PEOPLE TO READ THE "PROMETHEUS FAQ" in which the Opening scene is BEST described & is a truly interesting read, it can be found here... http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1446714/faq#.2.1.40
And in many respects the above article is MORE INTERESTING THAN THE FILM ITSELF.
Why Scott (for whom I have a great deal of respect & time for) & the Writers & Editors couldn't incorporate more of these interesting ideas into the script & film I really don't know.
The Bigger ideas of 'HOW OUR UNIVERSE CAME INTO BEING' are sadly not explored here, this will be for another different Science Fiction Movie or maybe even an amazing Prometheus sequel.
Just how did our Universe come into being? if there was a Big Bang then there had to be something before it to create it, in which case time existed before our Universe was created & just Who or What created our Universe? did it occur by having two Universes come togeather? Some say our Universe along with possibly countless others came from a same singularity which when it gets too heavy deposits universes (just like raindrops from clouds)
OUR UNIVERSE is EXPANDING...but into WHAT? The so called 'DARK MATTER' seems to be the stuff we can't see that surrounds most of the space between planets and galaxies left over from the BIG BANG...BUT WHAT IS THIS STUFF WE ARE EXPANDING INTO?
IF THERE is a GOD then has it/he/she ALWAYS EXISTED? If so then that's something our tiny human minds would find difficult to comprehend. Something that has ALWAYS Existed! Think about that for a moment. How can that be? and if God or whatever entity (if it was an entity?) that created all of this was somehow created or born itself then what came before it/him or she?
MINDBENDING ISN'T IT?...Sorry gone a bit off topic there.
This is still a very well made and creditable movie in the Alien Universe (a prequel) & I like the fact that it's more of a Discovery / Adventure Film (has some similarities to 2001 & 2010 in some respects which is not a bad thing) although many won't like this but in the end it was just NOT Quiet AS ORIGINAL or as DARING as I hoped it could have been.
Now that I know this I'm sure I will enjoy this film far more in the future, it is a Film i think I shall appreciate even more over the coming years (although I still can't believe what they left out, a recut version of 'Prometheus' can be expected before the hoped for sequel)
Just hoping Ridley will be more Original & Daring in that sequel.
He might just be teasing us for the upcoming onslaught of answers & ideas to come...HOPE SO.
RocketeerFlyer Rating of an UP & Levelling Off 8/10.