A great Sci-fi movie but not the masterpiece I was hoping for

Rating: 7/10 (4 June 2012)

'Prometheus' was undoubtedly my most anticipated film of the year. Never mind the conclusion to Chris Nolan's epic Batman trilogy 'The Dark Knight Rises' or Peter Jackson's eagerly awaited 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey', this is the film that I was hoping would blow my mind this year in a way that I would never fully recover from. And whilst 'Prometheus' is, without a doubt, an excellent sci-fi romp and a great way of bulking out the 'Alien' mythology, sadly it didn't quite obliterate all of my expectations.
The Alien franchise is one of my favourite franchises of all time. And the thought of Ridley Scott returning to the world he helped create left me frothing at the mouth from the first rumour. With all of my hopes gathered, I sat in my seat and this potential classic began.
One of the finest things about 'Prometheus' (which is evident from the very beginning) is the outstanding cinematography and incredible set design. The area the crew investigate really is amazing. H R Giger's visions become a startling reality and you can't help but soak up every inch of every scene, it makes the film that little bit more believable and enthralling. The spaceship is also superb and means that no matter where a particular scene might take place, you feel involved in a way that is quite surreal and profound. The film's scale is quite something to behold as well, it becomes clear instantly that Ridley Scott wasn't exactly confined to a shoe-string budget and everything, no matter how insignificant, is appreciated by the viewer in a way that only large scale epics can manage.
Let's get on to possibly the best thing in the whole movie, which is; the performance of Michael Fassbender. Fassbender plays the android without a soul and does so in such a perfect manner that it leaves the viewer feeling rather haunted. Obviously, if you've seen 'Alien' then you know that androids aren't always interested in the feelings of the crew, and because of this it's hard to ever trust a robot in any kind of film. With that in mind, Fassbender really frightens the viewer with his stiffness, his humourless attitude and the unnerving efficiency of everything he does. In short, Fassbender is sublime and whenever he is in a shot you know it's going to be good. Also worthy of a mention is Noomi Rapace who plays one of the two scientists that are responsible for the expedition; and is probably the one character that the viewer properly connects with, she is probably the person that gets the most screen time; which isn't a bad thing because she is very interesting to watch.
The nods to the original 'Alien' are very obvious and add a lot to the film, Scott explores the mythos of the franchise excellently and creates many a revelation for an 'Alien' fan, it's great to see and adds an extra level of depth to what quickly becomes a series of engrossing discoveries behind the mysteries which, up until now, were never quite explained by the original 'Alien'.
'Prometheus' is unquestionably a violent film and there are some quite shocking and terrifying scenes. Whilst there may not be one scene that really stacks up against the infamous 'chestburster' sequence from 'Alien', overall, it could be said that Prometheus is a lot darker and more sinister than the original, which generates much more tension, particularly towards the end of the movie, when the massive conclusion is drawing ever closer.
However, the fact that this is a prequel is probably the film's biggest shortcoming - you know what the ending will ultimately be. And whilst there are many details which make the film's end very interesting, it's painstakingly apparent that this film is just a precursor to two of the greatest sci-fi films ever made. With that being said, 'Prometheus' is still a very appealing film and is a fantastic addition to the franchise.