Prometheus -- REVIEW

There has been a lot of debate as to whether or not Prometheus is a prequel to the Aliens trilogy (I personally do not consider the 4th film as part of the series).  The film was not advertised as a prequel but from the first glimpse of the giant alien in the chair which is an iconic image from the 1979 film there was no question in my mind.  Prometheus was going to be a story from a time predating Ripley and hopefully one that would give us some back story as to where the aliens came from.

For anyone that still has not seen the film I do not want to spoil too much, but I will say that I was barely satisfied with the amount of information given during the 2 hr film.  The opening sequence alone left more open to debate than it answered, and I'm still unsure the point was for the mysterious man on the edge of a waterfall.  There was no indication as to what year we were being told about or where it was taking place, and then it cut to 2089 where the story of Prometheus truly begins.  I mean it was a true ‘WTF’ moment.

From beginning to end the film tries to push you along and give you some answers but there are themes and elements within the film that might leave an odd taste in your mouth as you walk out of the theater.  I personally was excited that the evolution of the alien was finally explained, however there was almost no explanation as to where any of the other characters came from and the almost desperate push for answers by Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace – Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) left me unimpressed.  In the end I found that the acting of almost unrecognizable actors in Prometheus far surpassed all other aspects of the film.  The cast was strong and carried the weight of the film far better than the story, and my favorite was the android David portrayed by Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds and A Dangerous Method) whose acting skills appeared to surpass those of Charlize Theron (Snow White & the Huntsman and Monster)who was just there.  The special effects were of course impressive even if they left you scratching your hear as to what you just saw, but ultimately the “big reveal” was not as big as I would have liked.  I would have preferred to have gotten a few more answers out of the film rather than a new list of questions that were left unanswered.

Don't get me wrong I'm not saying that you shouldn't see Prometheus, I'm just advising that one should lower their expectations as the film may not quite satisfy your needs.  But don't worry, there is talk that this is not a stand-alone prequel, but in fact part of a trilogy of its own that would eventually give us the answers we are hoping for.

Over all I give Prometheus a 3 out of 5.  

**Review written for PacMan & the Hot One -- http://pacmanandthehotone.blogspot.com/2012/06/prometheus-2012-film-review.html.  Check out the link to read other reviews.**