Prometheus (2012) - ★★

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: John Spaihts, Damon Lindelof (Screenplay)
Stars: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Logan Marshall-Green

I had such high expectations of Prometheus. It has incredible special effects and beautiful music. That's as far as my praise for this film goes. I don't know what the writers of this film were thinking. The film raised a thousand questions and their answers raised thousands of more questions. There were more plot holes in this movie than in Inception (2010) (and that's not easy to beat). Scott abandoned simplicity and created a movie so complicated that he forgot to focus on character development and tying loose ends.

It's about a team of scientists that find a clue to the origin of mankind on Earth. They follow this clue to a planet that no man has ever been before. There, they discover the terrifying truth as to where humans came from. Also, a battle to save Earth takes place. I shortened the plot to its most simplified form, and it still sounds complicated.

I think that Scott tried to fit too much into two hours. Finding the clue to the aliens, discovering the planet, introducing characters and encountering the aliens should take up at least the first hour and a half. Prometheus tried to fit the whole sub-plot of 'the origin of mankind' in this space of time. What happened was that every time they explained something, it didn't answer the whole question. Sometimes they didn't explain anything at all. You're just left wondering, what the hell is going on?

Films that make you think are fantastic. This film requires you to make up answers as you see fit, which is not good at all. I think Prometheus lacked in character development the most. What I love about Alien (1979) and Aliens (1986) is that they have the most lovable, respectable, despicable and kick-ass characters. Noomi Rapace (the main character) should have been a good replacement for Sigourney Weaver (the main character from the previous films). I love Rapace, but her character lacked the depth and emotion that made Weaver's 'Ripley' so damn likable.

I despised the use of cliche's in every character. Logan Marshall-Green played a scientist that looked and acted like a stupid jock. Idris Elba played the token black guy that is always laid back and amused by white people. Guy Pearce played an old man with the worst make-up I've ever seen in a movie. Charlize Theron played a cold and thoroughly unlikable captain. Michael Fassbender was the only standout in the whole darn thing. He did an amazing job playing a robot that idolized Lawrence of Arabia.
 
In one scene, we see the robot watching Lawrence of Arabia. You know a movie is bad when the scene you enjoyed the most came from another film entirely. I could talk forever on plot holes and goofs with this film, but it's not worth the time. I don't think anyone could fully understand it unless they read an essay explaining every nook and cranny that this film explores. If you have to take the time to read pages of explanations, then the film has not done its job at telling the story.