The Dork Review: Prometheus

I'm struggling to properly express my feeling about this movie. On one hand, Prometheus has a lot going for it. None of the main cast of actors are weak, and Charlize Theron particularly is much better in this movie than in Snow White and The Huntsman. On the the other hand, there are a few nit-picking parts that could have been improved story-wise that would have made things flow better.

Alright, I'll try and express what I think is wrong without giving any spoilers. Or, at least any spoilers that aren't already included in the bloody trailer.

First off, this is a beautiful film. The special effects are used exactly the way they need to be; to enhance the film experience rather than being front and centre and blaring at the audience "look what we can do!" The makes the film a visual treat, and in fact I think it can be enjoyed on just that level if you get nothing else out of it.

My main problem is that some of the characters act so friggin stupid at times, and act outside of their already established character, that it compromises the story. Which is terrible because Prometheus has all the elements need to be a classic piece of sci-fi with a few horror tropes stuck onto it for flavour. There's the dream of finding life out there, of finding who created us and why, of finding God almost, that isn't present in a lot of sci-fi these days. The motivating characters in this movie are those dreamers on a quest to find the meaning of life, while at the same time an artificial being is struggling to understand who they are and how they fit into the universe.

I want more grand, epic science-fiction along these lines, especially now that computer generated effects make it so that we can give these movies the true size and scale they require. I have to give Ridley Scott credit in the attempt, and give him a round of applause for an ending that worked for me and kept the dreaming spirit alive while showing one of humanity's greatest strengths, our curiosity. I just wish some of the flaws in the middle could have been buffed out.

I'd still recommend seeing Prometheus. While it isn't perfect, and suffers compared to some of the other films I've seen this year, it's still worth seeing in theaters. Just be sure to manage expectations so that you aren't too disappointed at not being completely blown away.