Prometheus

2012 science fiction prequel

Rating: 10/20

Plot: A bunch of scientists venture to a distant planet to attempt to discover the origin of their species.

Here's a prequel that's easily more disastrous than those Star Wars movies that fanboys have cried about for almost two decades. This is a mess, a movie that suffers from being overly ambitious while, at least thematically, not quite being ambitious enough. It seems that Ridley Scott wants to say something about humanity, our origins, our future as a species, or something else equally profound, but all the special effects keep getting in the way.

The first Alien movie is a favorite of mine, a classic of both horror and science fiction, and it works because it keeps everything simple. This movie has too many ideas. Scott put way too much on his plate here, and it ended up making more of a mess on the table than it did when that alien popped out of John Hurt's chest.

Rest in peace, John Hurt, by the way.

This was the second movie I watched in a row that had a title alluding to a mythological character. If I would have made the connection then, I could have gotten a streak going.