An opinion not a review (spoiler-free)

[size=5][b]Note:[/b] This review has been marked "spoiler-free". Any spoilers posted will be removed (the entire post).[/size] -----------------------------------------------------------------Well it's out there now and the camp is divided. I've spent a fair part of today reading the various posts and after some debate I have decided to throw my hat into the ring. Before I start though I will say that although I have hung around the site for a long while I only joined a few weeks ago and only made my first posts at 3.30 this morning. As my old dad used to say..Don't say anything unless you've got something to say! Just thought I'd chuck that in before I'm accused of being an attention seeker or a Troll. I saw the Alien in the cinema when it was first released. It is one of my favourites and is perhaps a perfect film for me. I have waited 30 odd years for Prometheus and I have to state that I really wanted to love this film. The reality for me is that Prometheus is perhaps the most dissapointing film I have seen. After a very promising opening sequence, it suffers from poor editing which begs the worrying question...are we in for a raft of directors cuts? He's got previous convictions for that! The film does not develop most of the characters. Other than David and Shaw the rest are pretty much just there to provide body heat for each other. Pretty much all of the promising plotlines hinted at in the trailers fizzle out and are dead in the water within 10-15 minutes. I personally felt that the concept of the Engineers was not explained at all. Where did it come from? A few cave paintings and stone carvings? yet a Trillion Dollar (quote) mission is launched to find them. During the crash sequence (not a spoiler..It's in all of the trailers) the film becomes a typical Hollywood special effects blockbuster complete with (for me) cheezy acting and lines. The Engineer seems to be nothing more than a malicious angry thug, and I felt that some of the characters were confused and seemed to change their character at the drop of a hat. Mainly Vickers who is both hot and cold, tough and weak. I couldn't work her out at all. She had great potential but was, again in my opinion, underused. Annnddd ... the final scenes were so obvious that I actually let out a groan...who would have guessed. Personally I feel the ball has been dropped and I for one am not sure I want to see it being picked up again. I have read the words masterpiece, genius and philosophical in various posts today and i find this strange. The film is a long way from any of these. Perhaps it is, just as another poster has suggested, a difference of cultural opinion between neighbours on each side of the big pond. That may well be and I for one say Vive la difference. To quote the old cliche...It would be a boring world if we all agreed with each other. The bottom line is that you should read all the posts, put them to the back of your mind and go and see the film for yourself. If you like it...great, I'm happy for you and, if you don't. well what can I say? it's not the end of the world. Geddit??? Now I may be accused of being too low brow or perhaps cynical or indeed insulting for criticising Ridley Scott. But when you stick out your neck you had better be prepared to have your head cut off. Oh and by the way- I am!!