Prometheus (2012)

     Prometheus (2012) [D: Ridley Scott. Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce, Michael Fassbender, et al] A couple archeologists (Rapace and Marshall-Green) find a Significant Cave Painting on Skye, of all places. The painting shows the same constellation as found in other ancient images (here Scott and his writers use a rather loopy speculation), and apparently persuade the Weyland Corporation to fund an expedition to the far side of the galaxy to find the Planet of Origin. It seems the human race was seeded on Earth by some genetic engineers who used their own DNA to make us. Or whatever. A good deal of Mystery and Mayhem ensues, only Rapace survives, but on the Origin Planet the Alien we know and love to fear has been born.
     As several reviewers on IMDb have pointed out, the plot is full of holes, the characterisation is variable, and the Deep Questions that supposedly animate the story aren’t really answered. Actually, they’re not very clearly put.
The best you can say for this movie is that it’s interesting. The visuals are pretty good, and Rapace plays a thankless role well. So does Fassbender as David the bio-robot. Worth a look if you want to know something more about the Alien universe.
     About the title: Prometheus was the god who gave humans fire, despite Zeus's prohibition. For this he was chained to a rock where an eagle came and ate his liver every day. Being a god, the liver grew back. I suspect we're supposed to think of the pale-grey creators as Prometheus, but in such a thematically muddled story, it doesn't really matter. *½