… Because we were all yearning for a fully logical explanation of “Alien.” 

Even if we weren’t, we got one major question from the legendary science fiction movie answered with Ridley Scott’s newest release “Prometheus.” Sure, it’s based on a silly concept, especially for a film that paid oh so much attention to meticulous detail and spent oh so much money on marketing expenses (including editing babbling from sports analyst Stephen A. Smith into the sickeningly repetitive trailers amidst NBA playoff games). But, that being said, there’s no doubting that Scott still knows how to make the future look sophisticated and contemporary – a quality exemplified through his masterpiece “Blade Runner” and further displayed through his craftsmanship of the many breathtaking visuals from this film 30 years later with a significantly larger budget. 

A crew of scientists and astronauts is heading to an inevitably dystopian moon where they believe they can finally answer the question as to how humanity was created. Amongst the crew are Charlize Theron, Noomi Rapace, Guy Pearce and Michael Fassbender – who as we’ve gotten completely used to plays as the best actor in the film he’s in. Fassbender, who creates incomparable depth within each character he plays, shows off his talent and versatility playing an android that is physically indistinguishable from humans but who can’t feel any emotions whatsoever – or so we’re told. 

Related: The 5 Best Movies Ridley Scott’s Directed

The scientific vessel they ride on to get to the moon is called “Prometheus,” and from there, the film acts as if it has something intelligent to say about the creation of humanity. But don't be fooled, the lack of consistent substance that we’ve become so accustomed to with Scott’s movies is ever apparent. Don’t get me wrong - there was a lot that I liked about this work of a true auteur. For a film shown in 3D, the depth of field and the clarity are much more detailed than literally all of the other hogwash we’ve been exposed to since the inception of this cinematic equivalent to artistic contraception, however, stunning visuals aren’t enough for me to justify it being the “most anticipated movie in years.” 

Among other things missing (besides a cameo from Sigourney Weaver) was any sense of substance within the characters. Fassbender was the only person who truly understood his role as a detached non human – the only one who’s truly interesting even though he’s playing something that literally can’t even develop emotions. That’s a compliment to how exceptional of an actor he is but also a major flaw within the film because his character shouldn’t attract that much more attention that any of the other characters with this particular trait. 

All in all, “Prometheus” is a celebration of the mind of a once great 74-year old director, his long-awaited and inevitable delving back into the science fiction genre that he once ruled and will forever be remembered in. This is a quality film, it has its flaws, but it shouldn’t even be mentioned in the same sentence as his 2010 atrocity “Robin Hood.” Perhaps the real Ridley Scott is back. 

Grade: B