PROMETHEUS (2012)

In this Alien prequel, two scientists (Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green), study ancient cave paintings and conclude that a bygone race, whom they call "The Engineers," created mankind. A zillionaire funds an expedition (including a bunch of technicians. a predictably perfidious robot called David played by Michael Fassbender, and an icy Charlize Theron as the mission boss) to a distant planet where they think The Engineers may have lived. The anticipated chaos, violence and betrayal ensue. The plot is thin, the dialog weak, and the logic of David helping to impregnate Rapace with an alien life form is never explained. Nearly all the characters are forgettable; and even Idris Elba, a talented and versatile English actor (who's in more movies than the MGM lion) who plays the space ship's pilot, is trapped in an inner city patois that leaves him with nothing much to say except "Copy dat." Rapace is good, Fassbender better, but Marshall-Green is just-plain obnoxious. BUT: Director Ridley Scott shows a sure hand with the action and especially the special effects, CGI and soundtrack, which are just brilliant and at times, beautiful. This movie is pure eye-and-ear candy.