My review - very minor spoilers

Went to see it last night and I'm going to see it for the second time in 2D tommorow. Quite good and I think my views will improve a little tommorow. Just a few low points and they weren't minor ones. My initial concerns over the running time were confirmed - this film really needs (at the very least) another 30 mins to incorporate a little more of the plot elements and some alternate pacing of action and thoughtful dialogue to back up the set-pieces. I will NEVER understand the need for fast pacing of the edit - what's up with people? Is short-attention-span-syndrome a malady nowadays. The Totem Head could've been discussed more among the characters, but it wasn't... a huge enigmatic icon unexplored even a little....... Some of the script was woeful, sorry. End of. 'Scary': in a curiously leftfield touch (in a style which they could've expanded upon in other scenes), the only 'scary' bit for me was when Fifield was crouched like a distorted spider-man outside the ship - God, looking at the pics in the 'Art of' postings here,they could've really gone to town here. But - they didn't - whhyyyyyy??????? Why? Why...? The screen-grabs of the head inside the Jockey helmet which were posted up here a few weeks ago and which looked initially like bloody stupid Treebeard, turned out to be one of the best and creepiest moments in the film. That head was at once terrifying, beautiful and sorrowful. More could've been shown of those beautifully crafted 'Engineers' - I want to see more of these if a sequel is made and preferably bigger ones. I envisaged three towering,living, Engineers for this film and it would've balanced the spectacle out nicely. But no. Such potential there not quite fulfilled. The creatures: Hammerpede - should've been a little more expanded on and drawn out and the reckless 'scientist' Milburn should've been depicted as such - an attempt to stun or bag it would've been more realistic and more along the lines of common sense and self-preservation let alone scientific detachment and observation. The giant Facehuggeropus was quite good in a perverse retro-sci-fi way with recognisable hugger attributes and refreshingly Lovecraftian in a tentacles way. Great. The 'Encore Alien' - strange, mmm, good.....in a mediocre but still strange way. I like the way the teeth and gums shot out - a precursor that begs further questions. The soundtrack is gorgeous (bought the CD by the way, came yesterday), but leave out that AWFUL 'Life' theme - sounds like a John Williams afterthought - seriously. I thought it would've been the other way around - Streitenfeld delivering a mediocre score and Gregson-Williams providing a memorable motif, but was I surprised. The eerie choral sections with the sonorous brass, strings and percussion are almost sub-infrasound and are very evocative of a truly alien world. Almost Bernard Herrmann in some parts. Mercifully scant on the by-numbers kettle-drum 'let's run away' action bits, thank the Lord. Refreshing and brilliant. Weyland: on the strength of Guy Pearce's superb TED performance I expected a very enigmatic, obsessive and possibly insane character, but it turned out to be an embarrassing cliche of a 'doddering old man' with unconvincing make-up (come out of retirement Dick Smith - you could've done much better). Cue 'Grandad' by Clive Dunn and school-choir, lol. Outer Space and the planet's surface: criminally rushed and not dwelt upon. SO much could've been depicted beautifully to set the scene - the far reaches of the cosmos, being MANY light years away from home and the attendant horrors of time-dilation (as mentioned by Ridley a LONG time ago?) A sequence of an Earth dock or space port to establish a sense of expectation of a voyage into the UNKNOWN. What did we get - a minutes worth of space in total? Lastly (another one of my misgivings from the news 18 months ago) - I gave it the benefit of the doubt and caved in to see it in 3D. Some really nice bits, but I expected an improvement (jump to Cameron's bar and Red Epic and all that) on the Avatar darkness, but it seems nothing has changed in three years in my opinion. Give me normal anyday. Overall on first viewing, ok - very good. But could've been - well, excellent, yes? Which is what Ridley Scott is more than capable of. I really suspect studio-stupidity-short-sighted-pressure and get a bad smell of money, money and more money from it. RS has had to cram everything in two hours and button his lip I bet in order to get finance for a follow-up, and if that's the case then that's criminal. Why not have it all here and now a la 'Gladiator' '1492' 'KOH'? I'm very weary of the cop-out amongst fans of 'oh, it'll be alright on the night/blu-ray/DVD thing? RUBBISH!!! Why not have it all NOW at the cinema? Not in a sequel possible 2-3 years away or a dvd 3 months down the line. I want to see the FULL cut experience at the cinema first pretty please - not arse over tit, the other way around - surely most agree with me here? Anyway (rant over, lol) as I said, I'm seeing it again tommorow and yes, I will be getting the blu-ray and the 'Art of'has been ordered - so, I've 'fallen in' again as I (and the bleedin' studios) knew I would (no matter what) lol.