Ridley Scott Breathes New Life into the Alien Universe with Prometheus.

Rating: 8/10 (8 June 2012)

First of all, Prometheus is more akin to a reboot than a prequel. The Alien series had become increasingly simplistic post-Aliens. Prometheus responds by injecting intellectual heft back into the series. Intricate, philosophical, and symbolic; Prometheus is not for those expecting the action-oriented series we've grown accustomed too.
Instead, Ridley Scott offers us a film increasingly rare in today's world. It's emphasis on atmosphere and intricacy is a fresh breath in today's world of cheap thrills, gore, and 'plosions. But don't worry, there's still plenty of body horror to go around.
The visual effects are amazing; certainly worth the few extra bucks to see it at an Imax (as I did). The actors, especially the actresses, give an outstanding performance. Noomi Rapace fills Sigourney Weaver's shoes well, but creates a character who stands on her own.
But Prometheus still lacks the punch of Alien. Perhaps it's emphasis on building a rich mythology takes away from the excitement of the movie. Perhaps it's technophobic elements aren't as potent as they were in 1979. Perhaps it's simply not scary enough. Either way, the movie certainly doesn't live up to it's expectations.
A lot is riding on the sequel (yes, you can expect a sequel). Prometheus can spawn a series truly epic or immensely disappointing. It has the momentum, but can it capitalize on it? I'm not sure, but I am sure that Prometheus is certainly a movie worth admiration.
If you're looking for a thought provoking movie to shake you to the core, Prometheus is for you. Otherwise, you certainly have plenty of mind-numbing choices to choose from.