A smart sci-fi has arrived.

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2012)

Ridley Scott has taken the director's seat again and this time thrusts us back into the universe which 'Alien' exists. This time it's set 100 or so years before the first Alien movie. I don't feel this is a direct prequel to the Alien franchise but a launching point for a set of movies leading up to the prequel. You will definitely see the similarities in Prometheus that link it back to the Alien universe but it's not quite there yet.
This film has been getting a lot of hate and flack by the movie community. A lot saying it's visually stunning but flat, looks great but terrible story. I think this may be due to the fact that some people were expecting one type of movie but ended up getting something totally different. Don't go into this movie expecting an all out Alien movie, you won't get that here. This is a set-up movie of what is to come. I was a little reserved about seeing it, even though I've been waiting a long time to, because of the bad press it has been getting. I never let reviews sway me from seeing a movie, but it's hard to put down big money on something that could be a total waste of time.
First off, the film is visually appealing. Absolutely beautiful. Scott knows how to make a movie look good, and this spares no expense in the visual department. H.R. Giger was brought back on to make some designs for the 'cave' the scientists find themselves exploring. The story, it's a slow burn, taking it's time to develop. We are thrust into the exploration of the planet quickly, but the story never feels rushed. I love how things are left up to us to interpret and talk about and think about what is going on. Pay attention to the screen, you will pick up things that will link the story together. I feel the story is wonderfully crafted and leaves you with questions and some of the answers are interpretive. This is smart SCI-FI, something we don't get enough of any more.
Archaeologist Elizabeth Shaw, played wonderfully by Noomi Rapace, an amazing Swedish actress, best known for her role as Lizbeth from The Millennium Trilogy, better know as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy, and her partner Charlie Holloway(Logan Marshall-Green) find a series of cave paintings from different civilizations. Each painting has one defining feature that links them all together, a large humanoid pointing to a series of planets. They take this as an invitation to come and find them. These beings get labeled the 'Engineers'
Shaw persuades the Weyland corporation to fund an expedition to this planet system to seek out these engineers because they make hold the secret to life itself. They are trying to find out if us, the human race, were made by this race. They soon find out after landing on the planet and doing some exploration that the engineers do exist but they may have had a more sinister plan for us.
Along for the ride is an android named David(Michael Fassbender). Fassbender plays David perfectly. He is really top notch, as he normally is. Over the years I've really taken to Fassbender and I couldn't picture anyone playing David but him. Even though David is an android, there are times where you feel that you might not be able to trust him. He's always learning but being android he is void of a soul and feelings and sometimes his experiments don't always have the best intentions for others around him. My favorite line in the movie comes from David..."Big things come from small beginnings." That line resonates through the whole picture and I also feel that it fits because I think this is the small beginning to the larger franchise we have come to know as Alien franchise.
Charlize Theron is back and plays Meredith Vickers, the working head of Weyland corporation. She is a cold calculating leader and at times only seems to be there for her own agenda. Theron straps on the 'bitch' shoes again and fills them nicely. She's not a likable character but at times it may seem that she might have a heart in her somewhere, no matter how small.
Marc Streitenfeld has been brought on board for the score of the movie. He does a great job in providing a fitting score, bringing you deeper into this universe. A lot of the story is not told in dialogue or scenes but shown on screen so pay attention. You will pick up on things just by observations alone.
I think this is one of Ridley Scott's best work and is a fine addition to the Alien mythos and universe. It is a stepping stone to something much larger. It is setting up the universe beautifully and I think when the other sequels come out everything will get tied perfectly together with a big red bow. This movie leaves a lot of questions unanswered but I think that is the point. I feel those questions will get answered in time with the other films. What I love with open ends like this is that it makes you think and talk after the film is done of what could be and what is coming next. Like I said before this is smart sci-fi at it's best, and in the world of big escapist blockbusters, it's good to see that smartly made movies like 'Prometheus' are still getting made.
I have nothing but admiration for this movie and I praise Ridley Scott and everyone involved for taking the chance and making this movie. Definitely a must see and a must see in the theatres. I know I will be seeing this movie multiple times, it definitely is a story that benefits from multiple viewings.