A Great and Unexpected Prequel to Alien

Rating: 8/10 (30 May 2012)

Having attended one of the first showings of Alien in 1979 in Los Angeles, it was with much anticipation that over 30 years later I was able to see a special early showing of Prometheus in 3D in Geneva, Switzerland.
If you are a sci-fi fan, you'll love it. In sum, it's a great prequel and beautifully shot. It slots into the original Alien in a way I would have never imagined and ends with the possibility of a new spin-off to the Alien series (who makes only a minor appearance here).
The opening shots of Ridley Scott's ideas of how genesis took place on earth are beautiful if not poetic. And throughout the film, you can only gasp 'wow' at the fantastic big scale special effects and nature shots.
Once the film arrives on the planet and they start to explore the ruins where our 'makers' potentially come from, it pretty much keeps you on the edge of your seat (and off for a few 'jolt' scenes) for the rest of the film. The normal slimy creatures do their effect well and the standard expendable cast members meet their demise in a sufficiently nasty way.
The mostly UK cast does a pretty good job but you don't seem to really connect with the characters (except oddly the robot, Michael Fassbender, who does a fine Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia type persona). At times, you feel that parts of the film have been cut out as characters make odd transitions (like Logan Marshall-Green suddenly hitting the bottle) and new characters appear out of nowhere (ah, they were on the ship too?). Charlize Theron looks good but posed and you never really warm to her.
One has a sense that the film could have been another one half to an hour longer and perhaps they'll be a longer 'Directors Cut' that will help in some of the transitions and those who want to feast more on the wonderful special effects.
A nerve wracking but great 2 hours and worth every penny for entertainment value.