Hopefully, there's much more on the Blu-ray...

Rating: 10/10 (29 May 2012)

I caught one of the earliest press screenings of Prometheus, which was a grand experience, as I am a complete and utter sci-fi nut. Prometheus was one of my two most anticipated movies of the year (the other being The Avengers), and there is not much doubt that it will go down as one of the, if not the, best science fiction movie of 2012.
Prometheus is a bona-fide and direct prequel to the original 1979 Alien movie, giving us a portion of the story behind the space jockey; the alien pilot of the derelict spaceship that contained the alien eggs.
Are the classic Giger aliens actually in this movie? No, but their precursors are. The aliens, after all, have always been evolving, taking on new shapes almost every time they incubate in a new host.
Effectswise, action-wise, technically, visually and in terms of sense-of- wonder, this is exactly the movie we all hoped it would be. The whole set-up for the Weyland company is perfect and serves the first two original Alien movies (the good ones) extremely well. I would love to mention more, but it would be spoiling.
The movie does have imperfections, though. Some salient points of the plot are never revealed (but left for a sequel, which, again, I hope gets made, as it will make a big difference as to how much sense this movie ends up making), and the motivation of the robot also remains enigmatic. The part I found most disappointing, however, is that there isn't much depth to the characters. The onslaught of the action doesn't leave them the necessary time to become properly human to us, and their various beliefs are not at all described in sufficient detail - although we do hear a bit about Shaw (Rapace's character). Besides her, and David, Idris Elba's captain is the best character; he is human, he has failings (yes, I count smoking as a failing!), he's a charmer, he can think and he understands sacrifice. Most of the other significant characters are scientists (finally, a sci-fi movie with more than one of those!), but, sadly they don't act like it. One is depressed and drinking for no good reason, one is just obnoxious, and one is apparently not interested in his own field of science. But, of course, they are all punished for their bad attitudes - which is something, I guess.
But, I am hoping that various extra bits and bops on the disc release will rectify many of these little shortcomings, because, as it is in the movie's theatrical release, none of the characters live up to those of the first two Alien movies.
It's still a great and brilliant movie, though, and one I know I will be going back to the cinema for, and get on Blu-ray as soon as it comes out, and rewatch many times. Most definitely a classic of the genre.
(EDIT: The Blu-ray is out, and it has lots of extras, including some that make the salient points of the story more clear. I am very satisfied!)
(EDIT II: Half a decade on, I think this movie holds up as one of the most distinctive and thought-provoking science fiction movies of the 2010s. It has so many beautifully filmed scenes, and so many amazing and mysterious ideas that I have upped my rating of it from 9 to 10 stars.)
10 stars out of 10.