Movie Review - "Prometheus"

Director Ridley Scott's return to the science fiction genre with his 2012 film "Prometheus" was one of the years most anticipated films. In 1979, Scott directed the now classic Sci-fi film "Alien" which helped define the landscape of the genre. With Scott behind the camera, and confirmation of rumors that "Prometheus" would somewhat act as a prequel to the Alien movies, it didn't take long for the hype to build.

When scientists Elisabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover ancient drawings on cave walls across the globe, they are convinced theses hieroglyphics picture the alien creators of the human kind. They translate the messages on the wall and feel they are an invitation for them to go into space and meet their creators. Fast forward a few years later, Elisabeth and Charlie awake from a cryogenetic sleep along with an exploration crew on the space vessel Prometheus which is about to land on a distant moon they hope holds their answers. While the two scientists are eager to explore the planet and find the answers they believe await them, they will soon find their discovery is more than they could have imagined. They traveled deep into space believing they found the origins of the human race, but in fact they may have found the beginning of our end. Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, and Idris Elba co-star in this visually stunning deep space adventure.

"Prometheus" was a movie that took me a long time to determine whether I liked it or not. Without giving any spoilers away I can tell you that you'll walk away from "Prometheus" not really sure about everything that happened during the movie. The film will certainly leave you with more questions and than answers but I for one often enjoy that in a movie. With a planned sequel in the next coming years, it's clear that "Prometheus" has laid the ground for another film, or two, which will lead into the events of the 1979 "Alien".
Not being very familiar with the "Alien" movie universe, I wasn't fully aware of some of the signs and references to the now classic movies starring Sigourney Weaver as Ripley Scott. That being said, you don’t need any knowledge of those films to enjoy "Prometheus" as it delivers a strong and entertaining film to its audience. The directing by the legendary Ridley Scott and the visual effects are really the strong points of the film and it's easy to get lost in the movie's visual art.

My biggest issue with "Prometheus" is that, at times, it's a bit boring and you're never really on the edge of your seat in a moment of horror or suspense like I was hoping for. The trailer for the film made it seem like the movie would be non-stop suspense and action from the moment the crew landed on the foreign planet and that wasn't quite the case. Don't get me wrong, there are a few scenes that might make your stomach curl and get your heart pumping, but there wasn't enough of that for the two hour duration of the film. Though "Prometheus" might not be a film for everyone, it's a strong movie for its genre and I look forward to seeing where the sequel(s) take the storyline. Check out the trailer for "Prometheus".