Be careful what you wish for, especially if it involves figuring out who invented humankind. That's the warning at the heart of Prometheus, a visual feast of a sci-fi movie.

Ridley Scott's third venture into science-fiction, after Alien in 1979 and Blade Runner in 1982, won't become a genre benchmark like those classics, but it does supply enough visual spectacle, tense action and sticky, slithery monster attacks to hit the spot with thrill-seeking audiences.

The striking opening sequence (shot in Iceland) reveals a scientist discovering ancient cave paintings indicating the likely arrival on Earth of extraterrestrials many thousands of years ago. Such evidence points to the source as a moon in a small solar system a vast distance away, but not out of reach of a trillion-dollar spacecraft built by Weyland Industries.

The buildup and arrival are the best part of the film, suggesting a sense of inquiry and genuine sort of thoughtfulness that promise a truly weighty slice of speculative fiction.
This project started life as an intended prequel to “Alien” but morphed into something else. Unfortunately, the closer it comes to a climax, the more you feel the elements being lined up to set the stage for a sequel to this film, most of all in a coda that feels like a craven teaser trailer for the next installment.

Scott doubles his Alien pleasure with not just one but two strong female roles (Charlize Theron & Noomi Rapace – the original “Girl With The Dragon Tattoo”) while the other actors are mostly cannon fodder, save for an unrecognizable Guy Pearce in a late-on role.

Technically, PROMETHEUS is magnificent, but this visually stunning return to science-fiction by Ridley Scott caters too much to audience expectations when more imaginative boldness would have taken it further. [EDITED]


Hollywood Reporter
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