Prometheus

Everyone is wondering if Prometheus is a prequel to Alien, and I can't blame them. As soon as I saw the first trailer, the question was stuck in my mind, and the Alien fans were ready to embrace the whole concept with glee (and, if some aliens took care of those kids from Glee, that would be all the better).

It's already out there that you will see many similarities to the Alien movies and Prometheus, and even director Ridley Scott has acknowledged this takes place in the Alien universe. So, is it a prequel? You'll have to watch it to find out, or just read some of the other reviews out there on the internet because some critics aren't as coy as I. You think 20th Century Fox would appreciate me more for it.

Set in the late 21st Century, Noomi Rapace stars as Elizabeth Shaw - an explorer and scientist who believes she has found messages left by aliens all across the globe. Similar cave drawings in various locations seem to be some sort of map leading her to believe something out there made contact with humans, and, possibly, holds the clues to understanding how life came to be on Earth.

Now, the crew of the vessel Prometheus is making its way to a distant planet near Saturn as some sort of corporate toady, Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), tries to assert her authority over the entire mission. The business titan who funded the operation, Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce), seems to have given power to Shaw and her partner, Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green). And, a strange being, Peter (Michael Fassbender), has loyalties and motivations we should be questioning.

What will Prometheus find when it arrives on the planet?

Is it the answer to the biggest questions of humanity?

For a movie about something as monumental and controversial as the origins of life, Prometheus intentionally is a muted, very unemotional movie. At times, Scott uses this to build the mystery and underlying tensions aboard the spaceship on its trip to some sort of inevitable, historic moment.

At other times, the tone is too uneven or out of place without reason. Some elements seem strangely out of place, like Captain Janek (Idris Elba) with his cavalier and swashbuckling attitude, who becomes some sort of comic relief, yet, you wish you could see more of him, since the character is so likable. It's like he was wasted, but some of those moments are welcome in small doses.

To his credit, Scott doesn't follow typical methods and patterns of storytelling or establishing conflict, which makes the most of the script. Writers Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof are not always obvious with the direction of the story, which inspires the audience to think about motivations and what might happen because of what action a character has taken. However, the dialogue is simple without any one memorable, amazing line that will stick with you for longer than 10 minutes. It's like the dialogue doesn't match the heft of the expedition. Shaw is seeking some sort of answer about her own faith in God and creationism, but this trip feels as inconsequential as the search for a McDonald's.

Sometimes, Prometheus is a bit too hard to figure out, and the big emotional climax doesn't feel all that climactic, but it will challenge you, especially if you are a fan of the Alien movies. And, make sure you watch all the way to the end. I started to get up a little early, and needed to sit back down to see the best part.

Prometheus is rated R for sci-fi violence including some intense images, and brief language.