A group of scientists awake from stasis on board the Prometheus, a space vessel whose voyage is funded by Peter Weyland, the wealthy founder of the Weyland Corporation. Their destination is a far distant planet which they navigate to with the help of a star map that is commonly found present in several depictions of ancient cultures. While some of them hope to find extraterrestrial life on the unknown planet and finally find answers as to the meaning of human existence, others have hidden agendas. And the answers they discover together is not only a threat to them, but to all of mankind.


Director Ridley Scott returns to his science fiction roots with his latest film Prometheus, a sci-fi space thriller written by Jon Spaights and Damon Lindelof (LOST). It was the director's initial intention to release the movie as a fifth installment in the Alien Franchise, and as a prequel to his 1979 movie Alien. The supposed concept has since been scratched, and it was decided that this film take on its own direction.


Starring in the movie is a notable cast that include performances from Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), Guy Pearce (Memento), and Noomi Rapace (who played the lead role in the Swedish film adaptations of Stieg Larsson's Millenium Series), to name a few. It was a surprise to see Charlize Theron playing a backseat role in this, and it was Fassbender and Rapace who actually standout, portraying characters similar to that of Ellen Ripley and Bishop from James Cameron's Aliens. Guy Pearce, who in my opinion is an overlooked talent, makes his appearance in full prosthetics, playing the role of overaged multibillionaire Peter Weyland. 




Prometheus is a mysterious examination of human existence. It tries to shed light on the still debatable theories of how humans came to be. Who are we really? Is there a higher purpose for our existence? The film tackles some of the more puzzling questions that have baffled science, and are yet to be truly answered. 




This felt all too familiar. It had a similar feel to Alien, especially during the opening and closing scenes. Its plot is suspenseful and filled with classic horrific gore moments. Does anyone remember that chest-bursting scene from Alien? This is nicely relived. It’s intriguing how the unfolding of events actually masked the surprise that surfaced late in the film. For a movie with a plot that presents itself as a search for meaning, you will either be disappointed with the lack of answers provided here, or you will be amazed at the brilliance of its overall presentation. It’s like your classic Ridley Scott sci-fi remastered with the technology of this day and age. 




All in all, Prometheus makes for one memorable and entertaining experience. Though the movie is a title on its own, it drops hints and gives reference to the Alien Franchise. In a way, it does get you thinking on whether or not this is actually the initial intended prequel to the Alien series. 

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