Review: Prometheus (Blu-ray)

Prometheus polarized audiences when it was released earlier this year. While Michael Fassbender and impressive visuals were enough for many, others felt that it had major plot holes and didn't come close to Ridley Scott's Alien.

If you were looking for more answers, the Prometheus Blu-ray release may be just what you needed. While this version does not include a director's cut, it does have many deleted and alternate scenes that help fill in the gaps.

Movie Review: Prometheus marks Ridley Scott's return to science fiction after nearly thirty years. With Alien and Blade Runner among the top science fiction films of all time, the expectations have obviously been very high. While Prometheus is not without its flaws, Ridley Scott delivers a beautiful looking film that opens up the Alien mythology in new and exciting ways.

Make no mistake about it, Prometheus is set within the Alien universe. It's not a prequel in the sense that we'll see a young Ripley, but Ridley Scott has already said it takes place in the same universe before the events in Alien, so all of this prequel/no prequel talk is a technicality.

Your enjoyment of this film will really come down to your expectations going in. Although fans may be expecting something similar to Alien, these are two very different films. There are parallels between the two movies, but it is apparent that Ridley Scott wants Prometheus to stand on its own. The movie trades in the dark and claustrophobic setting of Alien for bigger landscapes and a cleaner futuristic look with a more colorful palette. Prometheus is also light on horror elements, but that doesn't mean that there aren't scenes in this movie that will make you squirm or smile in delight.

Everything about Prometheus is done on a bigger scale, and the sets and cinematography are amazing. From the interior of the Prometheus to the Giger-inspired alien architecture, the movie does a fantastic job of immersing you in a realistic-looking future setting. Ridley Scott also makes a great use of 3D in this film, to the point where this is one of the few films I'd suggest seeing in 3D over 2D.

The crew of the Prometheus is made up of a variety of different character types, with some of them being more fleshed out than others. Michael Fassbender and Idris Elba steal the show from female leads Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron. Both women do a great job in their roles, but you'll be instantly drawn to Fassbender's performance as David, and you'll warm up to Idris Elba's portrayal of the ship's captain. Other characters are a bit confusing and under-developed, leaving you wonder why Rafe Spall and Sean Harris are playing scientist roles given their dialogue.

The first half of the film is near-perfect in its execution and build-up. We get a solid introduction to the crew and their individual motives, and their initial encounter on the alien planet will have you looking around every corner trying to catch a glimpse of something hidden in the shadows. Unfortunately, the story begins to unravel later in the film and the third act feels rushed and sloppily connected. Scenes that could have been terrifying and built-up were not, and there are some definite logic and timing gaps that you'll have to fill in for yourself. It doesn't feel like it was done to make it a thinking person's movie and appears to be missing scenes that were left on the cutting room floor.

Ridley Scott has delivered a beautiful looking film and expanded the Alien mythology in new and exciting ways to the point where I wish we could see a sequel right away. As a standalone film, the final act is too rushed and leaves too many questions. However, if you look at this as a companion piece to Alien and a start of a new series of films, we've been given an expanded look at this universe that opens up the possibilities for a franchise that ran out of steam more than 20 years ago.

Film Score: 3.5/5 

Disc Review: As I mentioned in my introduction, the big reason to watch this movie on Blu-ray is for the deleted scenes. It was very apparent when the movie hit theaters that it was heavily edited to cut down on the run time. It's even more visible when you see what was cut from the deleted scenes. I'll avoid big spoilers, but will say that the intro is expanded and we get a better understanding of the engineer's actions toward the end of the film. These scenes help fill in some of the gaps and will let viewers make more sense out of what they were watching.

There's also a section of extras called "The Peter Weyland Files", which includes some of the viral content that was previously released, along with new content that is sure to leave you with more questions than answers. There is no behind-the-scenes featurette, but there are two audio commentaries, featuring Ridley Scott and writers Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof.

Disc Score: 4/5

Final Thoughts: It's still hard to judge Prometheus as a complete product, because it feels like I watched the first half of a 4-hour movie or a television pilot. Ridley Scott and Fox have designed this film with sequels in mind, so you're left with questions and a lack of closure. In some cases I think that's part of the fun with this movie, with repeat viewing and fan discussion helping to solve some of these mysteries. In other cases, how we look back at Prometheus years from now will depend on what happens in a sequel.

If you didn't like the movie in theaters, it's unlikely that the deleted scenes are enough to win you over. However, if you enjoyed Prometheus the first time around, the extras on the Blu-ray are interesting and provide a better understanding of the movie. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, this is much better than Alien Resurrection orAlien vs. Predator, but don't go into this looking for a flawless film.