As a massive fan of Ridley Scott’s epic 1979 sci-fi horror, Alien, we went into Prometheus with huge expectations and high hopes that this would be a welcomed return to the genre for the filmmaker, who abandoned it after his 1982 masterpiece Blade Runner. You see, Prometheus is a prequel to Alien that’s not really a prequel. It moves and feels like Alien, but it’s a completely standalone story with only a few elements of Alien scattered about.

On a mission to find the key to the human race, a team of scientists venture to a distant planet with similar qualities to Earth. Once there, they discover a race not much different than ours and go looking for a live specimen. Unfortunately, something has wiped them all out and there is not a single being alive. As they investigate further they realize there is something else lurking around the planet and soon they’re fighting for their lives against the unknown creatures that are attacking them.

Scott’s direction is a true return to form for the auteur, especially after the dreadful Robin Hood retelling he made. Every aspect of Prometheus has a touch of perfection to it. He’s not scared to let the camera do the talking and there are long moments where there’s only one character on screen and no dialogue or action at all. It sets a tone and gives off a feeling of dread similar to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. But when he does deliver a scene with action, the intensity of it jumps tenfold and it becomes truly frightening.

As far as the cast is concerned, you couldn’t have found a better mix of actors. Michael Fassbender is outstanding as the robot David, and Noomi Rapace is exceptional in the lead and has truly landed in Hollywood. And while Charlize Theron is not as great as she was in Snow White and the Huntsman, she too delivers a solid performance. Same goes for The Wire‘s Idris Elba, who plays the ship’s captain.

Prometheus delivered on everything we wanted to get out of it and it left us truly stunned. But, this is a movie that will require many more viewings to fully grasp its nature and experience its full impact.

**** out of 5 stars