'Prometheus': What Are the Critics Saying in the Early Reviews?

So far, there has been a lot of mystery surrounding the exact plot of "Prometheus." Early on, we couldn't even get a straight answer as to whether it was a true prequel to "Alien" or not (it looks now like the answer is definitively yes).

But now the reviews are out, and the veil is lifted! We'll avoid spoilers, because supposedly the movie is a better experience the less you know about the plot (hence the secrecy). But there might be some curiosity about whether or not the movie is, you know, any good.

The answer thus far seems to be a definitive "yes, it is." Of the 9 reviews counted on Rotten Tomatoes, 8 of them are positive. That includes a review from Todd McCarthy of THR, who calls the movie "visually stunning" (duh) but notes that it could have been more imaginative and seems to have trouble balancing the traditional monster movie with the more heady sci-fi tendencies.

Justin Chang of Variety was less kind, offering the only negative review thus far. In his review, Chang notes that the narrative never truly takes off, and that there's a lack of suspense in comparison to the original "Alien," which had it in spades. Indeed, that's what made "Alien" so good: it was claustrophic and frightening. "Prometheus" is a bit too grand in scale, according to Chang, to achieve the same effect.

It seems that "Prometheus" may have made the mistake of trying to please everyone by balancing the philosophical with the action-ful. The consensus seems to be, though, that your experience with the movie will depend on the expectations you bring into it. Sit back and enjoy the ride, and you will likely walk away satisfied with "Prometheus."