- Film Review
- Reviewed By Terry Staunton
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4 out of 5
Director Ridley Scott's eagerly anticipated return to science fiction, 30 years after Blade Runner, shares much of its DNA with Alien, his first foray into the genre, though it's more of a precursor than a prequel to that 1979 shocker. In the latter half of the 21st century, a spacecraft with a crew including idealistic archaeologists (Noomi Rapace, Logan Marshall-Green), seasoned star voyagers (Charlize Theron, Idris Elba) and a super-computer android (Michael Fassbender) sets out to find an extraterrestrial race that may hold the key to the origins of man. However, upon landing on a faraway planet, other motives for the mission begin to emerge, while the visitors receive an unexpected and shocking welcome. All the elements are in place for a rattling space opera, but Scott also explores themes of identity and self-worth that run through films like Blade Runner, Thelma & Louise and Gladiator, and asks profound questions about creation and mortality. The thrilling, edge-of-the-seat story is the movie's beating heart, though, and the well-paced and perfectly structured plot are matched by solid performances and powerfully arresting visuals.
Plot Summary
A spacecraft is sent to another world, following clues left in ancient artefacts, in search of aliens that may have created the human race. However, the explorers discover the extraterrestrials may not be the benevolent creatures they imagined, while the company funding the expedition has its own agenda. Ridley Scott's sci-fi thriller and Alien prequel, starring Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Idris Elba.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Elizabeth Shaw
- Noomi Rapace
- David
- Michael Fassbender
- Meredith Vickers
- Charlize Theron
- Captain Janek
- Idris Elba
- Peter Weyland
- Guy Pearce
- Charlie Holloway
- Logan Marshall-Green
- Fifield
- Sean Harris
- Millburn
- Rafe Spall
- Chance
- Emun Elliott
- Ravel
- Benedict Wong
- Ford
- Kate Dickie
- Shaw's father
- Patrick Wilson
Crew
- Director
- Ridley Scott
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