Prometheus

With Prometheus, Ridley Scott returns to the world of Alien to unwind a new tale of terror in the not-so-distant future. Deep in the cold vastness of space flies the titular corporate spacecraft headed to an unexplored planet to uncover what could be the origins of humanity. Within the confines of the craft exists an intriguing ensemble of characters that include a humorless hard-ass (Charlize Theron), a smirking but spirited captain (Idris Elba), an idealistic archaeologist (Noomi Rapace), and an android who admires Peter O'Toole circa Lawrence of Arabia (Michael Fassbender displaying a dizzying mix of menace and charm). Each offers a vivid performance, and Scott is careful to carve out moments of character development that give the narrative a gut-wrenching dramatic weight. When the action and carnage begins, Scott has us in the palm of his hand, quivering and shrieking as otherworldly horrors terrorize the Prometheus crew. The effects and action sequences are arresting; the imagery is fresh, thoroughly frightening, and truly the stuff of nightmares. Yet the real standout is Rapace, whose initially meek heroine ultimately takes badass to a whole new level. Admittedly, the third act stumbles a bit, but by and large Scott's skill for building tension and punctuating moments of terror eases over this ambitious epic's rough edges.