Prometheus
New Alien movie has strong themes, violence.
Parents say
Based on 22 reviews
Kids say
Based on 93 reviews
Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Prometheus
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Prometheus is a science fiction/horror movie that's somewhat related to director Ridley Scott's original Alien; it's not as creepy as that film, but it often feels more harrowing and intense. There's some intense monster violence -- mainly attacks, with humans getting torn open or burned. There's also blood and many dead bodies, plus guns, shooting, and flamethrowers. Characters are shown in the beginning stages of sex, and other characters talk about sex. Language is fairly strong, including one use of "f--k," several "s--t"s, and other words. Adult characters are shown drinking socially (or smoking cigars), and one is shown drinking too much.
Community Reviews
It’s definitely a watch for me!
Report this review
Was good
Report this review
What's the Story?
PROMETHEUS begins in Scotland in the future, where two scientists (Noomi Rapace and Logan Marshall-Green) discover a celestial pattern in a cave drawing and match it to similar patterns from all over the world. After pinpointing the pattern's deep space source, a discovery mission is launched in the year 2093 to find it. A crew of 17 is on board, including laid-back captain Janek (Idris Elba) and icy, nasty Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), whose company funded the mission. Also on board is an android, David (Michael Fassbender), who may know more about the mission than he lets on. The scientists hope to meet the aliens that they believe "created" the human race, but unfortunately, a more sinister discovery awaits.
Is It Any Good?
This an intense, fairly riveting story. Director Ridley Scott has made many high-profile movies, including an Oscar-winner (Gladiator), but he's still best loved for his two sci-fi classics, Alien and Blade Runner. They had a kind of patience and a way with atmosphere that his later films lack. With Prometheus, Scott returns to sci-fi and to that same kind of thoughtful filmmaking -- at least for the first three-quarters of the movie.
For a long time, Scott uses impressive visuals to wrestle with big themes like creation and destruction. He draws parallels between characters and situations, creates emotional responses to big ideas, and does all the things a great movie is supposed to do. But as Prometheus approaches its final stretch, Scott appears to abandon all this stuff in favor of defining and labeling the film for the fans. This lack of trust and lack of care ultimately betrays an otherwise almost-great movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Prometheus' violence. How does it relate to the creating/destroying themes? Is any of the violence gratuitous, or is it necessary to the story?
Is the movie scary? Are the actions scarier than the ideas? Is the movie scarier or less scary than the previous Alien movies?
How strong is our impulse to create? Is it stronger than our impulse to destroy?
Movie Details
- In theaters: June 8, 2012
- On DVD or streaming: October 9, 2012
- Cast: Charlize Theron, Michael Fassbender, Noomi Rapace
- Director: Ridley Scott
- Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre: Science Fiction
- Topics: Space and Aliens
- Run time: 124 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: sci-fi violence including intense images, and brief language
- Last updated: December 22, 2022
For kids who love sci-fi
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate