Prometheus was the result of more than a decade of rumors and whispers in the dark about Ridley Scott returning for a possible Alien prequel. Much like Star Wars and Indiana Jones before it, it's hard to return to a franchise after such a long hiatus, let alone to brew a fresh story that's mostly unrelated to the previous Alien films.

Such is Prometheus – visually extravagant piece of science-fiction that's riddled with fascinating ideas, complex imagery and a few good scares.

It's good to see such a grand-scale piece of sci-fi again – not something that relies on high octane action, but actually takes the time to focus on the science of things, even if the film gets a little messed up with its internal logic. Prometheus is a film rich with lavish production design and big ideas. The film isn't trying to simply cash-in on a longtime brand, either. If that were the case, the film would have been called Alien: Prometheus, and you can be damn sure we would have seen a Queen or something along those lines. Instead, Prometheus dabbles in the nature of mankind, and our constant battle with our mysterious origins. It's a film that asks a lot of questions, makes you think things through, and even attempts to theorize a few possible answers.

Prometheus is also quite beautiful, with awesome visual effects, stunning cinematography and solid performances.

Prometheus comes to Blu-ray with a myriad of buying options. There's a two-disc standard edition, which includes a Blu-ray and DVD copy of the film. There's also a more elaborate four-disc Collector's Edition set which includes a 3D Blu-ray, a standard Blu-ray, a Blu-ray bonus disc, a DVD and Digital Copy disc. In terms of retail exclusives, Target currently offers a retail exclusive version of the two-disc Blu-ray and four-disc Blu-ray which comes with a collectible book. Wal-Mart is offering a stripped-down single-disc Blu-ray for a few bucks cheaper as well. For this review, we'll be taking a look at the lavish four-disc Collector's Edition.

The commentary tracks prove quite fascinating. As always, Ridley Scott delivers a staggeringly in-depth, talkative commentary track where he explores the production, cinematography, the story and the Alien/Prometheus mythology. Simply put, it's a must-listen for any Scott fan. The second commentary is a little messier. Recently, writer Jon Spaihts has been a bit vocal about his thoughts on the final version of the film, and frankly, I was surprised to see him contribute a commentary at all. The track edits his thoughts together with writer Damon Lindelof, who went in and “polished” Spaihts' draft, largely removing the Alien element from the narrative. The track, much like Scott's commentary, is quite a solid listen, exploring the mythos of the franchise, and the genesis of the story. If you've got the time, give it a listen, too.

Verdict:

Prometheus is a mesmerizing slice of refreshing sci-fi that dares to expand a few new themes and ideas previously unexplored in other Alien films. The four-disc Collector's Edition is the version to buy. It's only a few dollars more, and the added material (plus the 3D Blu-ray) makes it more than worth your while.