Saw Prometheus yesterday & enjoyed it thoroughly. It was visually stunning, but also had an interesting (though challenging) plot & the dialogue & acting were not embarrassing, as is too often the case in many sci-fi films. I would agree with some of the criticism that the characters were not well developed enough, though that's not the primary focus or appeal of films like this. Definitely in a different league than the dozens of special effects movies released each year that are filled with little else but explosions & other mind-numbing noise. I would rate it very highly & think it's the best sci-fi film to come along since Avatar. Plan to go back & see the 3D version if I can...

As far as it's connection to Alien, it's kind of a prequel that foreshadows the earlier movie. Alien takes place in the 22nd century, while this film takes place in the late 21st century. The very last scene of this film (which I won't provide any detail on to avoid being a spoiler) provided a very clear connection between the two films in my mind...

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." - Picasso