Prometheus

[Bryancd]

Rico i like your new Avatar....BAD-ASS

Marko

It's like Neo....15 years later... ;)

[Bromptonboy]

Rico i like your new Avatar....BAD-ASS

Marko

It's like Neo....15 years later... ;)

Paleo?   ;)     (it takes one to know one)

[Bryancd]

Rico i like your new Avatar....BAD-ASS

Marko

It's like Neo....15 years later... ;)

Paleo?   ;)     (it takes one to know one)

Pete FTW!

[Rico]

Well, I do feel like I'm in the Matrix some days.  ;)

[ori-STUDFARM]

I really hate to be a negative voice, usually choosing to say nothing if no good can be said.... but I was so disappointed and really didn't enjoy Prometheus.

Flying away on vacation on the Saturday, I had to see it on the Friday release night. I came out feeling deflated. I'd been getting slowly more and more excited as the release neared....then I got more and more worried as the trailers told me more and more spoilers. As though the studio were desperate to eek this film for every penny they could. I was worried they had a duffer of a movie on their hands and had realised this.

I have now had 2 weeks relatively internet free to mull over and reflect upon my experience....and I still feel as let down. Time has not been a healer...



I've seen a lot of hating on the film and every problem I had has probably been voiced a hundred times before. Also, there are people who enjoyed it so I'll do a brief list of what i disliked.

[spoiler]

1. The ancient civilisation 'star charts'. Was this design supposed to have been genetically built into all of mankind's subconscious, or had the 'creators' of life on Earth (Space Jockey's)  visited all of these ancient civilisations over the years and passed on the design? As a major plot point to get the characters there, this should have been explained better.

2. Did we get any explanation as to why the Space Jockey's created life on Earth, then supposedly invited the life to join them in space and then decided to destroy all of life on Earth? I mean, if there is a good reason, fair enough. But it should have been explained better

3.  I didn't like the use of Guy Pearce in the 'old' make up. He looked too much like the aged Biff in the second Back To the Future film. I was sat throughout the movie expecting to see flashbacks to explain some of the missing back story, but it didn't happen. It really took me out of the movie knowing that this is a talented youngish actor. They should have just used an old person. Guy Pearce could have still done that internet video released beforehand...I have heard that the movie originally had Weyland communicating with David through his dreams and appearing as the younger Guy Pearce. This had changed after Guy was already contracted to the role. But it still took me out of the movie. An elderly actor playing the elderly Weyland would not have taken away my focus....a real let down!

4. What actually was the androids agenda? He seemed to be doing stuff just for the sake of doing it? He wasn't acting on any kind of company orders...Did he know that she would become squid inpregnated? Really didn't make sense at all to me

5. Some of the plot situations were too convenient or ridiculous. The guys who happen to get lost when they did. Very convenient. The ship rolling over the characters at the end....why didn't they run at 90 degrees of where it was rolling? Was Weyland turning up on the ship really a surprise? And what exactly was his motive for being there. To talk to the creators of life....why did that have to be kept secret from the others when it was his money financing everything!
6. My biggest disappointment came following the C-section though. As gross and horrorfying as that scene was, there is no way on this Earth (or any other planet) that the main character could have continued as she did. She'd have struggled to have a bowel movement. let alone sprint and run and leap and abseil and rollerblade and windsurf. All with only the slightest of winces from time to time. I saw my wife after a Caesarian and it was impossible. Now had they had a futuristic laser sealer or some super strength neurological pain blockers....but no. Staples and injected pain killer. Same as my wife had....Totally made me give up and shake my head.

[/spoiler]

I'm not usually the hater. I can normally see faults within movies , but easily set them aside and not let them ruin a film for me....these faults (in particular the last one) ruined it for me

[Bryancd]

I think those are very valid criticisms. Let me address a few for what it's worth...

[spoiler]
1. We are to assume the Engineers continued to visit cultures on Earth up until about 2000 years before Prometheus, teaching us the star chart and ingraining it in our collective culture.
2. No, we don't know their motivation.
3. Yes, the make-up was dodgy. I believe they did that because initially there were planned flashback scenes showing Weyland as a younger man. There may still be in a sequel. Also it allowed him to be in the viral video campaign. But this is speculation on my part.
4.David's agenda is one of the best mysteries of the film, IMO. Is he following directions from Weyland or does he have his own agenda? I loved the ambiguity about David and think the sequel could really explore that.
5. Agreed.
6. Agreed. At least they made an effort to justify her spryness by having her give herself frequent pain injections and occasionally doubling over in pain.
[/spoiler]

[ori-STUDFARM]

Like I say, I can usually set aside faults and disbelief's such as these (with the exception maybe of my 6th point) if there are enough positives to counteract or  justify turning a blind eye to.

And whilst it is undeniably a visionary success which looks as amazing as you could ever desire it to....it needed more in my opinion. It came close with the whole david character....just not close enough for me.

Oh well. Hopefully a sequel will iron out enough of the questions from the first enough to rescue it for me...

[Bryancd]

If I may suggest, read some of the numerous online discussions and theories about the film and see it again. I found it very interesting seeing it a second time from a different perspective.

[ori-STUDFARM]

But I shouldn't need to do that. Watching a second time from a different perspective after seeing or reading something else online is okay provided the film is also enjoyable without those insights. If the only way I can enjoy it is with these insights, then they should have been in the film the first time around.

Had this been a stand alone movie without all the hype and expectation I had, i could maybe have half enjoyed it. But coming from Ridley Scott, set in the Alien universe and with such a huge budget, it should have been so much more than it was...but as it it was, if you need to have these online insights to fully appreciate it, I feel like I've been ripped off.

I actually think this movie has potential for greatness. Maybe a Directors cut that fills in all the gaps. I feel as though somebody else has had a hand in looking over scotts shoulder and altering stuff they had no right to alter. Ultimately ruining this movie for me.

As it is, i don't think I would even pay bargain DVD discount bin price for this film, even with the stunning effects. I may torrent it to see if my opinion has changed after a few months...if it has, of course the completionist in me will have to buy the DVD....But that's a big if

As I say, it is very rarely that I feel this way over a movie. I don't even hate on the Star wars prequels.... It has to be my expectations that were way too high. Maybe time will help....

[Bromptonboy]

I think a lot of the answers we seek to clear up ambiguous plot points were cut - or so it seems to me.  Maybe an extended edition or re-cut will make some things clearer.

[Bryancd]

But I shouldn't need to do that. Watching a second time from a different perspective after seeing or reading something else online is okay provided the film is also enjoyable without those insights. If the only way I can enjoy it is with these insights, then they should have been in the film the first time around.

Had this been a stand alone movie without all the hype and expectation I had, i could maybe have half enjoyed it. But coming from Ridley Scott, set in the Alien universe and with such a huge budget, it should have been so much more than it was...but as it it was, if you need to have these online insights to fully appreciate it, I feel like I've been ripped off.

I actually think this movie has potential for greatness. Maybe a Directors cut that fills in all the gaps. I feel as though somebody else has had a hand in looking over scotts shoulder and altering stuff they had no right to alter. Ultimately ruining this movie for me.

As it is, i don't think I would even pay bargain DVD discount bin price for this film, even with the stunning effects. I may torrent it to see if my opinion has changed after a few months...if it has, of course the completionist in me will have to buy the DVD....But that's a big if

As I say, it is very rarely that I feel this way over a movie. I don't even hate on the Star wars prequels.... It has to be my expectations that were way too high. Maybe time will help....

You're right, let me rephrase that. Go see it again as i think a lot of the questions you asked are answered in the films. I ceratinly noticed them on my second viewing.

[ChrisMC]

Some cool behind the scenes stuff on Prometheus. Some spoilers if you haven't seen it. One thing that I really liked about the designs of the Engineer makeup is that it kind of resembles some of the old marble sculptures from the Renaissance and before. I wonder if that was a conscious design decision?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=2Dc_zsM2p34#!
PROMETHEUS: LANDING SEQUENCE & CRASH

[Bryancd]

Some cool behind the scenes stuff on Prometheus. Some spoilers if you haven't seen it. One thing that I really liked about the designs of the Engineer makeup is that it kind of resembles some of the old marble sculptures from the Renaissance and before. I wonder if that was a conscious design decision?

It was. Highly recommend Art of Prometheus book,

[ChrisMC]

Some cool behind the scenes stuff on Prometheus. Some spoilers if you haven't seen it. One thing that I really liked about the designs of the Engineer makeup is that it kind of resembles some of the old marble sculptures from the Renaissance and before. I wonder if that was a conscious design decision?

It was. Highly recommend Art of Prometheus book,

Well, look at me being all observant. I will definitely be ordering that book.

[ChrisMC]

Kevin Simth's new show on Hulu "Spoilers" where they cover Prometheus. The concept of the show is he buys 40 people tickets for a new movie and they have a spoiler filled discussion afterwards. Pretty fun.


http://www.hulu.com/watch/369061#s-p1-so-i0