As stoked as I was over the past year for Prometheus to come out, upon actually seeing it I felt like I was duped.
This is not to say that the story wasn't incredible, that it wasn't brilliantly directed by Ridley Scott and that it held not entertainment value whatsoever. Because it did, on all counts.
On the surface, Prometheus tells the story of a crew of scientists who discover a series of cave paintings that span millenia and continents, but each painting tells the same story. A story of giant men pointing to a far away galaxy. [SPOILER]It turns out the paintings are a map and an invitation to come and see where the genesis of man began.[/SPOILER]
So a team of scientists, funded by a private corporation (cue social commentary), head off to the distant planet and discover, upon getting there, that things are not what they seem and that something far more nefarious is at play than what they expected.
The rest of the film plays out in Scotts signature slow-burn fashion, culminating in a visceral descent into chaos and madness.
Where the film ultimately lets the viewer down is in the "is it or isn't it" an "ALIEN" prequel.
Even after watching the film, the answer is not quite clear.
Yes, it does take place in the ALIEN universe,[SPOILER] the crew lands on the very planet where Lt. Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo would eventually land, and[/SPOILER] there are hints of Xenomorph DNA spread throughout the screenplay.
But in the end, it seems like the script was never intended to be an "ALIEN" film in any form or fashion and that bits and pieces were tweaked to fit into the universe. Replace any sinister corporation with Weyland Enterprises, make any race of intelligent beings a "Space Jockey", have any random planet changed to an LV planet.
So in the end we are left with a stand-alone film with some "ALIEN" DNA peppered throughout.
The cast is exceptional, even the scenery chewing Charlize Theron manages to make a cold and calculating corporate drone seem more human. And speaking of seeming more human, there is of course the ever-present synthetic life form, this time named David and played with a dissociative disorder type personality by Michael Fassbender. He is clearly an android programmed to do one thing while harboring an almost human desire to do the opposite. Help or harm is the morality play he faces.
Noomi Rapace fills the shoes of the universe's strong female character who will undoubtedly become the next Lt. Ripley as she faces off against unforseen threats. Just as Ripley progressed from sure but timid to fight-for-your-life hero in the span of "ALIEN" so does Rapace in "Prometheus" including a arm rest clenching scene that defines the length the character will go in order to survive.
The one thing that is missing from this film is the quiet and unsettling moments that made "ALIEN" so damn scary. Say what you want, but "ALIEN" was a horror movie in space, it was not a sci-fi film. There was a sense of dread coupled with the fact that the crew was isolated and trapped in a ship adrift in space with something that wanted them dead.
"Prometheus" has expansive open sets, we are never left feeling that they don't have the opportunity to survive.
Clearly, there were two forces working on one script. Ridley Scott who wanted to return to his sci-fi roots and a studio/financier who saw an opportunity to relaunch a franchise. The end result is sort of a cop out as evidenced by a pathetic attempt to answer the "Is it or isn't it" question. In doing so they answer it definitively but alter the source material ever so slightly.
Still, "Prometheus" is a tense thriller and Ridley Scott shows that he can still deliver the sci-fi goods.
In the end, the film leaves us with unanswered questions and the start of a new franchise.
This is not to say that the story wasn't incredible, that it wasn't brilliantly directed by Ridley Scott and that it held not entertainment value whatsoever. Because it did, on all counts.
On the surface, Prometheus tells the story of a crew of scientists who discover a series of cave paintings that span millenia and continents, but each painting tells the same story. A story of giant men pointing to a far away galaxy. [SPOILER]It turns out the paintings are a map and an invitation to come and see where the genesis of man began.[/SPOILER]
So a team of scientists, funded by a private corporation (cue social commentary), head off to the distant planet and discover, upon getting there, that things are not what they seem and that something far more nefarious is at play than what they expected.
The rest of the film plays out in Scotts signature slow-burn fashion, culminating in a visceral descent into chaos and madness.
Where the film ultimately lets the viewer down is in the "is it or isn't it" an "ALIEN" prequel.
Even after watching the film, the answer is not quite clear.
Yes, it does take place in the ALIEN universe,[SPOILER] the crew lands on the very planet where Lt. Ripley and the crew of the Nostromo would eventually land, and[/SPOILER] there are hints of Xenomorph DNA spread throughout the screenplay.
But in the end, it seems like the script was never intended to be an "ALIEN" film in any form or fashion and that bits and pieces were tweaked to fit into the universe. Replace any sinister corporation with Weyland Enterprises, make any race of intelligent beings a "Space Jockey", have any random planet changed to an LV planet.
So in the end we are left with a stand-alone film with some "ALIEN" DNA peppered throughout.
The cast is exceptional, even the scenery chewing Charlize Theron manages to make a cold and calculating corporate drone seem more human. And speaking of seeming more human, there is of course the ever-present synthetic life form, this time named David and played with a dissociative disorder type personality by Michael Fassbender. He is clearly an android programmed to do one thing while harboring an almost human desire to do the opposite. Help or harm is the morality play he faces.
Noomi Rapace fills the shoes of the universe's strong female character who will undoubtedly become the next Lt. Ripley as she faces off against unforseen threats. Just as Ripley progressed from sure but timid to fight-for-your-life hero in the span of "ALIEN" so does Rapace in "Prometheus" including a arm rest clenching scene that defines the length the character will go in order to survive.
The one thing that is missing from this film is the quiet and unsettling moments that made "ALIEN" so damn scary. Say what you want, but "ALIEN" was a horror movie in space, it was not a sci-fi film. There was a sense of dread coupled with the fact that the crew was isolated and trapped in a ship adrift in space with something that wanted them dead.
"Prometheus" has expansive open sets, we are never left feeling that they don't have the opportunity to survive.
Clearly, there were two forces working on one script. Ridley Scott who wanted to return to his sci-fi roots and a studio/financier who saw an opportunity to relaunch a franchise. The end result is sort of a cop out as evidenced by a pathetic attempt to answer the "Is it or isn't it" question. In doing so they answer it definitively but alter the source material ever so slightly.
Still, "Prometheus" is a tense thriller and Ridley Scott shows that he can still deliver the sci-fi goods.
In the end, the film leaves us with unanswered questions and the start of a new franchise.
This post was last modified: 06-12-2012, 10:14 AM by Tony H.
“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum.”
Certified 100% Serious
I went into it knowing that it wouldn't be a straight up prequel. But I also have geeky co-workers who likely read everything written about the movie and watched the YouTube videos.
For some reason, I kept expecting that one of the giant beings would die while in the pilot's chair. I think it was because a co-worker mentioned that the movie was the back story behind the first dead creature in the chair that the crew in Alien found. So to me there was a disconnect there. But maybe I shouldn't listen to co-workers...
For some reason, I kept expecting that one of the giant beings would die while in the pilot's chair. I think it was because a co-worker mentioned that the movie was the back story behind the first dead creature in the chair that the crew in Alien found. So to me there was a disconnect there. But maybe I shouldn't listen to co-workers...
Why do I always do this to myself???
LolaRennt Wrote:I went into it knowing that it wouldn't be a straight up prequel. But I also have geeky co-workers who likely read everything written about the movie and watched the YouTube videos.
For some reason, I kept expecting that one of the giant beings would die while in the pilot's chair. I think it was because a co-worker mentioned that the movie was the back story behind the first dead creature in the chair that the crew in Alien found. So to me there was a disconnect there. But maybe I shouldn't listen to co-workers...
I too knew it wasn't a direct prequel, I believed Ridley when he kept saying it was loosely conencted. But in preparation I watched the ALIEN films and I know when the Nostromo crew landed on the planet they found the Space Jockey in the gunner seat with his chest burst open. The way it happens in Prometheus sort of caused a continuity issue.
I really enjoyed the movie, I just think the whole "ALIEN" connection was tacked on.
And, I too saw it in 3D, but I don't think the effect added anything. To be honest, I forgot it was in 3D until I had to take off the glasses at the end of the film.
“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum.”
Certified 100% Serious
Some set pieces in the film were terrific, and the acting was great, and the effects were superb, but on the whole the film felt a bit flat to me, entertaining enough, but not great.
Lindelof is getting a lot of flack for the script, and based on what is on screen I have to say the story is the weak link, it just isn't clear enough. The motivations of the 'space jockeys' have to be inferred with some serious leaps of logic to come to any sensible rationalisation, and the actions of some of the explorers was beyond ridiculous, and the less said about daddy issues the better.
Ridley has already said the Blu-ray will have a director's cut with an additional 30 minutes of footage, which makes me wonder if the script Lindelof delivered was fine, but the editing decisions made by Ridley/the editor/the studio* have turned it into the confusing mess it is. I'll probably look to watch the extended version when released, but won't be checking out again otherwise.
*delete as applicable
Lindelof is getting a lot of flack for the script, and based on what is on screen I have to say the story is the weak link, it just isn't clear enough. The motivations of the 'space jockeys' have to be inferred with some serious leaps of logic to come to any sensible rationalisation, and the actions of some of the explorers was beyond ridiculous, and the less said about daddy issues the better.
Ridley has already said the Blu-ray will have a director's cut with an additional 30 minutes of footage, which makes me wonder if the script Lindelof delivered was fine, but the editing decisions made by Ridley/the editor/the studio* have turned it into the confusing mess it is. I'll probably look to watch the extended version when released, but won't be checking out again otherwise.
*delete as applicable
Tony H Wrote:As stoked as I was over the past year for Prometheus to come out, upon actually seeing it I felt like I was duped.
We arrived at the same conclusion but from different starting points; here is my review posted in another part of the galaxy:
I had lower expectations than most, hadn't even intended on seeing it but my buddy offered to pay so away I went this morning for a 3D showing this morning and was pleasantly surprised; it is an above average SF/action flick that worked well enough with the existing story for me(I do believe that Alien did indeed end up in the chair). If you are expecting another Alien you will be disappointed; it is nowhere near as terrifying as that and doesn't even try to be but it is incredible looking with enough action that kept my interest. I thought the story was solid but not great-same with the acting, the characters rather two dimensional and the 3D didn't add much but I thought the creatures were excellent-even better than the original IMO. Overall it probably has something to do with my expectations and it didn't cost me anything but I'd recommend it.
I was addressing someone else's continuity complaint and I'd argue that the Engineer did indeed end up in that chair they discovered in Alien and just because we didn't see the creature explode from its chest doesn't mean it didn't happen. I honestly don't even remember that detail so it didn't register with me until it was brought up.
Scott
Jesus died for your sins, get your money's worth. Chad Daniels
Scott Miller Wrote:We arrived at the same conclusion but from different starting points; here is my review posted in another part of the galaxy:
I had lower expectations than most, hadn't even intended on seeing it but my buddy offered to pay so away I went this morning for a 3D showing this morning and was pleasantly surprised; it is an above average SF/action flick that worked well enough with the existing story for me(I do believe that Alien did indeed end up in the chair). If you are expecting another Alien you will be disappointed; it is nowhere near as terrifying as that and doesn't even try to be but it is incredible looking with enough action that kept my interest. I thought the story was solid but not great-same with the acting, the characters rather two dimensional and the 3D didn't add much but I thought the creatures were excellent-even better than the original IMO. Overall it probably has something to do with my expectations and it didn't cost me anything but I'd recommend it.
I was addressing someone else's continuity complaint and I'd argue that the Engineer did indeed end up in that chair they discovered in Alien and just because we didn't see the creature explode from its chest doesn't mean it didn't happen. I honestly don't even remember that detail so it didn't register with me until it was brought up.
It is possible that it could have been a different engineer that they found in Alien. They just showed the particular engineer in Prometheus in the chair and then later he was out of it. And we saw what happened to him and he was nowhere near the gunner's station.
I still enjoyed the movie. I am curious to see what the director's cut will be like when it hits the home market.
“I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of bubblegum.”
Certified 100% Serious
The only reason why I thought of that detail is because some co-workers mentioned the scene in Alien when they found the engineer in the chair. So I re-watched Alien. Then I grumbled that it didn't show the Engineer dying in the chair. But you're right - it could have been a different engineer.
Why do I always do this to myself???
Tony H Wrote:It is possible that it could have been a different engineer that they found in Alien. They just showed the particular engineer in Prometheus in the chair and then later he was out of it. And we saw what happened to him and he was nowhere near the gunner's station.
I still enjoyed the movie. I am curious to see what the director's cut will be like when it hits the home market.
I guess I don't remeber him getting out of the chair, which seemed to be the pilot's seat instead of a gunner's, so I assumed he was still sitting in it when the Prometheus crashed into it crashing it. Its entirely possible, even plausible that I'm not remembering it right.
Scott
Jesus died for your sins, get your money's worth. Chad Daniels
Hate to be geeky on you, but Alien was LV-426, Prometheus is on LV-223. This allows for some of the discrepancies you guys mentioned. Also, I read that he hopes to make at least another "prequel" to bridge the gap.
Below be SPOILERS.
One of the glaring problems for me was the events of importance that happened and no one seemed to care. Noomi's surgery, when David sedates her and the others try and transport her, there seems to be a conspiracy to ensure the pregnancy, she gets away, gets rid of it, no one stops tries to stop her, no one says anything afterwards and nobody worries about the thing thrashing around in that room. Secondly, the zombie guy, breaches the ship, kills a few guys and runs rampant in the cargo hold. No one says shit about this afterwards?
Then you have all the stupid stuff, like supposedly trained, intelligent scientists taking their helmets off in an alien environment. A supposed biologist essentially taunting an alien lifeform that seems to be acting aggressively.
I wanted to like it, but it seemed kinda haphazardly edited or written, or both.
Below be SPOILERS.
One of the glaring problems for me was the events of importance that happened and no one seemed to care. Noomi's surgery, when David sedates her and the others try and transport her, there seems to be a conspiracy to ensure the pregnancy, she gets away, gets rid of it, no one stops tries to stop her, no one says anything afterwards and nobody worries about the thing thrashing around in that room. Secondly, the zombie guy, breaches the ship, kills a few guys and runs rampant in the cargo hold. No one says shit about this afterwards?
Then you have all the stupid stuff, like supposedly trained, intelligent scientists taking their helmets off in an alien environment. A supposed biologist essentially taunting an alien lifeform that seems to be acting aggressively.
I wanted to like it, but it seemed kinda haphazardly edited or written, or both.
This post was last modified: 06-12-2012, 03:19 PM by PicardRex.