SimplyScripts Discussion Board
Blog Home - Produced Movie Script Library - TV Scripts - Unproduced Scripts - Contact - Site Map
ScriptSearch
Welcome, Guest.
It is March 29th, 2024, 1:52am
Please login or register.
Was Portal Recent Posts Home Help Calendar Search Register Login
Please do read the guidelines that govern behavior on the discussion board. It will make for a much more pleasant experience for everyone. A word about SimplyScripts and Censorship


Produced Script Database (Updated!)
One Week Challenge - Who Wrote What and Writers' Choice.


Scripts studios are posting for award consideration

Short Script of the Day | Featured Script of the Month | Featured Short Scripts Available for Production
Submit Your Script

How do I get my film's link and banner here?
All screenplays on the simplyscripts.com and simplyscripts.net domain are copyrighted to their respective authors. All rights reserved. This screenplaymay not be used or reproduced for any purpose including educational purposes without the expressed written permission of the author.
Forum Login
Username: Create a new Account
Password:     Forgot Password

SimplyScripts Screenwriting Discussion Board    Reviews    Movie, Television and DVD Reviews  ›  Prometheus Moderators: Nixon
Users Browsing Forum
No Members and 5 Guests

 Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 : All
Recommend Print
  Author    Prometheus  (currently 6887 views)
sniper
Posted: May 31st, 2012, 4:54pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


My UZI Weighs A Ton

Location
Northern Hemisphere
Posts
2249
Posts Per Day
0.48
I had a hard time deciding whether to give this movie a thumbs up or a thumbs down. I finally decided on the thumbs up.

You should know that I had INSANE expectations going into this movie. Though technically not an Alien movie, Prometheus takes place in the same universe and as a result it is difficult not to hold it up against Ridley’s original Alien movie from 1979 - which in my opinion is a masterpiece.

That’s not fair though. Prometheus and Alien are two completely different movies with completely different themes.

The scope of Prometheus is, in one word, huge. Not surprising considering Damon Lindelof wrote the script. Love him or hate him (I love him), Lindelof always asks very big questions BUT rarely answers all of them (see Lost). Depending on your taste you’re either gonna be okay - even excited - with that or you’re gonna be pissed.

Prometheus asks big questions but the answers...hell, maybe they’re just setting up the sequel, what do I know. It’s just that questions and themes of that magnitude come across rather shoehorned into what really is a very good sci-fi/horror/thriller.

Okay, here we go...

!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!

The movie starts off with AN ENGINEER (a large humanoid creature) who drinks something that turns out to very bad for him.

We then cut to two scientists (Noomi Rapace and Logan Marshall-Green) who have found these old drawing/carvings all over the globe from civilizations millennia apart, all of them showing the same pictogram (star constellation). A travel map or an invitation.

Two years later, the spaceship Prometheus arrives at the this planet in order to find/make contact with the Engineers. The mission is sponsored by the Weyland Corporation because - we later learn - Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce) is dying, and if the Engineers can create life, they can certainly also save it/him.

On the planet, the crew quickly finds a large dome/pyramid shaped structure. Inside it they come across a fossilized and decapitated corpse of a SPACE JOCKEY (the same type of creature as seen in Alien). We later learn that the SPACE JOCKEYS and ENGINEERS are in fact the same, the elephant-looking face is actually a mask or helmet, and the exoskeleton is merely a suit (not entirely sure why the need the suit - the Engineers seem to function well enough without it).

Anyway, they find more dead Space Jockeys/Engineers - apparently all have been killed by...something. David (Michael Fassbender), a robot - like Ash from Alien - who has spent the two years it took the Prometheus to reach the planet learning all sorts of languages in a hope that he will be able to communicate with the Engineers - manages to open a door that leads into a large chamber. In the chamber the crew finds the floor covered with these large sealed vases and the big head from the poster.

(Anyone who has read Dan O’Bannons original Alien script will recognize this setting).

Two of the crew members, both geologists, decide to head back to the Prometheus because, while they LOVE rocks, they don’t know shit about huge fucking dead aliens.

As the remaining crew investigates the chamber the room starts changing - defrosting as a matter of fact - and this black oily substance starts to ooze out of the vases. Outside a storm is coming so they decide to head back to their ship but not before securing artifacts, Rapace’s character grabs the severed head of the Space Jockey and David takes one of the vases.

They (barely) make it back to the ship only to learn that the two geologists haven’t made it back.

Surprise, surprise.

We cut back to the geologists who have gotten lost inside the pyramid - I think everybody can guess what happens next. Yeah, while that scene is as predictable as they as they come, the scene is actually very funny - right up to the point where it gets really, really scary.

The two guys stumble into the head-chamber where this oily substance now covers most of the floor. Suddenly this strange looking snake thing pops out of the oil and instead of hauling ass (like everyone would’ve done) one of them actually goes: “Aw, that’s so cute”. A few seconds later, one of the guys’ face is melted and the other one has got a snake-thingy down his throat. Yummy.

Back on the Prometheus, the scientists play around with the severed head - until it explodes. They analyze its DNA and discover that Engineer DNA and Human DNA is identical. So in short, they’re our ancestors.

Meanwhile, David has opened the vase and retrieves a drop of that black oil. He then covertly slips it into a glass of Champagne that he then hands to Rapace’s boyfriend (Logan Marshall-Green) - oh yeah, Fassbender is a real piece of shit. Green later knocks boots with Rapace (who can’t have children by the way). The next morning he’s not feeling well and goes to check himself in the mirror only to notice this tiny tentacle sticking out of his eyeball. Another yummy moment.

Anyway, the crew suits up and heads back to the pyramid to find the two geologists. They find one of them and he’s fucked up beyond repair. Just then Green starts getting really ill, his skin starts to bubble and they rush him back to the ship. But Vickers (Theron) won’t let them back on because of the risk of spreading the decease. So she burns Green.

Shortly after, Rapace starts getting ill as well. David scans her and discovers that she is pregnant. Three months pregnant. However, the fetus is soooo not normal. Against her will, they decide to freeze Rapace and quarantine her but she makes a break for it and reaches a sort of auto-doc machine that can perform all sorts of surgeries.

What follows is an absolutely fantastic and disgusting scene in which the machine performs a cesarean on her and removes the fetus. And, no, it is not an Alien. Well, not exactly. It’s sort of a squid looking thingy.

While that’s going on, the other geologist shows up at the ship and goes fucking bananas on everyone he runs into. It was unclear to me why exactly he does that - whether he was “possessed”, changing into something else or simply just in a bad mood wasn’t exactly explained. He seems to have super human strength and an incredible tolerance for pain but in the end the crew manages to put him down.

Shortly after, we learn that hidden inside the pyramid is craft (the same Derelict type as seen in Alien).

Later, David returns to the pyramid (the craft actually) where he finds another chamber where a final Engineer is alive, albeit in cryo’ish sleep. He also discovers what would have been the Engineer’s next destination: Earth. Along with a shitload of those vases with the black oil. They were gonna wipe Earth clean of the human race.

Why?

Because the can.

That is one of the questions that is left unanswered, and one Rapace’s character is desperate to find an answer to.

After we find out that Peter Weyland has been a secret stowaway on the Prometheus, he, David and Rapace go back to the craft and awaken the Engineer. Weyland wants the Engineer to help him get well while Rapace wants the answer to why they suddenly hate the human race.

The Engineer looks at them for a few seconds then rips David’s head and kills Weyland. Rapace barely gets away as the Engineer fires up the craft’s engines.

While running back to the Prometheus, she convinces the Captain (Idris Elba) to stop the craft so it doesn’t reach Earth. He does. Turning the Prometheus into a missile he rams the craft. The Prometheus is destroyed and the alien craft crashes, killing Theron’s character. Rapace makes it to an escape pod that was jettisoned earlier (inside it is where the auto-doc is located).

David’s head, though detached from his body, is still functional and he tells Rapace that the Engineer is coming for her. Inside the auto-doc department, the fetus has grown BIG - I mean really BIG. Again, it resembles a giant octopus (not really scary, just weird). She releases it just as the Engineer attacks her. The squid goes for him instead and Rapace escapes to the alien craft.

As the squid and the Engineer duke it out, it sticks a tentacle into his mouth and the battle is over.

Rapace makes it to the craft and finds David’s head. He tells her that there is another alien craft and that he can fly it. Rapace tells him to fly her to the Engineers’ home planet instead of taking her home.

Is the craft takes off, we cut back to the escape pod where something bursts out of the Engineer’s chest.

Can you guess what it is? If you say “an alien”, you would not be entirely wrong but not entirely right either.

!!!END SPOILERS!!!

As a sci-fi/horror/thriller this movie is really, really good but if you’re going in there to see an “Alien” movie, you’re probably gonna be a little disappointed.

The visuals are great, Ridley’s attention to detail is freaky. However, I wasn’t crazy about the CGI Engineers, they just looked fake. Period. Also, I don’t know why they shot this in 3D. It adds absolutely nothing to the movie. Nothing.

The acting is really good as well. Rapace puts in an exellent Ripley'esque performance but the real star of the show is Michael Fassbender. That guy is an absolute monster. He steals every scene he's in. Theron doesn't really shine in this movie but I think that comes down to her character that is rather two-dimensional.

I couldn’t help but feel that scenes had been cut out here and there and there’s probably gonna be a special edition when it comes out on dvd/blu-ray.

Janek, the captain, for example goes from being an extreeeeemly laid back dude to a man who’s willing to sacrifice his own life in a heartbeat. I’m absolutely sure that there was a scene cut with him that sets up that decision much better.

Anyway, I’m rambling here. All in all a good, solid movie.

Not ALIEN though.


Down in the hole / Jesus tries to crack a smile / Beneath another shovel load
Logged
Private Message
James McClung
Posted: May 31st, 2012, 9:10pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients



Location
Washington, D.C.
Posts
3293
Posts Per Day
0.49
I was hoping to write the first review for this one.

Anyway, super stoked and proud that I didn't watch enough viral marketing to ruin the film for me (thanks for the SPOILER warnings, BTW). Got my ticket for the midnight IMAX screening next week, hoping to go in with reasonable expectations for a film more Alien-inspired than actual franchise.


Logged
Private Message Reply: 1 - 67
Penoyer79
Posted: June 1st, 2012, 1:37am Report to Moderator
Been Around


Chaos isn't a pit, it's a ladder.

Location
Atwater, CA
Posts
628
Posts Per Day
0.12
Damon Lindelof did not write Prometheus.. Jon Spaihts did. By Lindelof's own admission he simply added color/flavor....minor embelishments. plot/character/mythology is all from the mind of Spaihts. i'd say 75%+ of the script is what Spaihts wrote.

the chief reason for Lindelof is the studio wanted an established "name" on the bill


ive glanced at some of the early reviews...

it seems character development outside of the main characters is a common gripe..

also ... unreasonable expectations will inevitably lead to some viewer backlash
Logged
Private Message Reply: 2 - 67
Hugh Hoyland
Posted: June 1st, 2012, 9:05am Report to Moderator
New



Location
Florida
Posts
328
Posts Per Day
0.07
Good lord! Almost another week until I can see this movie. I have read the spoilers and it still wont stop me from going. It sounds amazing to me. :]


Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 3 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: June 5th, 2012, 12:50pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55
Big things have small paper cuts...



LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 4 - 67
Pale Yellow
Posted: June 5th, 2012, 1:58pm Report to Moderator
January Project Group



Posts
2083
Posts Per Day
1.40
Going Friday at 1pm! Stoked.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 5 - 67
B.C.
Posted: June 6th, 2012, 5:38pm Report to Moderator
New



Location
Parts Unknown
Posts
240
Posts Per Day
0.05
Watched this in the moviehouse (in stunning 2D) this evening.

No particular spoilers - but discretion advised for those that don't want to know anything...

Incredibly solid mainstream sci-fi blockbuster that I can't see disappointing any fans of the original Alien film. (any dissenting voices should probably sit through part 4 or the AVP films again and will think twice about slagging this baby off).

The movie looks stunning. I do agree with Sniper about some of the CGI looking a bit off in places (does it ever look totally on?). However, mere gripes.

There will deffo be a special edition - because even at just over two hours - the pacing feels a little off. You can tell there's chunks missing.

Fassbender owns this movie. It's essentially his movie. Rapice is good, but I felt she's a bit too 'Ripley' in terms of the parental aspect that was brought in for Ripley in Cameron's sequel. Her character arch is quite abrupt in places. Often rushed to get to the guts of the matter. There's also a sequence which actually made me think of recent Roger Corman cheapies, for some reason.

However, I'd give it 8 out 10. Compared to the other films I've seen on the big screen this year it's easily the best.

Also - I heard a radio interview with Ridley Scott last week and he said there would be two more films before it would bring the franchise upto the timeline of the first Alien movie. I say - I can't wait to see those. Considering the final image in 'Prometheus' (and for those who haven't seen it yet -- your gonna love or hate it), it's wets the appetite for more.


Revision History (1 edits)
B.C.  -  June 6th, 2012, 5:55pm
Logged
Private Message Reply: 6 - 67
sniper
Posted: June 7th, 2012, 10:07am Report to Moderator
Old Timer


My UZI Weighs A Ton

Location
Northern Hemisphere
Posts
2249
Posts Per Day
0.48

Quoted from B.C.
Also - I heard a radio interview with Ridley Scott last week and he said there would be two more films before it would bring the franchise upto the timeline of the first Alien movie. I say - I can't wait to see those. Considering the final image in 'Prometheus' (and for those who haven't seen it yet -- your gonna love or hate it), it's wets the appetite for more.

While I hope he gets the chance I must admit I have my doubts. It's gonna be interesting to see the US box office result. I think it'll do well in the opening weekend (mainly due to the alien fanbase) but by week two I have a feeling the numbers will fall off a cliff. Most casual viewers will probably find this movie fairly entertaining but seriously disjointed while the fanboys (myself included) will accept its flaws knowing that it'll lead somewhere we wanna go.

It'll be interesting to see how other board members rate this movie. My gut feeling is lotsa love and lotsa hate.



Down in the hole / Jesus tries to crack a smile / Beneath another shovel load
Logged
Private Message Reply: 7 - 67
leitskev
Posted: June 7th, 2012, 1:23pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
I decided to read Sniper's review instead of seeing the movie. Sniper never lets us down.

So why did this Rapace go the Engineers home planet? Was it to find out why they were going to attack Earth?

And back to the beginning: the Engineers are our ancestors. And someone has left drawings all over the world that is intended to draw us out the alien trap. Yet the aliens are capable of travel on their own. Not sure I get it.

Let me try to guess. The scene at the beginning when the Engineer drinks something bad...are the engineers taking something like shrooms that lets them communicate telepathically with humans, and they use this contact to plant a map? And when we have the technology, we follow the map out there...so they can what, kill us? Follow us back to Earth? Attach themselves to us as parasites and follow us home?

This still leaves the question of how they are our ancestors, why they want to kill us, and why they can't just travel to Earth in their own ships.

The movie sounds cool. I'm a little lost. Maybe I better go see it. Thanks for the review!
Logged
Private Message Reply: 8 - 67
James McClung
Posted: June 8th, 2012, 4:51pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients



Location
Washington, D.C.
Posts
3293
Posts Per Day
0.49
Caught the midnight screening last night. Admittedly, I was not anticipating this nearly as much as the rest of the fanboys, my love for Alien not withstanding, but... I thought it was great. Basically, a highly entertaining sci-fi/adventure with some horror elements thrown in for good measure. Stellar performances, virtuosic filmmaking and a generally serviceable script, despite some clunkiness. It delivered on scope, concepts, nostalgia (naturally) and an astonishing amount of B-movie splatter (I expected something more cerebral, honestly). The 3D wasn't necessary but it accentuated the IMAX kinda nicely. Overall, a most satisfying "trip to the movies" made all the more satisfying by how little I'm able to say that nowadays.

Oh, and as for all the Alien hubbub...

SPOILERS!!!

I'm actually going to have to disagree with the majority and say that, much to my surprise (and delight), this was definitely an Alien prequel. The aliens in the film aren't exact replicas of the iconic xenomorphs from the Alien franchise but they are progenitors. To me, without a doubt. The similarities were just too great. I'd regard them as, to the xenomorphs, the veritable legged fish that crawled on land and became dinosaurs millions of years ago. I don't recall the timeframe between Prometheus and the first Alien but I definitely think it's substantial for these creatures to have evolved into the more refined beings that first appeared in the 1979 film.

If you disagree, I'd  simply point out the rest of the film. The Engineers were the Space Jockies. Their spaceship is is of the exact variety that Ripley and co. stumble across in Alien. Even the Prometheus's architecture. Just uncanny in similarity.

Different story, different themes... fair enough. But frankly, I felt Prometheus gave enough insight into the origins of Alien that any thoughtful fan would be able to connect the dots after walking out the theater. 'Nuff said.


Logged
Private Message Reply: 9 - 67
sniper
Posted: June 8th, 2012, 6:10pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


My UZI Weighs A Ton

Location
Northern Hemisphere
Posts
2249
Posts Per Day
0.48
James, what is your take on the worm/snake things we see in the head-chamber? As far as I can figure they do not appear to be part of the Xenomorph evolutionary cycle (unless they themselves are infact the black goo stuff or at least some part of it).

David feeds Holloway the goo, he then impragnates Shaw resulting in the squid-looking fetus. It then impregnates the Engineer which in turn results in the Xenomorph'ish creature at the end. Now, that creature is obviously not the final step in the evolutionary cycle and that's where connecting the dots come in (which I completely agree with). It's already been established that the Xenomorph takes on charateristics from its host so obviously the almost-alien creature will impregnate something/someone else and we will eventually end up with the "real" Xenomorph (for a lack of a better word).


Down in the hole / Jesus tries to crack a smile / Beneath another shovel load
Logged
Private Message Reply: 10 - 67
mcornetto
Posted: June 8th, 2012, 6:37pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



What I got from the movie was that the result of taking the black goo was not predictable.  It's like a genetic crap shoot.  While this ship didn't contain the Alien we've come to know an love, there were other ships where that species might have evolved.

I thought the movie was a completely different animal than the movie it prequels (pun intended).  There isn't really much to complain about, while it wasn't a great movie, it was definitely a very good sci-fi flick.  Ridley and Co are skilled filmmakers and it shows.    
Logged
e-mail Reply: 11 - 67
James McClung
Posted: June 9th, 2012, 3:17pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients



Location
Washington, D.C.
Posts
3293
Posts Per Day
0.49

Quoted from sniper
James, what is your take on the worm/snake things we see in the head-chamber? As far as I can figure they do not appear to be part of the Xenomorph evolutionary cycle (unless they themselves are infact the black goo stuff or at least some part of it).


Those creatures totally felt like prototype facehuggers to me. They had little wings/flaps that were ribbed and looked like they could have evolved to form the facehugger's more defined bone structure and hand-like appearance. They also had the whole phallic/vaginal thing going on like the facehuggers. And indeed what transpires in the scene could've easily transpired with a facehugger. I definitely think they were part of the prototype biology that leads to the classic xenomorph biology.


Logged
Private Message Reply: 12 - 67
CoopBazinga
Posted: June 11th, 2012, 2:56am Report to Moderator
Old Timer



Location
Perth, Australia
Posts
1175
Posts Per Day
0.26
I caught this one at the back end of last week on IMAX and it’s fair to say I was really anticipating this movie.

Movies tend to never live up to the hype which in a way is my own fault as I expect so much when I shouldn't

This may not have lived up to my expectations but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. This is a solid sci-fi movie with some fine performances and gripping scenes

Prometheus obviously is not “Alien” although it’s set in the same universe and happened before the original movie and that it features the for-mentioned space jockey or Engineers as we find out.

I’m not going to go into a massive review, think that’s been covered and well covered let me add by Sniper.

I will just add that Michael Fassbender was excellent, I especially liked the scenes of him alone on the ship during the course of their journey which was well done.

Also that I agree with others about the feeling of missing scenes, the ending felt rushed to me and it will be interesting to see what extras will be on the Blu-ray/DVD when released.

A few characters fell flat for me, Fifield comes to mind who seemed like he was going to be a right bastard but turned into a wuss who loves rocks.

I will say that I enjoyed it immensely and mostly because I’m a massive Sci-fi film and this is where this film excelled, its visuals were stunning especially the ship itself and the planet LV-223 (think I got that right)

Definitely worth the watch on the big screen.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 13 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: June 11th, 2012, 10:07am Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55
Caught this on the big screen first thing Saturday morning in a near full house.
Prometheus is the film with the lamest third act I'm going to say I liked overall.

I enjoyed the first two acts a lot. Solid 75 minutes on almost all fronts.
The Engineers looked meh, but tolerable.

Ridley Scott eyegasms aplenty.
The man delivers the goods. Period.

The film for me devolves into TV melodrama after that.
When Vickers goes all flamey until the ship crashes, it was an eye roll fest for me.

I'm not saying that's Lindelof's contribution to the script.
But there's so many WTFs in that stretch it does feel like a series finale gone awry.

Cranky Mohawk Guy gets more cranky and violent.
Vickers goes all Ripley on the crew. Her groan worthy filial reveal.
Come on, really? Was the f-word needed. Seemed obvious to me.
I would've liked her scene with Weyland so much better without that stoopid word.
The "What are you prepared to do?" beat with Shaw and Janek. Yuck. Really?
Right out of "The Untouchables". Classy.
Not to mention DePalma made it better by setting it in a church.

I wanted to get invested in that third act, but no such luck.
Honestly, I think there was a better way to carry out that crash...

Rearrange some bits and get Shaw on that alien ship taking off.
Because now her convincing Captain Skeptic to go ramming speed CHANGES...

It's no longer a wild plea to get Janek to off himself.
He was already pretty skeptical. I didn't buy for a second he'd do that. BUT...

If Shaw was on that ship... Suddenly, you've got a real hero present...
"Kill me to save humanity." Now that's something Janek can buy.

That's something that fires me up emotionally. And would likely make me cry.
Shaw can climb into the vacant sleep chamber and brace for impact.
Then continue from there on the surface.
You can even have Shaw in the ship alone before it takes off.
She's trying to disrupt the agenda... making HER the alien on their ship.
Shaw would be the alien being hunted on the ship. That's irony ripe for the taking!

Perhaps my brain is a tad genre minded for my own good.
But those basic trajectory changes make me much more excited about the third act.

Every bit as Fassbender is stunning, the score irked me to no end.
The soundtrack detracted from many scenes for me.
I don't know why they want with someone new, but what a clunky score.

All tolled, I'm glad I went to see it in theaters.
Prometheus deserves all the success it can garner.
And Kudos to Fox to rolling with the creative team and making this project happen.

E.D.


LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.

Revision History (2 edits; 1 reasons shown)
Electric Dreamer  -  June 11th, 2012, 11:51am
Logged
Private Message Reply: 14 - 67
sniper
Posted: June 11th, 2012, 3:54pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


My UZI Weighs A Ton

Location
Northern Hemisphere
Posts
2249
Posts Per Day
0.48
While I don't think the score was that bad, I really didn't like the theme that continuously used. It just sounded like something that belonged in a Star Trek'ish movie and not a horror/thriller.


Down in the hole / Jesus tries to crack a smile / Beneath another shovel load
Logged
Private Message Reply: 15 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: June 11th, 2012, 4:54pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55

Quoted from sniper
While I don't think the score was that bad, I really didn't like the theme that continuously used. It just sounded like something that belonged in a Star Trek'ish movie and not a horror/thriller.


Agreed. It was stuff that belonged in Braveheart. :/

E.D.


LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 16 - 67
Heretic
Posted: June 11th, 2012, 5:14pm Report to Moderator
January Project Group



Location
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posts
2023
Posts Per Day
0.28
SPOILERS

I dunno if I was just in the wrong mood, but Prometheus made me very angry.  Endless squandered potential.  Cool premise, cool visuals, terrible script, terrible editing, total lack of cohesion on all fronts.

My compliments to the premise and visuals I assume need not be expanded upon, so I'll simply commence complaining.

Spaihts and Lindelof turned in a script populated with characters that at best rival TV characters.  The arcs are pathetic and uninteresting, the motivations largely unclear, the characters woefully underdeveloped and strangely immature.

We're informed in the triumphant ending VO that Noomi's faith has been challenged and that she has overcome these challenges and continues to faithfully search for answers.  It's lucky they told me, because I must have missed those "challenges" during the film.  The Engineers are going to destroy us -- who cares?  She still proved that we came from them.  They're all dead -- who cares?  As Noomi comments without missing a beat, someone created them, so the search continues.  There's some thematic irony to Noomi -- barren and obsessed with the origin of creation, finally "gifted" with an unwelcome pregnancy -- but there's no punchline.  The alien inside her is immediately banished to the position of minor logistical payoff, leaving us with nothing to make of its effect on her character; but for some groans of pain through the third act, she might well not have undergone the experience at all.  

Theron's a friggin' joke.  We're introduced to her already out of cryo doing pushups like the ultimate badass, only to learn that she's a coward.  Then we see that she's a ruthless businesswoman, only to learn that she's not above a giggly little f*** now and then.  Ho ho ho.  What a gift to women (and originality) -- the spinster and the whore rolled into one.

Would it have been too much work to just cast an old man as Weyland?  What the hell?

Elba doesn't really have a character...he just sort of fills in the blanks where needed.  Theron's arbitrary sex interest?  Sure.  Guy to watch monitors?  Yep.  Dude for cheese-ass third-act Randy-Quaid heroicism?  Perfect.  This sort of logistical malleability within the script is much easier to achieve if the character has no defining traits whatsoever.

Other good options include having exactly one defining trait -- being a loud incompetent coward -- like good master Fairfield.  Bonus points if your shrill caricature manages to sabotage his single characteristic by immediately returning to the exact room that his refusal to enter was used to establish his cowardice in the first place.  

Marshall-Green's a goof-ass teenager, the worst scientist since Fairfield.  They spent a trillion dollars and they got these assholes?  We've found no signs of life in one single bunker after half a day of looking...I think I'll sink into depression and drink my life away, maybe get laid.  How are we supposed to sympathize with jokers like these?

Fassbender's David, though of course excellently performed, is the worst-written robot I've seen in a good long time.  It's so relentlessly illogical that I though it was going to turn out to be a human.  It randomly drops hints of things that it wouldn't want characters to know, it infects Marshall-Green and then walks off on its own so it's unable to observe him, it talks to itself out loud.  The mostly-aborted attempt at tying the ideas of robots, souls, and human acts of creation in through David's character is one of the best examples of the squandered potential of the film's setup, as the seeds of interesting ideas spill out of David's mouth in the final form of uninspiring inanities.  (What if God said it made us just because it can?  "Ooooh," the stoned couple behind me sighs).  

I've spent so long complaining about the characters I think I should just wrap up (but the rest suck too).  There's not enough wonderment for a sci-fi film, not enough scares for a horror film, and not enough splatter or goo for an alien flick.  Most importantly, there's not enough of a character arc for a film at all.  What there is is some completely unexplored but fun and interesting ideas, some nostalgic production design, and some absolutely gorgeous imagery undercut by the editor's tendency to cut away from the best shot's the quickest.  Okay fine, the editing was totally okay except for that.  

And some moments are just baffling.

--
Fassbender cuts off transmission to Theron.  She speaks out loud to herself.

THERON
He cut me off.
--
--
The screen lights up.  It reads "Abdominal Surgery".

NOOMI
Abdominal surgery.
--

...what the hell?  That other similar moment during the inject-the-decapitated-head-with-some-bullshit scene played like an outright GalaxyQuest gag, but I can't remember the line.  

Anyway.  A major thumbs down from me, with the possibly contradictory qualification that the film is probably one well worth watching.

Revision History (2 edits; 1 reasons shown)
Heretic  -  June 11th, 2012, 6:45pm
Logged Offline
Site Private Message Reply: 17 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: June 13th, 2012, 1:44pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55

Quoted from sniper

I couldn’t help but feel that scenes had been cut out here and there and there’s probably gonna be a special edition when it comes out on dvd/blu-ray.


Here's some skinny on that deal...

http://collider.com/ridley-scott-prometheus-deleted-scenes-interview/172202/?_r=true

E.D.



LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 18 - 67
ReaperCreeper
Posted: June 13th, 2012, 11:49pm Report to Moderator
Been Around



Location
Wisconsin
Posts
974
Posts Per Day
0.15
WARNING: This might have minor spoilers in it. Nothing to shatter your experience if you haven't seen the film yet, but still, you've been warned.

I actually really enjoyed this film, and it met my expectations.  It was a little bit hindered by the fact that it was under the pressure of being a "summer blockbuster," but I thought it was a solidly entertaining and at times genuinely unsettling sci-fi film with good Action when it wanted it and good Horror when it wanted it.

What I didn't like about it, though, was that the scope of the film might be too big for its own good. It tries so hard to show so many different monsters, creatures, and imagery detailing the background of its mythology that as a result most of the characters are pretty much one-dimensional tools of exposition at best, and at worst they're just fodder for the nasties on the planet. What few characters don't fall into either of these categories are weakened by vague motivations throughout the film due to not enough attention being paid to any single one of them.

I still remember some of the characters in Alien and Aliens, or even Alien 3. Hell, I still refuse to believe that Hudson, Vasquez, Apone, Clemens, Bishop, and even Lambert bought it in their respective films, and those came out decades ago! I never got that feeling with Prometheus; I cared nothing for any of the characters except Dr. Holloway, and even she was too obnoxious (in a bad non-Hudson way) for my liking. Still, the film made it hard for you not to sympathize--or at least empathize--with her.

I agree with what others have said about the score music; it was very out-of-place and it became irritating when the same musical cue would play over and over again (I think I'd really had enough of it by the time the Engineer activated his ship.)

I loved the visuals and the overall mood of the movie.  I even thought the Engineers looked good and did evoke some type of wonder in me, although I'm not particularly impressed with the design they went with for them (with their "space jockey heads" turning out to be just helmets) Again, the music was my only real complaint in this aspect.

Overall, I liked it. Hell, I'd watch it again, but I don't think it is a masterpiece, nor do I think my opinion of it would change with a re-watch.

--Julio

P.S. Regarding those weird snakes others have mentioned, I thought they were the result of worms coming into contact with the black goo on the ruins. There is a close-up of regular worms creeping about as the team is  first exploring the cave that I see no use for other than showing us that there are at least still some simple life-forms on the planet. Later on, when we see what happens to a certain character that was exposed to the goo, I can see how those snakes might have once been regular worms. I definitely don't think they're related to the Aliens we know besides the fact that they live in similar environments (which might explain why both have acidic blood.)
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 19 - 67
bert
Posted: June 17th, 2012, 12:46pm Report to Moderator
Administrator


Buy the ticket, take the ride

Location
That's me in the corner
Posts
4232
Posts Per Day
0.61
So, in the future nobody wears underwear anymore?  They all run around with surgical gauze wrapped around their privates?  And how long does it take to put that on, anyway -- I mean, so that it stays put during battle and stuff?

Maybe that isn't the biggest WTF in this movie, but it sure bugged me.


Quoted from Sniper
I had a hard time deciding whether to give this movie a thumbs up or a thumbs down. I finally decided on the thumbs up.


Seems most viewers are in this middle-ground camp.  I liked it, but I did not like it as much as I hoped I would.

After this and her turn as Lisbeth Salander, I am really starting to like Noomi Rapace.  She is not even that attractive to me, really, but she clearly has chops, and there is just something about her that the camera loves.

Also very good work from Fassbender, though his motivations remained murky and often seemed more calculated to drive the plot than anything else.  Theron was wasted here, let down by a script that really gave her little to do.


Quoted from Electric Dreamer
The soundtrack detracted from many scenes for me.


I am not a big soundtrack guy, and seldom notice the music, actually.  But yeah, there was a patch of music they used several times that was supposed to be triumphant (I guess), but it had a cheesy Star Trek vibe to it that seemed out of place.  So I did occasionally notice the music, and it took me out of the film.


Quoted from Basket Case
Considering the final image in 'Prometheus'...it wets the appetite for more.


I felt a bit pandered to, myself.

They were obviously crossing their fingers for a sequel -- and I would even go to see a sequel set in this world -- but something about it felt perfunctory.

I am not the guy to speculate on the differences between green goo and black goo and what the various mutations might represent in the larger "Aliens" universe -- but that final shot felt like the filmmakers were just saying, "OK, fans, here you go."


Quoted from James McClung
...a highly entertaining sci-fi/adventure with some horror elements thrown in for good measure...virtuosic filmmaking...



Quoted from Cornetto
...while it wasn't a great movie, it was definitely a very good sci-fi flick.  Ridley and Co are skilled filmmakers and it shows.


And all of this is correct.  Make no mistake -- this is top-drawer filmmaking going on here that should be experienced in a theater.

I guess it is so good that its flaws are all the more maddening -- all of that "what-could-have-been" second-guessing that comes so naturally to us film-types here on these boards -- that may be why so many viewers are frustrated with this film.


Hey, it's my tiny, little IMDb!
Logged
Private Message Reply: 20 - 67
James McClung
Posted: June 17th, 2012, 4:09pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients



Location
Washington, D.C.
Posts
3293
Posts Per Day
0.49
I'm starting to think audiences invest too many hopes into films like this. Just like The Dark Knight, Avatar and Inception before it, Prometheus got put on a pedestal before it even came out and ended up an insanely polarizing affair. All the press and viral marketing didn't help either. It all just serves to raise expectations that the film can never meet, even it didn't have the things that turned people off to it. But even so, I think it's important to keep in mind that they're all Hollywood blockbusters and tentpole releases at that. They're almost guaranteed to have issues. I'm talking big ones like plotholes and pretty much anything else that can ruin an otherwise decent movie for certain people. You kinda just have to go with them.

Face it. Nobody's ever going to make another Alien. Quite frankly, I don't think people know how to make those kinds of films with that level of quality anymore (or would be able to if they did). But even without that kind of cynicism... nobody's ever going to make another Alien. What Hollywood did instead was bring back the original director and basically made an Alien tribute for a $200+ budget. That's a damn good deal and we probably won't get another like it in a long time.


Logged
Private Message Reply: 21 - 67
bert
Posted: June 17th, 2012, 4:43pm Report to Moderator
Administrator


Buy the ticket, take the ride

Location
That's me in the corner
Posts
4232
Posts Per Day
0.61

Quoted from James McClung
Face it. Nobody's ever going to make another Alien.


While I am not one of those "huge" fans, it is my understanding that "Alien" and "Aliens" are generally regarded as kings of the franchise.

It was with "3" and "4" that they took their marvelous Alien template and started to make it (I think) a little bigger than it was ever really intended to be  -- with larger questions that the original films never even bothered to ask.

1 & 2 were, like, "Oh f*ck!  Aliens!" -- while 3 & 4 were more thoughtful in nature.

Those movies were not "bad" movies, per se, but the fan-base as a whole was not entirely satisfied.

"Promethius" will go on the bookshelf alongside 3 & 4 -- while 1 & 2 are still lonely, waiting for their true, kindred sequel.

For my money, if they really want to blow people's minds, they need to try and get back to the mentality of the earlier films.  They are crazy if they cannot see the dollars rolling through their front door in wheelbarrows.


Hey, it's my tiny, little IMDb!
Logged
Private Message Reply: 22 - 67
Heretic
Posted: June 17th, 2012, 5:34pm Report to Moderator
January Project Group



Location
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Posts
2023
Posts Per Day
0.28

Quoted from bert
...there was a patch of music they used several times that was supposed to be triumphant (I guess), but it had a cheesy Star Trek vibe to it that seemed out of place.  So I did occasionally notice the music, and it took me out of the film.


SPOILERS maybe a bit?

I found that recurring theme (this one, right?) to be distracting (and Star Trekky) as well; to me, though, this was the feeling that the film so desperately wanted to have, and failed to achieve.  This is the story of an ancient mystery, of gods and creation, after all...it should be nothing if not wondrous and perhaps awe-inducing.  For me, the film's inability to achieve this was what was by far most disappointing.  This also hurt the film quite significantly character-wise, I thought, because without managing to inspire us in the first third, the shock of the film's first disillusioning twist failed to hit home emotionally, which was a big part of what made that mid-second-act reappraisal so frustrating; it was hard to believe that Holloway was so dejected, that Shaw's faith had been so challenged, etc.  
Logged Offline
Site Private Message Reply: 23 - 67
bert
Posted: June 17th, 2012, 5:43pm Report to Moderator
Administrator


Buy the ticket, take the ride

Location
That's me in the corner
Posts
4232
Posts Per Day
0.61

Quoted from Heretic

I found that recurring theme (this one, right?) to be distracting (and Star Trekky) as well....


Haha...yeah, Chris, that is the one.  It just screams TNG to me for some reason.

And first time through the comments, I missed that Sniper thought so, too.


Quoted from Sniper
While I don't think the score was that bad, I really didn't like the theme that continuously used. It just sounded like something that belonged in a Star Trek'ish movie...


And if Rob says it, it must be true...


Hey, it's my tiny, little IMDb!
Logged
Private Message Reply: 24 - 67
Penoyer79
Posted: June 17th, 2012, 11:22pm Report to Moderator
Been Around


Chaos isn't a pit, it's a ladder.

Location
Atwater, CA
Posts
628
Posts Per Day
0.12
the movie plays a like a Pilot to a TV series. way too much mythology being jammed into 2 hours.

this movie could have been 3 hours long and they still would have needed more tiem to tie everything up.

its basically 1 giant plot hole..and the characters are underdeveloped....

absolutely shocking giving Ridley's attention to detail

Revision History (1 edits)
Penoyer79  -  June 18th, 2012, 1:50am
Logged
Private Message Reply: 25 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: June 18th, 2012, 9:20am Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55

Quoted from Heretic

SPOILERS maybe a bit?

I found that recurring theme (this one, right?) to be distracting (and Star Trekky) as well; to me, though, this was the feeling that the film so desperately wanted to have, and failed to achieve.


Oh yeah, that's the one.
Word has it that Streitenfeld bollocksed it up so bad...
They hired big gun Harry Gregson-Williams for some last minute mojo.
I think THAT was misguided.

Regards,
E.D.


LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 26 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: June 18th, 2012, 9:30am Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55

Quoted from James McClung

I'm starting to think audiences invest too many hopes into films like this. Just like The Dark Knight, Avatar and Inception before it, Prometheus got put on a pedestal before it even came out and ended up an insanely polarizing affair. All the press and viral marketing didn't help either. It all just serves to raise expectations that the film can never meet.


Agreed.
I started tuning out Prometheus marketing in April.
The humanity message stuff is all cool...
But couldn't you have given us a taste of the old genre goodness?

The trailer overtly suggested buckets of space terror the movie didn't deliver.
All the cool viral stuff in the world can't fix this...

If your trailer promises something the film does not deliver, you're in trouble.

I'm glad the film got made and I hope Fox doesn't get burned for it.
But I needed some visceral emotion in the climax and I didn't get it.

I even felt Shaw was a tad douchey and egotistical at the end.
Shouldn't someone give Earth a heads up before you get all WTF with your creators?

Regards,
E.D.


LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 27 - 67
Penoyer79
Posted: June 18th, 2012, 10:21am Report to Moderator
Been Around


Chaos isn't a pit, it's a ladder.

Location
Atwater, CA
Posts
628
Posts Per Day
0.12
expectations were going to hurt this movie reguardless...and im a big  Alien/aliens fan myself..

but i'm by no means an overzealous fan boy. i can keep it perspective.

this movie is a mess.

not that i didnt enjoy, because i did.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 28 - 67
Ryan1
Posted: June 18th, 2012, 5:16pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer



Posts
1098
Posts Per Day
0.22
This was underwhelming, to say the least.  And, it's not like I had huge expectations going into the film.  At 75 years old, I don't expect Ridley Scott to be at the peak of his powers.  But, there was really nothing new or original about this story.  I've seen it before in sci-fi many, many times.  In fact, the plot really reminded me of a Star Trek TNG episode where they find clues on various planets which form a star map and leads them to a remote, uninhabited world, where they discover that humans, klingons, vulcans, etc are all descendants of a single, long forgotten civilization.  Yup.

The directing was slick, but it couldn't overcome the staleness of the material.  Aside from Fassy, the rest of the cast ranged from mediocre to "just takin' up space."  Logan Marshall-Green in particular I found to be a charisma-free presence.  

I'm still trying to figure out exactly why Charlize Theron was needed in this story.  Her character did essentially nothing but annoy up until her final scene.  And in that final scene, I kept wanting to shout "make a left!"

Without its Alien pedigree, this script would just be another vague, unfocused origin of man story with unmemorable characters. The original Alien's strengths were the brutal simplicity of the plot and groundbreaking visuals.  And then Aliens had that relentless, breakneck pace and furious intensity.  But Prometheus felt like a wanna-be space opera that, lacking a great concept, tried to cover its banality with special effects and snarky characters.  
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 29 - 67
mcornetto
Posted: June 18th, 2012, 5:27pm Report to Moderator
Guest User




Quoted from Ryan1

I'm still trying to figure out exactly why Charlize Theron was needed in this story.  Her character did essentially nothing but annoy up until her final scene.  And in that final scene, I kept wanting to shout "make a left!"


I also pondered the point of Charlize - even though I didn't mention it earlier.  

However, based upon the buzz that stems from the after credits of the movie, there may be a prequel in the works that will be announced on 10.11.12 or it may just be the date of the blue-ray release.

http://www.whatis101112.com/
Logged
e-mail Reply: 30 - 67
bert
Posted: June 18th, 2012, 5:46pm Report to Moderator
Administrator


Buy the ticket, take the ride

Location
That's me in the corner
Posts
4232
Posts Per Day
0.61

Quoted from mcornetto
...based upon the buzz that stems from the after credits of the movie...


Waitaminute...there was something after the credits?

Dammit...I hate that!  Just put it in the movie already for Pete's sake -- that trick is played out and it isn't cute anymore.

Somebody mark it with a spoiler and tell me what it was.


Hey, it's my tiny, little IMDb!
Logged
Private Message Reply: 31 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: June 18th, 2012, 6:41pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55

Quoted from bert


Waitaminute...there was something after the credits?

Dammit...I hate that!  Just put it in the movie already for Pete's sake -- that trick is played out and it isn't cute anymore.

Somebody mark it with a spoiler and tell me what it was.


POST CREDITS SEMI-SPOILER

Here's the skinny and marketing bread crumb trail in question...

After the credits there is an image that displays “PREVIOUS FOOTAGE PROPERTY OF WEYLAND CORP: BUILDING BETTER WORLDS SINCE 10.11.12. weylandindustries.com/timeline”

Update: There is now a new viral site (WhatIs101112.com) that just launched over the weekend which includes a video with Peter Weyland (Guy Pierce).

In the video, Weyland can be heard whispering to himself, “I am a law only for my kind; I am no law for all.” The website also features a book cover for Thus Spake Zarathustra by Nietzsche, a book that “deals with ideas such as the ‘eternal recurrence of the same’, the parable on the ‘death of God’, and the ‘prophecy’ of the Übermensch, which were first introduced in The Gay Science.”

It’s still unclear exactly what 10.11.12 is. At first I was under the assumption that it was the date the Blu-ray & DVD would be released (which might still be true), but a little research on the Weyland Industries viral site would reveal that 10.11.12 is also the date in which the company was founded with the caption “Weyland Corporation is recognized as a legal entity and corporation under United States law and receives their Certificate of Incorporation from the Companies House in the United Kingdom. Due to the combined value of Sir Peter Weyland’s various patents and patent-pendings, the company incorporates with a higher fair market valuation than any other company in history.”


For what it's worth.

Regards,
E.D.



LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 32 - 67
leitskev
Posted: June 19th, 2012, 7:50pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
Saw this today. Many questions. Going to pose a few here, then go back and read through the thread. Maybe they've been answered.

The beginning: This seems to have been when Earth was barren. Leaving aside the scientific fact that a barren earth would not have had that kind of a sky, let's go with the theory that the engineer drinks the goo, which combines with his own DNA, shreds it, and becomes the basis of life on Earth. But that doesn't make sense either. We learn later in the film that humans share DNA with the Engineers. Humans, not all life forms. Also, the Engineer who dies did not seem too willing. He seemed surprised.

the messages: who left the drawings in the cave? We find out later that the engineers were destroyed by their own invention, and that they intended to use this invention to destroy the human life, or all life, that they created on Earth. The messages in the caves seem designed to goad us into space. Why? So we can be destroyed, apparently. But why couldn't they just destroy us when they made the messages in the caves? I suppose the messages could have been warnings instead of invitations. There is a clue to this being the case. At the end, Dr Shaw does the same thing: she leaves a message saying don't follow this message to the source. Maybe that happened in the caves. But who left them?

David's contamination of the doctor: my best guess is he did this because he wanted to be alive himself. This stuff is the goo of the gods. It gave us life. He thought maybe it could give him life. The Pinochio story.

why did the Engineers choose to destroy us? Maybe they were trying to prevent the rise of Al Gore. One thing to consider, though, is that the Engineers, like us, are factioned. There may be different groups of Engineers warring with each other. And one group wanted to destroy us. I hope this is actually the direction they go in sequels, because any other explanation runs the risk of being lame and cliche. Like if they say we need to be destroyed because we are mucking up the environment...please. Enough with that crap. Even if one is foolish enough to think that idea makes sense, aren't you sick of it? It's been done. So hopefully they have something better in store.

Final comments: the movie was decent. I am actually kind of undecided. Answering some of these questions might help. I am cool with a movie generating questions that invite speculation and allow for a range of explanations. But this might be a little too much. It almost feels like a lot of ideas pieced together, and they don't necessarily fit. I hope I'm wrong and others will explain some of these inconsistent plot points.

The characters were not all that interesting. And it was hard to care about any of them. Shaw to a degree, but not til late. She seems worthy of caring after what she goes through with the creature/child delivery. I actually cared more for the robot, David, than anyone. I rooted for his desire to find life for himself.

The guy doctor, the one who got infected, couldn't they have at least made him seem like a doctor or a scientist? He seemed more like some dude. And I could not buy into his unhappiness after the first visit to the ship. Yeah, he didn't get all the answers, but man, after what he just saw! He would have been on cloud nine.

I recommend seeing it. As far as where it stands in sci fi history, I don't know. They tried.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 33 - 67
Hugh Hoyland
Posted: June 20th, 2012, 12:11am Report to Moderator
New



Location
Florida
Posts
328
Posts Per Day
0.07
I actually loved it and recommend it, although I can see why its so devisive.

It had a LOT of very high expectations going in first of all and I honestly dont think it could possibly live up to them all. Also it seems a lot of fans were still thinking it was going to be a direct sequel despite the fact that Scott said he wasnt going to rehash "Alien" and would instead focus on the "Space Jockey" race (Something he's been saying since at least 1999).

As for the engineers I think the group on LV223 are a rebel faction, the dark angels. Different from the group we seen at the start of the film. Why they want to destroy humanity is a question I think will be answered in the sequel.


Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 34 - 67
leitskev
Posted: June 20th, 2012, 12:11pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
I think you are right that there are factions of Engineers, Hugh. It's the only thing that makes sense. The only problem with it is the story for some reason explains the death of the Engineers on the moon as they were attacked by their own biological weapons. If the factions were the explanation, this would be a strange choice.

Yet, there are clues in the symmetry. Two things in particular: David and his quest; and the final message by Shaw warning other humans. I suspect the story will bring things full circle.

David is our creation and he thirsts for life. We attempted to create him in our image because it is pleasing to us, but he wants to go his own route. His actions in this story are ultimately destructive to humans, and he resents his creator. Why couldn't a similar thing have happened to the Engineers?

The Engineers created something that ultimately came back to attack them. Maybe from this they decided to destroy everything that they created in their image before it could come back to them. I don't know, it still doesn't really make sense why they would weaponize this creative DNA goo. And if the drawings on the walls were left as a warning, it seems they would have been smart enough to make that clear.

We also have to keep in mind that David knows their language from studying our early languages. So the Engineers were involved with us then.

Maybe someone else can figure it out. I believe David is the key, and the idea of our creation becoming a threat.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 35 - 67
mcornetto
Posted: June 20th, 2012, 4:30pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



There's a series of books by Piers Anthony called the Cluster series in which a group of Ancients traveled the galaxies in order to preserve and encourage life on the inhabited planets they found.  But travelling the galaxies takes a long time and somewhere along the journey they were taking their goal was transformed to the opposite.  Exterminate life on all inhabited planets.  I think something like  this is what was going on with the Engineers.

As far as David was concerned, I think he was either jealous of Elizabeth's belief or he cared for Elizabeth and considered her belief a serious flaw - something to be cured.  Either way, that is what he was challenging when he did what he did.
Logged
e-mail Reply: 36 - 67
leitskev
Posted: June 20th, 2012, 7:56pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
Good possibility on the Cluster scenario. If not that, I think there are factions.

I think David took the cross because he does not understand faith. It's a human emotion that is beyond him. But he wants to understand it, because he wants to be human. He wants to have a soul, as they make a point of showing with the old man's remark.

Think about the scene where he has the doctor drink the magic goo. He asks the doctor first, 'what wouldn't you do to have these answers?'. The doctor says he would do anything. We see this during the scene as the doctor unwittingly giving permission to David to infect him. But it's more than that. He is telling David it's the human thing to do, to seek the answer no matter what the cost. So David feels justified in doing what he does. Not to seek answers about origins, but to possibly discover a way to become biological. To have a soul. That's my wild speculation, anyway.

If David saw the faith as a flaw, he would not have kept and carried the cross, but rather would have thrown it out. He kept it because he was trying to understand. He was trying to be human. Think of him imitating the movies early in the film. He was not just mastering a language or a form. He is trying to learn how to be human, looking for clues. That's why he reads dreams. He wants to know what makes us what we are. Which is what Prometheus is about on every level. Learning why we are what we are.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 37 - 67
alffy
Posted: June 21st, 2012, 1:47am Report to Moderator
Old Timer



Location
The bleak North East, England
Posts
2187
Posts Per Day
0.34
I thought this was the worst film I've seen in ages. It raised so many questions and answered none. Also the charaters were so stupid it was like watching a comedy. I cant believe this script was made, it's truely aweful. I fancy if it had been posted here the errors would have been slated...in a good way. I also paid extra to watch 3D and that was bad too. Dark and during the few actions scenes it was blurry and unclear. Awful film.


Check out my scripts...if you want to, no pressure.

You can find my scripts here
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 38 - 67
alffy
Posted: June 21st, 2012, 1:54am Report to Moderator
Old Timer



Location
The bleak North East, England
Posts
2187
Posts Per Day
0.34
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-x1YuvUQFJ0

This says it better than me.


Check out my scripts...if you want to, no pressure.

You can find my scripts here
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 39 - 67
leitskev
Posted: June 21st, 2012, 6:36am Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
There certainly were a ton of issues with the characters, Alfy. From the way the guys thought the lizard in the goo was cute, to the way the ladies ran the wrong way when the ship was crashing. I was able to look past some of those. One problem that's hard to get past is that you don't give a crap about any of the characters. The guy doctor, the one who gets infected, doesn't even seem like a doctor, or even educated.

If I can make sense of the plot eventually I'll feel better about the film, though. So far I can't quite do it.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 40 - 67
alffy
Posted: June 21st, 2012, 10:15am Report to Moderator
Old Timer



Location
The bleak North East, England
Posts
2187
Posts Per Day
0.34
I sooo wanted to like this film but I too couldn't get passed the stupidness of it.  I agree, I didn't give a toss about any of the characters which is bad!
I get the feeling there might be a directors cut disc in the future but I'm not sure it could save this turkey, not even if it ran for 4 hours.  There's so many plot holes I don't think it can be saved.


Check out my scripts...if you want to, no pressure.

You can find my scripts here
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 41 - 67
Scar Tissue Films
Posted: June 25th, 2012, 6:16pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3382
Posts Per Day
0.63
I enjoyed it, but like Kevin, I'm left confused as to what was going on...the plot seemed completely illogical to me.

They seemed to start life on Earth by using the goo to completely destroy their own DNA and then having it programmed to rebuild into our DNA...which happened to be exactly the same as the DNA the goo just destoyed?

What?

Then there's the cave paintings...from different time periods. So clearly the Engineers have been visiting us over time. The cave paintings all point to what is apparently a military installation....not the home planet.

So the military who apparently wants us all dead, left messages for us to find them?

Makes no sense.

Why didn't they just wipe us out?

The time frame on the ship...2000 years they've been dead. So they were planning on killing us 2,000 years ago, perhaps for something we did. Killing Jesus perhaps? The "Son of God" with special powers...one of them who we were supposed to follow and failed?  Or was Jesus a kind of Prometheus who stole something from them, so they want to eradicate us as punishment?

Something must have happened for us to upset them at that time anyway. I suppose the messages are simply human ones...the yearning for knowledge...our ancestors were somehow able to work out where the Engineers came from and tried to pass on the knowledge to later generations.

I seem to remember reading that the backstory to the original Alien was that the Engineers were involved in a Galatic War against some other group and were using the aliens as weapons...simply dropping them on their enemies planet.

Why does the remaining Engineer get so aggressive? His ship still has full power, so why did he go into hyper sleep in the first place and not just fly straight to Earth and destroy it? He seems to act paternally for a second, then become psychotic...as though we are somehow responsible for their troubles. Perhaps it's as simple as the fact we humans were there looking for technology...and he wants to kill them so they can't steal it.

Fits in with the Prometheus thing...the creators and the created are stuck in a cycle where the created are seeking the elixir of life from their creators.

Perhaps it's just because we are so violent...and this would also be why the Engineer seeks to destroy us when he witnesses the fact we're still violent and greedy. This actually makes the most sense and is the simplest solution. We were too violent and too ambitious for power, so they decided to eradicate us. The Engineer upon witnessing the man's desire for eternal life and the violence perpetrated against the woman, concludes that we are a threat that needs eradicating.

Interesting film, but perhaps hampered by a lack of cohesion. Part of the problem was that the philosophical scope of the film is quite large, but the story itself is very small...basically a two room location job. There isn't really enough of anything..character development, or plot to enable you to comprehend it.


Nice to see someone try and make a proper film though. Everybody should see it.

Revision History (2 edits; 1 reasons shown)
Scar Tissue Films  -  June 25th, 2012, 6:51pm
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 42 - 67
Scar Tissue Films
Posted: June 25th, 2012, 6:35pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3382
Posts Per Day
0.63
Thinking about it some more...is David more aware of things than he lets on?

He seems to know exactly where to go and what to do and even finds blue goo on one of the signs "impressive"...like he knows what it is.

He also knows there are other ships.

It seems like he's been there before.

He seems to want to destroy humans as well, because we're so disappointing.."Doesn't everyone want to kill their parents?".

OK...so our creation wants to kill us.

Was it humans who killed the Engineers? Did we turn on them somehow, hence their desire to eradicate us?
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 43 - 67
Scar Tissue Films
Posted: June 25th, 2012, 7:04pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3382
Posts Per Day
0.63
OK, think I've largely worked it out.

The Engineers created us and tried to direct our evolution..hence them appearing in many different civilizations.

However, we are too ambitious and represent too much of a threat. Eventually they decide to terminate us with genetic weapons that create alien creatures (which may be used in a war they are fighting that requires such weapons).

Essentially the Promethean thing is that the created will always try and get the knowledge of the creator.

The Engineer turns on the party when the robot speaks to him in his own language asking for immortality for the old man and afte he has witnessed violene towards Shaw.

The engineer seems to show pride in David before he tries to kill him. He acknowledges how far humanity has come, but realises his mission to eradicate them is even more important...perhaps because the artifical life forms represent threat to the Engineers...being immune to all their genetic weapons.

There's also a spiritual angle hinted at. The Engineers have a temple on the ship with a huge Face like a God and pictures representing the Xenomorph/Alien. The desire to live on after death seems to particularly upset the Engineers. With the 2000 years thing...it seems likely that Jesus was an Engineer and us turning on him was the final straw for our race...proof that we'd come after them in the end.

Revision History (2 edits; 1 reasons shown)
Scar Tissue Films  -  June 25th, 2012, 7:24pm
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 44 - 67
leitskev
Posted: June 25th, 2012, 7:39pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
Yup, I think you have it mostly worked out, Rick. David is the key. He is our creation just as we are theirs. He seeks the secret of life, and will turn on his masters to achieve it. When he asks the doctor what he would do to solve the mystery, I believe David is seeking confirmation that what he is about to do is indeed human. Which is what he wants to be.

As far as humanity being too violent and greedy, that probably is where they will try to go with this. Which is a little disappointing. It's very unoriginal. That theme has been around since the 50s. Enough already. Plus it's really silly for several reasons here. For one thing, the Engineers are quite capable of violence themselves. They don't seem to have any superiority over us in that department. For another, that we are violent should not surprise them. We evolved from their DNA. Not to mention the fact that evolution spawns violence as a survival strategy, which they would understand as "engineers".

Perhaps more sensible and even original would if WE were superior to them in some way. After all, David is superior to us. Then the engineers would fear us. How are we superior? Obviously not physically. Maybe we breed faster. I don't know.

I didn't catch the 2000 years part, when the ship accident occurred. You're right, that can't be coincidence. That would imply a Jesus line of thinking. Or perhaps Emperor Augustus! I hope they keep that angle of the story in the background. No need too distract with controversy that won't add much to the story.

I still think the last transmission of Captain Shaw is a clue. Her message is to avoid that planet, but someone could someday confuse it as a distress signal. Or pretend to. And it could draw a ship, the opposite of its intent. Likewise, the paintings on Earth were intended to warn. Perhaps by friendly Engineers trying to help us.

You're correct that the characters were flat. I kept thinking that during the movie. But that does happen a lot in sci fi, I think. Ripley was not the most sympathetic character either until later in the story.

I never did understand the ghosts here. As a writer, it almost seemed like exposition. They needed an excuse to bring up the map, and to show David how to operate the ship.

You bring up a great point about David's knowledge. His knowledge of their language comes from studying old human languages, which derived from this source. As for knowledge of the ships, that seemed to come from his reading the hieroglyphs on the wall.

The loose are ends remain, however. Why did the surviving Engineer remain in stasis? Why did he not proceed earlier to Earth? Why didn't more Engineers show up to clean up the mess and proceed to Earth? I'm cool with that they purposely left questions open. They better ties them together properly in the sequels, though. If they don't, this seems like pasted together scripts.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 45 - 67
Eoin
Posted: June 26th, 2012, 3:57am Report to Moderator
Been Around


just another ego maniac with low self esteem

Location
Ireland
Posts
638
Posts Per Day
0.12
I'm afraid to say that I didn't like this. I think most of the illogical plot points have been covered. The only reason I could work out for our planned demise, was a link between the xenomorph hyroglyph on the wall and it's lifecycle as shown in the film. Elizabeth gave birth to the squid thing, which in turn french kissed the Engineer, giving rise to the xenomorph.

This also raises other questions. Why create us, unless they need us to create xenomorphs (and why)? If we share their DNA and they have this devine primal soup, why are we needed at all? If they already know about xenomorphs, humans, or some other species similiar to us, must have given rise to xenomorphs already. So, are the Engineers on this planet out to erradicate humans to prevent this, or come to Earth and create xenomorphs?
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 46 - 67
Scar Tissue Films
Posted: June 26th, 2012, 4:20am Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3382
Posts Per Day
0.63
I think the point regarding humans being too violent isn't meant as a moralising one for us...it's merely that us being like them makes us a threat and so the creator wants to put us down. Or we are just tools to be used to grow xenomorphs to use in their war.

I also think we are anathema to their beliefs. At the start an Engineer has to die to create life on a barren planet. That is how they reproduce...by dying. Humans create life through sex (which is shown as dangerous because it creates a violent squid!). Because we can create life and still live, we don't value it and we seek a meaning to it. We have created false life (David) and seek immortality. Both these things are against the Engineers belief system and perhaps explains why he turns aggressive.

To create life is the ultimate meaning for the Engineers. Our artificial intelligence and our quest for immortality threatens that cycle...we would undo all their work.

I think there might be a part of our superiority in David...for all their technology have they developed artificial intelligence? Plus the last time they saw us we were a long way from inter galactic travel...now our technology can't be far behind theirs...and I think it's fair to say the chances are we would rapidly surpass them on such an exponential trajectory...in terms of technology at least.

Ultimately a science vessel without weapons could bring down a military ship...so their armoury and such is world war 2 standard. Not very realistic, but it is what it is.

Regarding Shaw's message.. no human could resist going to the planet. It's just not in our nature. You'd send a scouting mission the second you got the message.

Personally I think the cave paintings are human. I think they just show our yearning for the age old answers..why are we here? what are we? etc and show us having had that Promethean spirit from the start...we know where the power is and we want it.

Reading up on it now, most seem to think the Engineers left them there, but that seems convoluted to me...why would they set a trap when they could eradicate us at any time, and if it was an invitation, why would it be to a dangerous military base?...plus the paintings are distinctly human in nature.

Could be that your faction idea is correct though...there are pro human Engineers and anti-human ones and they have basically wiped each other out using the aliens.

There is of course the danger, we're just correcting a lot of silly mistakes in a mismatched script!

The Jesus thing was apparently in earlier versions of the script, but Scott removed it because he felt it was too on the nose. Makes sense that there's still overtones in there.

I just realised the film was set on Christmas Day as well...clearly it was overtly on their minds.

The goo is key to a lot of the film's themes.

In the right hands it creates life (it's what they use to terraform the Universe). In the wrong hands it turns into a weapon of Death. The Engineers seem to have a whole Religion/Culture based around this concept (The alien xenomorph is depicted in religious like murals on the walls). The goo is only activated when the humans arrive...why is that? It was contained before and presumably when the Engineers were in that area.

It reacts with the worms to create a species that is only hostile when threatened. It's only when the guy continues to try to touch it that it attacks and it's attacks only increase in strength when more force is applied to it.

The goo turns the aggressive guy into a raging, super strong murderer.

This doesn't explain what was happening to Charlie though...who seemed ill rather than evolving. Being non hostile would he have just dissembled like the Engineer in the opening scene..his body creating new forms of life?

The alien only comes about through sex, which creates the squid, then the squid impregnating a Promethean/Human. Does that mean the outbreak 2,000 years ago was caused by a human...hence their hatred for us?

Reading between the lines it could be a religious type person who caused the outbreak. Ridly Scott is on record as saying that science improves our lives in every single way and Religion just fucks it up.

The Engineer will have hibernated because it removes him as a life-form from readings so the Aliens wouldn't have been able to hunt him down. That way he gets to outlive their cycle and complete his mission.

No other Engineers come because the infection has spread to their homeworld.

Maybe there aren't many Engineers left anyway...all the ones we see are male and they seem to kill themselves to populate the Universe.

Revision History (1 edits)
Scar Tissue Films  -  June 26th, 2012, 4:42am
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 47 - 67
Scar Tissue Films
Posted: June 26th, 2012, 4:40am Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3382
Posts Per Day
0.63

Quoted from Eoin
I'm afraid to say that I didn't like this. I think most of the illogical plot points have been covered. The only reason I could work out for our planned demise, was a link between the xenomorph hyroglyph on the wall and it's lifecycle as shown in the film. Elizabeth gave birth to the squid thing, which in turn french kissed the Engineer, giving rise to the xenomorph.

This also raises other questions. Why create us, unless they need us to create xenomorphs (and why)? If we share their DNA and they have this devine primal soup, why are we needed at all? If they already know about xenomorphs, humans, or some other species similiar to us, must have given rise to xenomorphs already. So, are the Engineers on this planet out to erradicate humans to prevent this, or come to Earth and create xenomorphs?


The supposed backstory to the original aliens was that the Space Jockeys (Engineers) were at war with an ancient race and the aliens were genetic weapons that they would drop off on hostile planets and leave to destroy the planet. So we would be merely part of a process in growing biological weapons.

Alternatives are that there are another race of Gods who also created the Engineers and then replaced them with humans. One faction of the Engineers hates humans and is intent on wiping them out. Evidence for that comes from the fact the ship in the opening scene is a different kind to the engineer ships and the fact that the concept art for the opening scene has a different race of beings in it again...with one of them giving the drink to the Engineer.

There are lots of similarities with the story and ancient Sumerian legends regarding the Annunaki. Where pro human and anti-human factions appear and some start breeding with humans which creates the nephilim (a concept that also made it into the bible) resulting in the Great Flood to wipe the slate clean.

Revision History (1 edits)
Scar Tissue Films  -  June 26th, 2012, 5:19am
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 48 - 67
Eoin
Posted: June 26th, 2012, 5:21am Report to Moderator
Been Around


just another ego maniac with low self esteem

Location
Ireland
Posts
638
Posts Per Day
0.12
Hey Rick,

Yeah, I understand the whole backstory, but I was under the impression that this was a standalone film seperate from 'Alien' and in that regard could be watched without any prior knowledge of the Alien universe etc. I think this has to be one of the most talked about and debated action/sci-fi films this year and that seems to be the point in leaving so many questions unanswered, repeat visits to the cinema and a buzz about a sequel.

Eoin
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 49 - 67
Scar Tissue Films
Posted: June 26th, 2012, 5:43am Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3382
Posts Per Day
0.63
Well, taking just Prometheus it seems that we angered them by killing Jesus who was one of them. (The incident was 2,000 years ago when they decided to kill us...and the film is set on Christmas Day).

They seem to have a very specific Religion/Culture and we don't live up to it.

The Engineers role is seemingly to spawn other life...possibly under the direction of another alien species (the ones in the round ship at the start).

Maybe the Engineers are just jealous of humans....perhaps they are being replaced by them.  Maybe they just don't like them. Maybe we are the raw materials for production of a genetic weapon. We may be needed because we reproduce...all the Engineers appear to be male. Sex is a necessary precursor for the alien xenomorph and it clearly needs a highly evolved host.

Due to the time frame...it seems likely that it is our actions (the Jesus thing) that results in them wanting to kill us. We are seen as being too hostile to allow to survive.
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 50 - 67
leitskev
Posted: June 26th, 2012, 7:04am Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
Very interesting thoughts. Well, I guess those loose plot ends did succeed after all. I was kind of on the fence about this film, and though I still am in many ways, I'm pretty sure I will pay to see the sequel just to see some of these questions answered! That shows how powerful unanswered questions can be as a story generator.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 51 - 67
Dreamscale
Posted: July 7th, 2012, 2:41pm Report to Moderator
Guest User



Finally saw this Thursday.  I have alot to say, but it may be simpler to say that I agree with basically every single negative comment brought up here.  Lots of great reviews provided by peeps.  I appreciate them all.

So, first of all, as I was watching, I was honestly doing my best to not only enjoy it, but really love it, as I have been eagerly awaiting it and with all the positive word of mouth, really thought it was going to kick some serious ass.

Even though I wasn't thrilled with what I was seeing, I honestly believed that at any minute, my boy Ridley was going to pull some awesome shit out, and from there on, it was gong to be a real roller coaster ride.

It never happened and in fact, things derailed quite quickly, ending in an eye rolling, head scratching finale that literally left me speechless...for a short while.

As I drove home and then hung out in my pool, having a few drinks, I thought about what I watched and tried to come to a complete consensus on my final verdict.  The more I thought about it, the easier it got.  I didn't like it...at all.  I was let down. I was underwhelmed...and then, I was a little pissed off that such talent and money could only produce a so-so movie, based on a ridiculous script, filled with holes big enough to fly both the Nostromo and Prometheus through at the same time.

Let's look at a few of the major flaws:

Characters and their motivations - terrible...unbelievable...poorly written.  Did any one of these crew members seem remotely realistic?  They sure didn't to me.  The 2 "geologists" didn't do any geology work whatsoever.  Why were they there?  To get killed, of course.  Did Dr. Shaw come off as a doctor in any way, shape, or form?  Hell now...not to me, he didn't.  Did the Captain come off as a real space captain?  Fuck no, but he was my favorite character.  Vickers?  WTF was Charlize thinking and what were the writers trying to do with her?

Action - so over the top at times, it actually came across as comical. The finale is a perfect example of how not to end a movie.  Completely ridiculous with the giant Engineer and the giant squiddly baby thing fighting like 2 old rubber suited dudes in a 1950's sci-fi debacle.  The geologist turning into some sort of evil zombie like dude attacking the peeps on the ship?  C'mon now...was that ever going to work?  Reminded me of that shitfest Ghosts of Mars.  Unreal.  The "surgery" scene with Dr. Shaw?  Well, it was definitely intense, but did it work...really?  Nope...not at all, IMO.

Did it make sense?  Oh boy...c'mon...anyone can read anything they want into anything, or come up with reasons and solutions as to why things happened like they did or what this and that was supposed to mean.  But, the bottom line is that it didn't make a whole lot of sense.  As in nothing really made much sense.  Questions were posed and answers were withheld.  I'm not even going to go into detail here, because it's been talked to death already.

A few parting shots - Why in the fuck did someone feel it was a good idea to dress Guy Pearce up to play an old, old man?  It looked comical at times, and when you looked at his eyes - as in his actual eyeballs, it was so obvious this was a guy in his 30's or 40's made up to look like an old man.

Why (and how) did Vickers and Shaw run like they did as a massive space craft is crashing on top of them?  Just downright silly, really.

Why would the 2 idiot geologists act like they did as some kind of alien snake thing rears up in front of them?

Why was so little care taken when everyone first went into the pyramid thing. complete with removing their helmets, knowing nothing about where they were or what was around them, including in the air?  A bunch of grade school kids would know better.

Finally, why, why, why...in the fuck would Vickers and the Captain hook up like they did?  Were they going for some kind of comic relief with this? Unreal.

You know, if it wasn't a Ridley Scott Alien Prequel, I wouldn't be so upset...but it was.  This thing has been rumored for years.  Is this really the best they cold come up with?

Sad...very sad.

Revision History (1 edits)
Scar Tissue Films  -  July 9th, 2012, 8:11am
Logged
e-mail Reply: 52 - 67
CoopBazinga
Posted: July 9th, 2012, 6:17am Report to Moderator
Old Timer



Location
Perth, Australia
Posts
1175
Posts Per Day
0.26

Quoted from Dreamscale
hung out in my pool, having a few drinks, I thought about what I watched and tried to come to a complete consensus on my final verdict.


I just love the fact that you needed to hang out in your pool, drinking, to come to a final verdict on this movie review.

And although I’m jealous about the pool, that's my kind of movie critic.  
Logged
Private Message Reply: 53 - 67
Grandma Bear
Posted: August 4th, 2012, 3:06pm Report to Moderator
Administrator



Location
The Swamp...
Posts
7961
Posts Per Day
1.36

Quoted from mcornetto
While this ship didn't contain the Alien we've come to know an love, there were other ships where that species might have evolved.    

Well, that thing in the end sort of looked like the Alien we are familiar with.  

I just saw this today...because I want a mostly empty theater when I go.  

Anyway, for me, it was a good movie, but there were things that bothered me too. Not the story itself, but other things like the luxury onboard. People drinking alcohol constantly. I didn't believe those things for a second. Also didn't like the things we've seen before. It felt very old hat rather than homage to the previous films. Like the robot's severed head still talks while white liquid drips out of his mouth. Flame throwers . Won't let people onboard because of contamination and so on and so on...

I also thought that with the exception of Noomi Rapace (whom I have named several characters after in my own scripts    ) all the characters were completely forgettable. I didn't believe them as scientists either. Again, with the exception of Rapace. They all came across as a low rate rag tag team to me.  

I have seen Alien and Aliens maybe a hundred times each. This was a decent movie, but I doubt I'll watch it again.    


Logged
Private Message Reply: 54 - 67
leitskev
Posted: August 4th, 2012, 3:19pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
I'm not traveling on Pia's spaceship. No booze? Jeez. And I thought she was the life of the party!
Logged
Private Message Reply: 55 - 67
Grandma Bear
Posted: August 4th, 2012, 5:24pm Report to Moderator
Administrator



Location
The Swamp...
Posts
7961
Posts Per Day
1.36
Well, I was thinking more along the lines of the cost of getting 1lb off the earth and into space and things like art and alcohol just didn't seem believable. Even if that old fart spent a trillion dollars. I imagine one trilion dollars in 2093 would only be a few hundred million in todays money.  

Cheers, btw! What's your poison on this Saturday night? Hubby and I are sharing a few beers and playing balance games on the WII.  


Logged
Private Message Reply: 56 - 67
leitskev
Posted: August 4th, 2012, 5:48pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
I don't drink often these days. I will be the next few days though. Vacation on Cape Cod. A buddy of mine is there and his wife has to leave early.

As far as booze in space, I would hope by then escaping Earth gravity is something we know how to do. I thought you meant it was unprofessional for them to be drinking. I think R Scott has always treated his space men as though they are like distance truck drivers. They are away from home, get lonely, bored. They drink.

But I was just teasing. You're right about the characters. Absolutely forgettable, except maybe David and the female doctor. They seemed so unprofessional it was kind of a joke.

I didn't see it in 3D, maybe that was the problem. Maybe the plot holes, the bad acting, the weak characters all go away when you put on the glasses!
Logged
Private Message Reply: 57 - 67
Grandma Bear
Posted: August 4th, 2012, 6:36pm Report to Moderator
Administrator



Location
The Swamp...
Posts
7961
Posts Per Day
1.36
I did not see it in 3D either. I thought some of the scenery was amazing though.

Btw, I sat through the whole 6 or 8 film commercials before Prometheus....not one single film I'm looking forward to see.  


Logged
Private Message Reply: 58 - 67
leitskev
Posted: August 4th, 2012, 7:10pm Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3113
Posts Per Day
0.64
I thought the new Bourne movie looked very good. But that's the only one. I'm starting to realize it must be really, really hard to make a good film. God knows it's pretty damned hard to write a good script.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 59 - 67
nawazm11
Posted: November 12th, 2012, 7:45pm Report to Moderator
Been Around



Posts
945
Posts Per Day
0.21
I actually really liked this. I wasn't a huge fan of Alien but it was enjoyable. I hate to be the one to say it but I liked Prometheus more than Alien. A must watch if you're a fan of Sci-fi.

I'm not sure where I heard this but I think they cut out around 30 minutes of the film? That's probably why some scenes made no sense...
Logged
Private Message Reply: 60 - 67
SteveUK
Posted: November 13th, 2012, 4:42am Report to Moderator
New



Location
UK
Posts
201
Posts Per Day
0.04
They've actually put the original draft of this called 'ALIEN: Engineers' by Jon Spaihts online:

http://www.prometheus-movie.com/uploads/112142280-Alien-Engineers.pdf
Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 61 - 67
RayW
Posted: November 13th, 2012, 10:00am Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Freedom

Location
About a thousand years from now.
Posts
1821
Posts Per Day
0.36

Quoted from nawazm11
I'm not sure where I heard this but I think they cut out around 30 minutes of the film? That's probably why some scenes made no sense...

Somehow I don't think that extra 30 is going to explain:

  • Why or how they flew across the galaxy and landed at the first place they found without surveying the entire planet from orbit first?
  • How they magically landed right in the valley where the structure was located? Planets are rather large.
  • Why they didn't survey from the air the site they just plopped their merry biscuits at.
  • Why "just because the air was breathable" they all took their helmets off? Space cooties, scientists. Space cooties.
  • Why the geologist got lost inside the caverns but the others didn't? World's most incompetent geologist?
  • Why the biologist would extend his arm out to the space planarian? World's most incompetent biologist?
  • Why the Prometheus bay had no decontamination protocols.
  • Flamethower? Really? That's all they got to defend the ship's bay? Pfft. Morons.
  • Exactly what was even the purpose of Vickers in the story?
  • How does the biomass of a wiggly 8 lb. squid turn into a huge four ton behemoth?

Think that extra 30 'splained any of those?

I think PROMETHEUS replaces AVATAR as my new film I love to hate.

However, I do think it's very clever of the producers to promote BluRay sales with the inclusion of the bonus material not available in DVDs.

But it doesn't matter much. The "hard copy ownership" industry is dying, which is a shame to me because I've really enjoyed learning so much from the DVD extras I fear will not be made available through streaming internet routes.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.co.....ion-not-revenue.html



Quoted from SteveUK
They've actually put the original draft of this called 'ALIEN: Engineers' by Jon Spaihts online:

http://www.prometheus-movie.com/uploads/112142280-Alien-Engineers.pdf

Oh! Nice find, Steve.
Thank you!



UPDATE: Thanks, Brett!
Oh, I forgot - "Look! We found a 2,000 year old head in a helmet in this environment and it's neither dessicated nor mummified! Lettuce take it back to the lab in an open air environment and ruin it in less than two minutes!" Dumb@sses.)




Revision History (1 edits)
RayW  -  November 14th, 2012, 10:34am
Logged
Private Message Reply: 62 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: November 14th, 2012, 10:12am Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55
In response to Ray, I did see the deleted scenes.
And... the move made more sense with them in.
It was also much scarier too.
The zombie guy attack was an actual alien hybrid.
Oh man, was that thing nasty. Dunno why they changed it to the gore dude.

The geologist's behavior made much more sense.
There was an added scene where his affinity for the critter is explained.

A significant improvement, anyone else seen them?

Regards,
E.D.


LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 63 - 67
Hugh Hoyland
Posted: November 14th, 2012, 10:49am Report to Moderator
New



Location
Florida
Posts
328
Posts Per Day
0.07
E.D.

Yeah I saw them to and I'm not really sure why they were taken out to be honest. They added to the story, not took away IMO (thats always a good thing isnt it?)

Especially the alien hybrid, that thing was awsome. Dunno, maybe Scott thought it was to close to a xenomorph. He did say he wanted to move away from that sort of thing.

I still liked the movie though. As well as the original script "Alien: Engineers".


Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 64 - 67
Electric Dreamer
Posted: November 14th, 2012, 10:01pm Report to Moderator
Old Timer


Taking a long vacation from the holidays.

Location
Los Angeles
Posts
2740
Posts Per Day
0.55

Quoted from Hugh Hoyland
E.D.

Yeah I saw them to and I'm not really sure why they were taken out to be honest. They added to the story, not took away IMO (thats always a good thing isnt it?)

Especially the alien hybrid, that thing was awsome. Dunno, maybe Scott thought it was to close to a xenomorph. He did say he wanted to move away from that sort of thing.

I still liked the movie though. As well as the original script "Alien: Engineers".


And now you can compare the Alien:Engineers script to the Lidelof rewrite...
While supplies last.

http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/PARADISEfinal.pdf

Regards,
E.D.


LATEST NEWS

CineVita Films
is producing a short based on my new feature!

A list of my scripts can be found here.
Logged
Private Message Reply: 65 - 67
Hugh Hoyland
Posted: November 14th, 2012, 11:34pm Report to Moderator
New



Location
Florida
Posts
328
Posts Per Day
0.07
Sweet.

Thanks E.D.!  

HGW


Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 66 - 67
Scar Tissue Films
Posted: March 24th, 2020, 5:02am Report to Moderator
Of The Ancients


Posts
3382
Posts Per Day
0.63
Watched this again for the first time last night, and it's held up pretty well. It's interesting reading the thread again as the answers have all been given by people finding the original script.

The Engineers are trying to recreate a Paradise (Eden) that was created from the blood of their great leader (the big stone head) after being infected by a xenomorph. The blood of that guy was what the Engineer drank at the start to create life on Earth.

But they ran out of his blood and tried to synthesise the blood which is the black goo, but it doesn't work, it just creates hyper aggressive organisms.

The original script also confirms that they were going to kill us because we killed Jesus...they took him up and showed him their Paradise and he returned to show everyone the way, but we crucified him, so they were returning to eliminate us for being too barbaric.

Artistically, I can see why they left it mysterious. They still left the breadcrumbs, but left you to work it out on your own.

Logged Offline
Private Message Reply: 67 - 67
 Pages: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 : All
Recommend Print

Locked Board Board Index    Movie, Television and DVD Reviews  [ previous | next ] Switch to:
Was Portal Recent Posts Home Help Calendar Search Register Login

Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post polls
You may not post attachments
HTML is on
Blah Code is on
Smilies are on


Powered by E-Blah Platinum 9.71B © 2001-2006