Prometheus Review Thread (Spoilers)

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

Hey, did you know Darth Vader is Luke's father?

DUDE!!!

[Show spoiler]I didn't know Darth Vader was in this film, thanks for spoiling it

[raygendreau]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

Actually, serious question. What is the generally accepted statute of limitations on Spoiler tags?

From the sticky: When to use spoiler tags

You should use spoiler tags in a post when part or all of it reveals an important plot point, twist or ending of a film.

Note this applies to new and old films alike. Just because a film is a classic, or because you have seen it many times, don't assume that everybody else has already seen it.

Exception
If you are creating a thread dedicated to a key plot point, twist or ending of a film, you can just include a spoiler warning in the title of such thread...for example, a thread title such as "I didn't get the ending of No Country for Old Men (Spoilers)". In that case, you don't need to use spoiler tags inside the thread. Nobody should open that thread unless he or she has seen the movie.

[InCali]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

Actually, serious question. What is the generally accepted statute of limitations on Spoiler tags?

Hey, did you know Darth Vader is Luke's father?

On some of the other threads I'm on it's usually been 3 or 4 weeks. Usually there's a discussion (Do we REALLY have to keep doing this?) and a general consensus that it's not necessary anymore.

Did you know Luke's sister kissed him right on the lips in the "Empire Strikes Back"?

[InCali]

Originally Posted by raygendreau

From the sticky: When to use spoiler tags

You should use spoiler tags in a post when part or all of it reveals an important plot point, twist or ending of a film.

Note this applies to new and old films alike. Just because a film is a classic, or because you have seen it many times, don't assume that everybody else has already seen it.

Exception
If you are creating a thread dedicated to a key plot point, twist or ending of a film, you can just include a spoiler warning in the title of such thread...for example, a thread title such as "I didn't get the ending of No Country for Old Men (Spoilers)". In that case, you don't need to use spoiler tags inside the thread. Nobody should open that thread unless he or she has seen the movie.

With regard to "The Empire Strikes Back"

[Show spoiler] Sorry for breaking the rule about Luke and his sister.....

[Duffy12]

.

I finally saw this yesterday and I am on the disappointed side regarding it unfortunately.

I went in fully aware that this had very little to do with the ALIEN franchise, in fact while watching it, I was fully immersed in it being a complete almost separate entity from the franchise until the every end. So no problem there.

I haven't been reading this thread for the last 5 days, however I pretty much generally agree with the negative earlier reviews of the film.

As I was watching it I became somewhat bored and was concerned about it's replay value later on. Such as televised and on Blu-ray disc. It just seemed very uninteresting through the first 2/3rds of it.




***SPOILERS***




A few things that stood out that bothered me a bit-


- That tough guy biker looking dude with the mohawk and tats on his face. He got frightened, turned and ran away like some kid, and got lost. It seems that part was written for another character and they changed it to him in the last second for some unknown reason. Very unbelievable that they would separate themselves from the main group and then later regretting it(very cliche). Glad when he and that other researcher met their DOOM!

- The captain explaining the whole idea to what the alien base was about to Shaw. It should have been the other way around. At first I just seemed tacked on to help the audience understand the plot better. But in the end it just appears again, that they had the wrong character reading someone else's script, like in the point I made above.

- The battle in the vehicle bay also seemed tacked on in the last minute due to a desperate attempt to bring some action/excitement to the movie. Plus the editing of it was pretty bad. Quick cuts from every angle possible making it almost as hard to follow as the Transformer battles from Bay's films. They should have built up the suspense for it, taking it a bit slower such as having the guy maybe hiding around a bit and forcing them to either hunt him down or chase him around. It just seemed like if you blinked, you missed it.

- And why did Vickers have a male only med-bed in her quarters for? And WHY would they make a male only one for that matter?

- Also, that has already been pointed out before regarding the supporting characters, it seems that their absence during parts of the movie just made me think that they were off set in their trailer rehearsing their one or two lines that they had left.




I believe that those were all of my major gripes from the film.

Now I do have an open mind and will happily listen to any comments explaining some of these problems that I mentioned and others that I and other posters had with it.

I will probably buy the BD on sale when it becomes available as I am a major sci-fi nut and will ABSOLUTELY purchase a non-sale extended version of it if that comes out.


I will hold off on the poll for a while to let it sink in a bit, and to hear some of your guys thoughts on it. But this movie seems that it will be VERY polarizing. Much like AVATAR was, in which I rank much higher then this one do to it's higher entertainment valve, though that one had some major flaws of it's own that should have been taken care of before and during filming.


Also, like I mentioned above, I had no problem with it being far removed from the other ALIEN films. In fact that was a plus. I had no problem with the final scene as I found it kinda creepy. And the final battle between the Engineer and Squidward tuned out much better than I thought it would. Plus I was very pleasantly surprised that the final confrontation between Shaw and the Engineer did not drag on like they do in so many other movies nowadays.


Finally, regarding a possible sequel, I am having a really hard time seeing how they could film one and have it turn out to be somewhat filmable/believable, and entertaining, all the while having it stick to the continuity of the very few threads that it has with the A L I E N and ALIENS universe. It would have to take such a far-out/ludicrous path that I feel only a novel could tackle it. Such as one written by Larry Niven or Dan Simmons.

But...I have been wrong before.

.

[integrafied1]

Well as far as your fourth point above...

[Show spoiler]the medical pod wasn't meant for her nor was it her quarters. They were for Weyland

[Aragorn the Elfstone]

It's curious looking at most negative reviews/comments about this movie (not all, mind you) seem focused on the amount of open-ended questions and lack of explanations as the chief criticism. I definitely understand if someone had issues with character development/acting/etc., as I think the film has a couple issues in this area myself. But, for me, the whole world set up by Ridley and Co. is just so damn fascinating - in part because of how little is definitively answered. The most appealing sci-fi for me has always been the stuff that gives you a little bit of the puzzle, but then leaves it up to you to piece it all together.

While I was initially a bit let down that I wasn't pulled in by most of the characters in 'Prometheus' (an enormous exception would be David, and to a lesser extent Elizabeth) , a second viewing and time spent thinking about it have made me realize how fascinating this world is that the filmmakers created. I keep thinking about all the different designs, creatures, and ideas set forth in the film. So much so, that I'm actually chomping at the bit to get the book "Prometheus: Art of the Film" in the mail (it should be arriving any time now). Still, I really do hope that Ridley goes ahead and does an extended cut, because the film could use more fleshed out characterizations, as well as better connective tissue between some scenes. Because for me, the world presented in the film already makes this a great movie, so such additions would simply make it a greater one.

I just want him to leave the unanswered questions unanswered regardless of how much complaining he got from the detractors. At least until the sequel.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by integrafied1

Well as far as your fourth point above...

[Show spoiler]the medical pod wasn't meant for her nor was it her quarters. They were for Weyland

Yea but...and I may need to have some help here...

[Show spoiler]that whole section of the ship was devoted to her. And if I remember correctly, she did not know that he was aboard.

Regardless, in that day in age, it just seems VERY ridiculous that it would be male only. Especially since probably some software upgrade would fix that.

Also, being male only would raise suspicion about a hidden secret agenda to the rest of the crew, not to mention Vickers.

.

[SirMontyPython]

Originally Posted by Aragorn84

It's curious looking at most negative reviews/comments about this movie (not all, mind you) seem focused on the amount of open-ended questions and lack of explanations as the chief criticism. I definitely understand if someone had issues with character development/acting/etc., as I think the film has a couple issues in this area myself. But, for me, the whole world set up by Ridley and Co. is just so damn fascinating - in part because of how little is definitively answered. The most appealing sci-fi for me has always been the stuff that gives you a little bit of the puzzle, but then leaves it up to you to piece it all together.

While I was initially a bit let down that I wasn't pulled in by most of the characters in 'Prometheus' (an enormous exception would be David, and to a lesser extent Elizabeth) , a second viewing and time spent thinking about it have made me realize how fascinating this world is that the filmmakers created. I keep thinking about all the different designs, creatures, and ideas set forth in the film. So much so, that I'm actually chomping at the bit to get the book "Prometheus: Art of the Film" in the mail (it should be arriving any time now). Still, I really do hope that Ridley goes ahead and does an extended cut, because the film could use more fleshed out characterizations, as well as better connective tissue between some scenes. Because for me, the world presented in the film already makes this a great movie, so such additions would simply make it a greater one.

I just want him to leave the unanswered questions unanswered regardless of how much complaining he got from the detractors. At least until the sequel.

I'm glad you made that point cuz that's how I see it!!

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by integrafied1

Well as far as your fourth point above...

[Show spoiler]the medical pod wasn't meant for her nor was it her quarters. They were for Weyland

I never thought of it being for

[Show spoiler]Peter

, nice call. But it's definitely in her quarters, it was introduced for the first time when they are invited into Vicker's quarters

I was giving this thing a read before, can't believe the fact that

[Show spoiler]the penis snake resembled the serpent of the forbidden tree from Geniuses

went completely over my head It's a good read and adds a little more to the film.

http://cavalorn.livejournal.com/584135.html

Also, Duffy, the final battle between

[Show spoiler]Shaw and the Engineer

was heavily edited by Scott to avoid decreasing the threat of the engineers

[Foggy]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Yea but...and I may need to have some help here...

[Show spoiler]that whole section of the ship was devoted to her. And if I remember correctly, she did not know that he was aboard.

Regardless, in that day in age, it just seems VERY ridiculous that it would be male only. Especially since probably some software upgrade would fix that.

Also, being male only would raise suspicion about a hidden secret agenda to the rest of the crew, not to mention Vickers.

.

She did know he was on board,

[Show spoiler]the scene where David talks to him, and she confronts him and asks what did he say, plus in the scene where she confronts Peter, he says "So you decided to come along anyway, I thought you'd refuse to come considering my involvement"

or something to that degree.

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

...As I was watching it I became somewhat bored and was concerned about it's replay value later on. Such as televised and on Blu-ray disc. It just seemed very uninteresting through the first 2/3rds of it...

And you were gripped by the first 2/3rds of 2001???

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Aragorn84

It's curious looking at most negative reviews/comments about this movie (not all, mind you) seem focused on the amount of open-ended questions and lack of explanations as the chief criticism. I definitely understand if someone had issues with character development/acting/etc., as I think the film has a couple issues in this area myself. But, for me, the whole world set up by Ridley and Co. is just so damn fascinating - in part because of how little is definitively answered. The most appealing sci-fi for me has always been the stuff that gives you a little bit of the puzzle, but then leaves it up to you to piece it all together.

While I was initially a bit let down that I wasn't pulled in by most of the characters in 'Prometheus' (an enormous exception would be David, and to a lesser extent Elizabeth) , a second viewing and time spent thinking about it have made me realize how fascinating this world is that the filmmakers created. I keep thinking about all the different designs, creatures, and ideas set forth in the film. So much so, that I'm actually chomping at the bit to get the book "Prometheus: Art of the Film" in the mail (it should be arriving any time now). Still, I really do hope that Ridley goes ahead and does an extended cut, because the film could use more fleshed out characterizations, as well as better connective tissue between some scenes. Because for me, the world presented in the film already makes this a great movie, so such additions would simply make it a greater one.

I just want him to leave the unanswered questions unanswered regardless of how much complaining he got from the detractors. At least until the sequel.

I did not have any problems with unanswered questions per say.

But I am really hoping that subsequent viewings will help me enjoy the film more.

We will see.

.

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by integrafied1

Well as far as your fourth point above...

[Show spoiler]the medical pod wasn't meant for her nor was it her quarters. They were for Weyland

Someone else brought this up, and on reflection ya, it seemed pretty stupid. If

[Show spoiler]Weyland was on board, why not just greet everyone personally instead of having the hologram saying he's dead and so on. Makes absolutely no sense

. Still thoroughly enjoyed the movie though.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

And you were gripped in the first 2/3rds of 2001???

Apples and oranges.

But it did take me several viewings to put it in my top 10.

.

[Duffy12]

Originally Posted by Foggy

She did know he was on board,

[Show spoiler]the scene where David talks to him, and she confronts him and asks what did he say, plus in the scene where she confronts Peter, he says "So you decided to come along anyway, I thought you'd refuse to come considering my involvement"

or something to that degree.

Ok, I am most likely somewhat confused on this part.

[Show spoiler]

she confronts Peter, he says "So you decided to come along anyway, I thought you'd refuse to come considering my involvement"

I thought that she was referring to him coming along on Prometheus outbound, and that she thought that David communicated to him through subspace radio back to earth.

.

[Pondosinatra]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Apples and oranges.

But it did take me several viewings to put it in my top 10.

.

And for that matter.....it's not like Blade Runner was wall to wall action.

[Aragorn the Elfstone]

Originally Posted by Pondosinatra

And you were gripped by the first 2/3rds of 2001???

LOL, exactly. I still remember the first time I watched 2001 in my sci-fi class in high school (yes, seriously - we had a sci-fi class ). I had never been so bored in my life - I definitely had the head rocking thing going on - I may have actually even fallen asleep periodically throughout the movie.

Time and repeated viewings have brought me around to it in a big way, but it's definitely not an exciting film (in the traditional sense, anyway) or filled with particularly memorable characters (excluding HAL, of course).

[integrafied1]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Yea but...and I may need to have some help here...

[Show spoiler]that whole section of the ship was devoted to her. And if I remember correctly, she did not know that he was aboard.

Regardless, in that day in age, it just seems VERY ridiculous that it would be male only. Especially since probably some software upgrade would fix that.

Also, being male only would raise suspicion about a hidden secret agenda to the rest of the crew, not to mention Vickers.

.

Originally Posted by Foggy

I never thought of it being for

[Show spoiler]Peter

, nice call. But it's definitely in her quarters, it was introduced for the first time when they are invited into Vicker's quarters

I was giving this thing a read before, can't believe the fact that

[Show spoiler]the penis snake resembled the serpent of the forbidden tree from Geniuses

went completely over my head It's a good read and adds a little more to the film.

http://cavalorn.livejournal.com/584135.html

Also, Duffy, the final battle between

[Show spoiler]Shaw and the Engineer

was heavily edited by Scott to avoid decreasing the threat of the engineers

Originally Posted by Foggy

She did know he was on board,

[Show spoiler]the scene where David talks to him, and she confronts him and asks what did he say, plus in the scene where she confronts Peter, he says "So you decided to come along anyway, I thought you'd refuse to come considering my involvement"

or something to that degree.

We (the viewer) and Shaw are introduced to 'her' quarters early on but I believe that she was simply occupying weylands' quarters as well. Foggy, that last statement I quoted from you backs this.

[Show spoiler]"So you decided to come along anyway, I thought you'd refuse to come considering my involvement" Vickers wasn't originally intended to be on the trip, she was supposed to stay home and manage the company while Weyland was away which leads me to believe that the fancy suite was originally intended for him hence the male med pod being there.

[BouCoupDinkyDau]

Originally Posted by Duffy12

Yea but...and I may need to have some help here...

[Show spoiler]that whole section of the ship was devoted to her. And if I remember correctly, she did not know that he was aboard.

Regardless, in that day in age, it just seems VERY ridiculous that it would be male only. Especially since probably some software upgrade would fix that.

Also, being male only would raise suspicion about a hidden secret agenda to the rest of the crew, not to mention Vickers.

[Show spoiler]It was calabrated for male anatomy, not incapable of dealing with female anatomy. It was present for Weyland and Wayland only, and was probably calibrated specifically to him. And Vickers was aware that he was on board. David was talking to Weyland in the hypersleep coffin when Vickers asked David to tell her what he said.