My issues:
-The movie takes a while to get rolling. In ALIEN, the movie pretty much started with the crew waking up. In this film, that happens about 15 minutes in, violating the 'arrive late, leave early' rule.
-What was the point of leaving star maps in ancient cave paintings if they lead to a defense installation where the one remaining ambassador is just going to roid out and body slam his guests?
-What was the point of Fassbender poisoning the one scientist dude? That subplot wasn't really explored at all.
-Also not sure of the purpose of having the alien baby. Rapace runs from everyone and nobody follows her. She cuts it out and is sore a bit afterward. What were the consequences of that entire sequence? Seemed pretty extraneous to me.
-Why would anyone run along the path of a giant rolling object instead of simply stepping aside? That was the dumbest thing I've seen in a movie in ages. You can't outrun a train; just step off the tracks!
-The scene where the random expendable guy voluntarily pets an alien snake...why? No tension or suspense. Just a dummy waiting to get killed. I didn't care.
-There are a few interesting ideas about life and creation and purpose being tossed around, but they are never explored in any way. Characters just ask questions and then die. Like snuffing a match before it reaches the candle.
-Despite the movie's lofty ambitions, it feels very small. Not only geographically, but in a sense that not a whole lot happened...and what did happen usually had no significant consequence, which made it feel - ironically - pointless.
It looked cool, the cast was good, and the music was effective. Otherwise, it didn't accomplish much. I know the movie wanted me to think, but not about how it could have been better.
Ah, I can't read..thanks
Just got back from seeing it, Ryan, and I think you're right on in your review.
Thanks, Scott. I admired the movie's ideas, but its failure on a fundamental level is very saddening. The cast is awesome and it looks very good. It could have been pretty awesome if someone - anyone - paid attention to the script.
-What was the point of Fassbender poisoning the one scientist dude? That subplot wasn't really explored at all.
His action really fucks all up.
-Also not sure of the purpose of having the alien baby. Rapace runs from everyone and nobody follows her. She cuts it out and is sore a bit afterward. What were the consequences of that entire sequence? Seemed pretty extraneous to me.
I agree. The birth sequence for me was intense, but it's just silly that this important event was not known to the others. Instead she runs and runs and stumbles to Peter Weyland. And she didn't tell them what just happened to her.
-Why would anyone run along the path of a giant rolling object instead of simply stepping aside? That was the dumbest thing I've seen in a movie in ages. You can't outrun a train; just step off the tracks!
Ah, so true. Run to the other side, if not run to back to the opposite way. But I kinda forgive this because maybe they were panicking real hard.
-The scene where the random expendable guy voluntarily pets an alien snake...why? No tension or suspense. Just a dummy waiting to get killed. I didn't care.
This is just the writer's idea to get that character dies. I mean, petting a creature that looks like a snake in another planet?
I pretty much agree with all your points. Plus how the writers want to tell us that Vicker is Weyland's daughter by her saying, "Father."
My thoughts exactly... but i did enjoy it never the less
Just watched this, and I think the review here is spot-on. There's lots of individual cool bits looking for a story (and/or well-developed characters) to be used with.
Best thing about this movie is that it encouraged me to watch "Lawrence of Arabia" again.
Thanks. :)
I think the best thing to say about Prometheus is that is had a lot of potential. If only it wasn't so fundamentally flawed, some of that potential could have been fully realized and we would have something great on our hands instead of some kind of strange, amorphous chunk of nothing.
@Ryan, that's it in a nutshell.
It's a very unsatisfactory piece of work. The idea of the 'engineer' and the human race being seeded by a higher being is raised in the opening scene and at this point the film has my full attention, then hardly any reference till the end of the end. That was poor.
Whatsmore, it's quite insulting to the average intelligence. Why spend as it is mentioned trillions only to send a rag bag team of scientists who are at each others throats from the get go? Psychological profiling would demand this motley bunch be weeded out in favour of scientists who got on.
For me Ridley sacrificed credibility deliberatey by turning the film into a lowest common denominator commercial enterprise. It's one of the dumbest film I have ever seen.a and I find it difficult to believe for a second a man of his intelligence was not aware of what kind of a film he was making.
The scene when Elba decides to sacrifice himself and the ship to stop the other ship ? And the other 2 stay with him ....
it really wasn't convincing enough.