Alien Prequel - Prometheus - Page 51

Originally Posted by mr. wally 

box office down 60% from last weekend..

Originally Posted by deimos47ca 

And the characters. Absolutely none were memorable. Each and every single Aliens, Aliens 3, Aliens R, movie had more memorable unique characters.
Prometheus had Vicks.. but she didn't do anything. Movie would be the same without her.
Ok... so you basically have David. Congrats, the robot has more emotions and likability than your whole human cast combined.
Hands up if you predicted that David would turn on them... or the creepy Ms Vicks... Its like a bad knock-off copy.
Its all too much.
I'm out of here....

Originally Posted by mr. wally 

well the word of mouth on this movie is not good. box office down 60% from last weekend.
as they say in the biz, this flick has no legs.
my guess is too gory (tracking poorly with women) too much unbelievable conduct by the characters ( no explanation necessary) and too many plot questions raised without
answers. i guess they were planning on explaining the plot issues in the sequels, but that may not be in the cards given the poor box.
the only thing everyone can agree on is that the sound and 3d fx are the best ever.

Originally Posted by RobLee 

Including a seemingly sinister "synthetic" that you're not sure who's side he (or she) is on or what they're up to is the ONE element that has appeared from the beginning in nearly all of the Alien movies.

Originally Posted by RobLee 

Yeah - everyone who wanted to see it saw it last week.

Originally Posted by adrift 

Saw this Saturday at an IMAX in Columbus. Man, what a phenomenal film! I was nervous going in, but Ridley didn't let me down. Unlike others here, I absolutely loved the religious subtext of the film... one of my favorite things about the movie. Very smart.. But more than anything about the story, I loved how Scott opened the Alien universe. The Alien franchise looks claustrophobic in comparison now. The idea of exploring the space jockey in the first film just felt so right. I mean, 3 sequels to Alien (not counting the Predator crossovers) and no one thought to go back and ask about the wielders of the Alien weapon? The people who created the perfect killing machine?
Is the film perfect? No, not really. Little things nagged at me here and there, but sci-fi and fantasy often forces viewers to suspend disbelief, and so that wasn't a major issue for me. And I liked that this film left so many things open ended. I liked that it didn't feel it had to spoon feed the audience the entire time. I've watched some interesting tear downs of the film (I thought Half In the Bag's review was pretty decent), and though they make some good points here and there, I think a lot of it is nitpicking. That said, some of us have been looking forward to this for years, so nitpicking is inevitable, but unlike the Star Wars prequels, and Crystal Skull, for me, this delivered.
Someone at work asked me where I'd place it along the rest of the Alien franchise, and it wasn't something that was easy for me to answer because its so radically different that its not really fair to compare. I'd say that mostly because Alien was genre defining, I'd have to place it at the top, and for me Prometheus probably comes in a close second. I think in its own way Prometheus too is pretty genre defining, and hope to see more sci-fi tackle philosophical and theological issues from here on out, even if those issues are tailored for a popular movie audience. I mean, obviously this film is no Stalker or Contact (well its sort of like Contact), but we need more sci-fi like this and less like 2012, Transformers, and Battleship. So far, in my opinion, this is the best film I've seen this year... maybe the best I've seen in years.

Originally Posted by R Harkness 

Yeah, the box office drop for Prometheus is mentioned all around the web.
Even as someone who thought the movie had a number of major problems, it would bum me out if this turns out being seen as unsuccessful by the studies. Prometheus was apparently being closely watched by both fans and studios to see how a big budget R-rated and an adult-oriented movie (not one aimed at and pandering to a wider young audience) would do in the marketplace. If it did really well it had the potential to loosen
purse strings for more R-rated or at least adult-oriented content, if not just a sequel. The last thing we needed to see was some kids cartoon flick stomp on it at the box office and for Prometheus to die out quickly, so studio guys can say "See...see...SEE what happens when you take chances like this? See how movies like CIG cartoons cover our butts by appealing to the widest possible audience!" (I hear the sound of studio purse strings tightening back up)
Great....

Originally Posted by deimos47ca 

There is no build up of tension or atmosphere. Aliens movies are not supposed have folks killed by the environment (sand storm), .

Originally Posted by MovieSwede 

Again this movie is not part of the Alien saga, its basicly a spinn off that takes place in the same universe. Its not constructed as a scifi horror movie.

Originally Posted by MovieSwede 

Again this movie is not part of the Alien saga, its basicly a spinn off that takes place in the same universe. Its not constructed as a scifi horror movie.

Originally Posted by R Harkness 

But the film was certainly promoted as terror-in-outer-space a la Alien, so it invites comparisons with Alien.

Originally Posted by R Harkness 


Actually, the promotional video for Prometheus had Ridley Scott declaring: ""of course what I want to do is scare the living **** out of you "
He also drew comparisons to Alien by claiming he had scenes comparable to the chest-bursting Alien scene. (Now we know what it was).
Further, the trailers absolutely sold a strong horror element - portraying it as terrifying, and even borrowing the original Alien trailer's style and signature
sound. And of course the movie, like Alien, has nasty Alien critters trying to invade human bodies etc, like the original Alien, as it's horror elements.


It's therefore entirely reasonable to talk about how Prometheus did not deliver on the promise of it's horror/terror, and compare it to Alien while doing so.
Yes the film-makers disavowed to a certain extent that it was a pure prequal to Alien, in terms of exact story. But the film was certainly promoted as
terror-in-outer-space a la Alien, so it invites comparisons with Alien. All the people criticising anyone who dares bring Alien into any review of the movie "Don't compare this to Alien! It's not supposed to be Alien" are being ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Mr. Hanky 

I would describe him as hopelessly amoral. He's not bad, he's not good...he's just on the ethical level of a kid pursuing logical curiosities (albeit, with the sky-high deductive logic IQ of a thinking machine) with anything else in the room (including humans as unknowing experimental hosts as the needs arise).

Originally Posted by R Harkness 

But the film was certainly promoted as
terror-in-outer-space a la Alien, so it invites comparisons with Alien. All the people criticising anyone who dares bring Alien into any review of the movie "Don't compare this to Alien! It's not supposed to be Alien" are being ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Morpheo 

So people were simply expecting "Alien circa 2012"? That's equally ridiculous imo. It's the same universe it didn't bother me to see the similarities in the trailers, yet I always saw it as something fresh and new.

Originally Posted by Morpheo 

So people were simply expecting "Alien circa 2012"? That's equally ridiculous imo. It's the same universe it didn't bother me to see the similarities in the trailers, yet I always saw it as something fresh and new.

Originally Posted by adrift 

I tried to bury my head in the sand a bit when it came to promos for the film, but from the few previews and interviews I did read and watch before its release, it seemed pretty clear to me that this film was intended to be in the Alien universe, but not an Alien movie. So I find it a bit odd that people are still talking about it like it was promoted as a pure Alien prequel.
As far as it being promoted as a film with strong horror elements, yeah, I guess it sort of was, but I think the promotion was probably more in keeping with Scott coming back to the franchise, and trying to mirror the original trailer. I took my father to see the film, and he doesn't appreciate horror at all, so I was sort of nervous that it would be too extreme for him, and I have a feeling that some of the more violent scenes probably made him cringe a bit, but overall he found the film entertaining. If this film was released in the late 70s or early 80s, I think it would have been labeled sci-fi/horror in the same vein as maybe Alien or The Thing, but I think movie audiences today are probably a bit more sophisticated or perhaps desensitized to strong violent images, and so, it takes a bit more than what Prometheus offered for it to be considered "horror" for modern audiences. Maybe I'm wrong about that though. I don't know...

Originally Posted by bcruiser 

I was just disagreeing with you and it's not a baseless argument about more complex plot in R rated movies than PG or PG-13 because there are many examples of such differences.
There are completely brainless crap movies with PG, PG-13 and R rating but lets not let the bottom feeders to represent the entire category of movies which is why I asked about the top tier.

Originally Posted by JMCecil 

My real point is that just because it is R, doesn't mean it was deeper.

Just because someone in the movie said "our origin", doesn't mean they explored the origin issue intelligently. There were no plot twists at all. There was literally nothing to think about or fret about. Everything was a foreshadow ..
EDIT: oops forgot this was the no spoiler thread. Warning: Spoiler! (Click to show) For me, it was a hamfisted, poorly edited, poorly scripted, poorly acted, follow the bouncing ball, sing along of a movie. All they forgot was the applause sign at the end.

Originally Posted by R Harkness 

every time someone refers to Alien when talking critically of Prometheus they are shouted down with "THIS IS NOT ALIEN!" Which just misses the point of the comparisons and I'm getting pretty tired of it, frankly. (Not just here, but in other places, e.g. the Prometheus forums).

Originally Posted by mr. wally 

well the word of mouth on this movie is not good. box office down 60% from last weekend.
as they say in the biz, this flick has no legs.
my guess is too gory (tracking poorly with women) too much unbelievable conduct by the characters ( no explanation necessary) and too many plot questions raised without
answers. i guess they were planning on explaining the plot issues in the sequels, but that may not be in the cards given the poor box.
the only thing everyone can agree on is that the sound and 3d fx are the best ever.

Originally Posted by RobertR 

I agree, the defenses of Prometheus are unconvincing, to say the least. What does the lack of dramatic tension and a feeling of horror (which the director is quoted as saying he was striving to achieve) have to do with it being or not being a "direct" prequel to Alien (even though it obviously takes place in the same universe, and clearly has ties to the first film)?? The film fails on its own terms.

Originally Posted by R Harkness 

Actually, the promotional video for Prometheus had Ridley Scott declaring: ""of course what I want to do is scare the living **** out of you "
He also drew comparisons to Alien by claiming he had scenes comparable to the chest-bursting Alien scene. (Now we know what it was).
Further, the trailers absolutely sold a strong horror element - portraying it as terrifying, and even borrowing the original Alien trailer's style and signature
sound. And of course the movie, like Alien, has nasty Alien critters trying to invade human bodies etc, like the original Alien, as it's horror elements.
It's therefore entirely reasonable to talk about how Prometheus did not deliver on the promise of it's horror/terror, and compare it to Alien while doing so.
Yes the film-makers disavowed to a certain extent that it was a pure prequal to Alien, in terms of exact story. But the film was certainly promoted as
terror-in-outer-space a la Alien, so it invites comparisons with Alien. All the people criticising anyone who dares bring Alien into any review of the movie "Don't compare this to Alien! It's not supposed to be Alien" are being ridiculous.

Originally Posted by MovieSwede 

So every SciFi movie that doesnt include tension and horror is a bad SciFi movie?

Originally Posted by Mr.G 

One would have to assume David belongs to the early model Hyperdine System's A1 Class.
BISHOP
[Bishop is puzzled by Ripley's reaction towards him] Is there a problem?
BURKE
I'm sorry. I don't know why I didn't even- Ripley's last trip out, the syn- the artificial person malfunctioned.
RIPLEY
"Malfunctioned"?
BURKE
There were problems and a-a few deaths were involved.
BISHOP
I'm shocked. Was it an older model?
BURKE
Yeah, the Hyperdine System's 120-A2.
BISHOP
Well, that explains it then. The A2s always were a bit twitchy. That could never happen now with our behavioral inhibitors. It is impossible for me to harm or by omission of action, allow to be harmed, a human being.

Originally Posted by JMCecil 

In other words, it didn't take any imagination or intelligence to follow along.

For me, it was a hamfisted, poorly edited, poorly scripted, poorly acted, follow the bouncing ball, sing along of a movie. All they forgot was the applause sign at the end.

Originally Posted by RobertR 

You left out the the fact that Ridley Scott is quoted as saying that's what he was striving for. So it fails on the diector's own terms. And if you're contending that it wasn't striving for that regardless of what the director says, why did it even TRY with scenes such as the alien "worm" that attacks a helmet almost EXACTLY the way John Hurt is attacked in the first film?

Originally Posted by R Harkness 

Actually, the promotional video for Prometheus had Ridley Scott declaring: ""of course what I want to do is scare the living **** out of you "
He also drew comparisons to Alien by claiming he had scenes comparable to the chest-bursting Alien scene. (Now we know what it was).
Further, the trailers absolutely sold a strong horror element - portraying it as terrifying, and even borrowing the original Alien trailer's style and signature
sound. And of course the movie, like Alien, has nasty Alien critters trying to invade human bodies etc, like the original Alien, as it's horror elements.
It's therefore entirely reasonable to talk about how Prometheus did not deliver on the promise of it's horror/terror, and compare it to Alien while doing so.
Yes the film-makers disavowed to a certain extent that it was a pure prequal to Alien, in terms of exact story. But the film was certainly promoted as
terror-in-outer-space a la Alien, so it invites comparisons with Alien. All the people criticising anyone who dares bring Alien into any review of the movie "Don't compare this to Alien! It's not supposed to be Alien" are being ridiculous.