[Film] Prometheus

benryves · Posted: 02 Jun 2012 09:14:31 am Post subject: [Film] Prometheus

I'm very fond of the Alien series of films (well, at least the first three) so when I heard that Ridley Scott was making a new film set in the Alien universe (though not directly related to the existing films) I was naturally very excited. The Alien-themed trailer (compare with the original) sealed the deal.

My opinion of the film is somewhat mixed. The hook is that it explains the mysterious "space jockey" from the famous money shot in Alien which it certainly does. Beyond that and the involvement of Weyland Industries (later to become the sinister Weyland-Yutani Corporation) it is a film in its own right with a distinct plot from the rest of the franchise - there are no xenomorphs here. I think it tries to pack too much into its relatively short runtime - it seems like a much longer film that has had some of its expositionary scenes cut out. The result is that the film feels rushed and unfocussed, and the action sequences lose their impact when run together in quick succession without some breathing space between them.

That said, I would say that I enjoyed the film overall. Michael Fassbender and Charlize Theron perform brilliantly (the less said about Guy Pearce's old man make-up the better), it is visually stunning (I saw it in 3D) and, taken individually, some of the sequences work very well. It was also nice to see how it tied into Alien; in addition to some new designs provided by H. R. Giger for this film some ideas that were unused in the original Alien turn up in Prometheus.

Due to its confused plot it is probably a film that requires multiple viewings to get the most out of it; a more steadily paced (and longer) film would have worked better, in my opinion, but for its flaws I still enjoyed it.

Art_of_camelot · Posted: 03 Jun 2012 11:07:57 am Post subject:

I haven't seen this yet (I believe it come out on June 8th stateside). When I first saw trailers for it I was super excited because:
A.)It looked like it was a new "Alien" movie.
B.)I'm a big fan of Ridley Scott's work.
I thought that maybe it was a movie in the spirit of the original Alien movies, but I am happier to know that it actually is part of the Alien universe (even if the story is unrelated). I'll be seeing it release week, and I can't wait. Very Happy

benryves · Posted: 04 Jun 2012 05:08:10 pm Post subject:

I'd lower your expectations; the trailer is better than the film, unfortunately. I can only hope that there's a good half hour or so of footage that was left on the cutting room floor that can be reintroduced into a "director's cut" or similar down the line. As it stands it's enjoyable enough (and certainly worth the price of admission to see those stunning visuals on the big screen) but ultimately unsatisfying.

Tari · Posted: 09 Jun 2012 02:02:21 pm Post subject:

I saw it yesterday, and will generally agree that it looked nice and had some cool moments, but was rather unsatisfying. I didn't find the plot confusing, but it probably would have been better with more time to 'set the stage' so to say, since it felt like it just jumped from major event to major event and missed opportunities to flesh out characters or simply build a universe.

Especially at the beginning, I got a significant Jurassic Park vibe, what with it starting at an archaeological dig then going into travel. I've forgotten details now, but I found the similarity amusing.
_________________

Ask questions the smart way · タリ

benryves · Posted: 09 Jun 2012 03:14:58 pm Post subject:

zeldaking · Power User Joined: 31 Jul 2011 Posts: 474 Location: Utah

I saw the trailer in 3D on my 3DS and it looked really good. I look forward to seeing it.

Tari · Posted: 10 Jun 2012 05:40:23 pm Post subject:

Here's a (rather long) snark- and spoiler-filled review of the film, which basically points out that the whole thing is full of holes and strange situations, but it looks nice.
_________________

Ask questions the smart way · タリ

benryves · Posted: 10 Jun 2012 08:04:24 pm Post subject:

Heh, there are some great lines in that review, and the fact that it ends on an endorsement for the superbly awful Starcrash makes me love it even more.

JadenSmith · Newbie Joined: 14 Jun 2012 Posts: 5

After reading these reviews i think i should watch it out!! Smile

elfprince13 · Posted: 17 Jun 2012 12:16:13 pm Post subject:

I definitely enjoyed the movie, even if it wasn't the most brilliant thing Scott has ever produced. The 3d visuals were definitely stunning, and most of the characters were well portrayed, even if the plot itself had some problems/confusing bits.
_________________
StickFigure Graphic Productions || VSHI: Vermont Sustainable Heating Initiative