Prometheus

[fortunesfool]

The alien/creature is basically some black goo. The properties and abilities of which aren't made terribly clear.

In an interview, Lindelof said that he wanted audiences to leave asking questions like 'What does the black goo do?''



You're the f'ing writer. You tell me what it does. Twat.

[Bickle]

*spoiler*


All random ambiguous tie-ins to make way for a sequel and no real substance make Prometheus a dull film.

[fortunesfool]

Originally Posted by Bickle

All random ambiguous tie-ins to make way for a sequel and no real substance make Prometheus a dull film.

*spoilers*



*seriously*



A sequel in which a crazy Christian and her decapitated robot visit the planet of the Albino bodybuilders? Can't wait.

[Bickle]

Originally Posted by fortunesfool

*spoilers*



*seriously*



A sequel in which a crazy Christian and her decapitated robot visit the planet of the Albino bodybuilders? Can't wait.

*spoilers*


My bad for forgetting to spoiler... and no, I can't comprehend that sequel either, but that is what Scott set up. I actually want to see this, just in case he manages to make that a viable premise for a film.

[fortunesfool]

My proper review (spoiler free) I think


This may take some time, so if you don’t want to read my rambling thoughts then i’ll just rip the bandage off now:

It’s probably Ridley Scott’s worst film.

It’s not all his fault though. Much of the films problems stem from the terrible screenplay by Damon Lindelof and John Spaihts which, at best, is high school philosophy report, and at worst, Transformers level stupid.

After a vague opening in which a buff albino man kickstarts human evolution by drinking some black goo, falling apart and mingling with the oceans (apparently) we are introduced to our lead characters. Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace, good if a little bland) and her boyfriend Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green). She’s a ‘creationist’ with a leaning towards Christianity and he’s a Darwinist and a skeptic. Nothing is ever made of this potentially interesting relationship. Simply mentioning it seems to be enough for the screenwriters to feel that their ‘intellectual’ job is done.
Shaw discovers a cave painting which matches up with others collected from civilisations around the world. They appear to be a star map to a distant galaxy which she interprets as an invitation from our creators to come and visit for tea and cakes. Rich old guy, Peter Weyland (Guy Pearce in lots of old guy make up) funds the intergalactic expedition and our heroes set off on their quest for THE answer aboard the good ship Prometheus.
Amongst the random collection of scientists (I’ll get back to them) is an android called David 8 (Michael Fassbender, in his now obligatory role of ‘best thing in the movie by a country mile’). He is the best thing in the movie by a country mile. As the crew sleep, David 8 walks around checking vital signs, doing housekeeping and playing basketball while riding a bike. He also watches peoples dreams (never explained how). Shaw’s dream seems to be a badly written movie about a young girl and her dad. Patrick Wilson is in it. This scene is the first real alarm bell in the movie; a clumsy ‘TV movie of the week’ bit of exposition and character back story. So far the films been perfectly fine, nothing exceptional, but i’m hanging in there as it’s a Ridley Scott film.
Once the Prometheus arrives at its destination and we get to spend some time with the crew, the film really begins to start falling apart. The highlights of the crew are Fifield (Sean Harris, excellent in last years underseen British thriller A Lonely Place to Die but wasted here) a slightly psychotic looking ’Geologist’ who has mercenary attitudes and very little social graces. Take a minute. Yes, a mercenary geologist. His movie buddy is Milburn (Rafe Spall), a botanist apparently, but you’d be forgiven for thinking his role was that of ‘ships moron’ or that he had tagged along as a favour to someone. These two are the comedy heart of the movie, although none of the humour is intentional. Their behaviour is more like badly behaved kids on a school trip than that of well regarded scientists. Fifield in particular seems to be a different character in each new scene. There’s also the Captain (Idris Elba) who does captain stuff and also has the handy ability to burst into rooms with new information to move the story along. And then there’s Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron) the icy, all business Weyland Industries suit, who has a few secrets up her sleeve. In all honesty though, if this character were removed from the film it wouldn’t effect the movie in any way. It would, in fact, improve it slightly by removing two of the dumbest scenes (just run sideways woman and ‘father’).
Needless to say, the Prometheus manages to appear on its destination planet almost right next to what they’re looking for. “God doesn’t build in straight lines” says Holloway, looking out the window of the ship. “Can you land over there?” (by that thing that is probably exactly what we’re here to see). A nitpick I know but is it really that hard to create a convenient way for them to arrive where they need to be?
Moving on. An assortment of crew members set off to explore the creepy tunnels etc and are a bit miffed to discover that no one has put the kettle on for their arrival. In fact, they haven’t even had a tidy up. Alien bodies are everywhere (those elephant like Space Jockey things from Alien now known as Engineers) and they’ve left big pots of black goo everywhere. And a big statue of a head, which looks nice but doesn’t seem to have a reason for being. Oh, the films big scary villain is the black goo by the way. It’s pretty scary stuff this black goo, it can...well, it’s never really made clear what it actually does. It turns little worm things into big penis snakes (which professional Botanist and ship moron Milburn will approach as if it’s a cute little kitten) and does things to other people that would be big spoilers. At this point, most of the characters just go about doing their own thing and don’t really tell each other anything, even if it’s something that’s really important: I’m five months pregnant, for example, despite being sterile. Oh and those five months happened overnight. David 8 continues to be the best thing in it by a country mile, going about the business of following a linear narrative. He discovers a live Engineer in stasis and sets in motion the last act of the film. This amounts to a lot of exposition, a great caesarian section shocker (ruined by the characters ability to run and jump afterwards like it’s no big deal getting sliced open and stitched back up), a big dramatic moment which was given away in the trailer and the posters, a really dumb big monster moment and a gobsmackingly awful ending. Actually, two awful endings when you include the unnecessary last scene. All told, it’s a mess.
Technically, it’s as accomplished as you would expect from Ridley Scott. It looks great, although never quite as stunning as some reviewers have claimed. The 3D is nice but washes out the image and makes everything look murky. I wouldn’t have missed it and would rather have seen it with the correct brightness and colour. It’s a pity then that all his efforts are wasted on the screenplay which is aiming for 2001: A Space Odyssey but has dialogue and characters that wouldn’t be out of place in Teen Slashers in Space 3. A real disappointment.

[morris]

Originally Posted by fortunesfool

And that's just one of the secondary characters.

You know what is funny though? You thinking, before film was released that the aspect ratio would be the worst thing we had to worry about.
I've not read your full review Fortunes. I'm close to seeing it now (Thurs) so I'll wait until then to read it.

[fortunesfool]

Originally Posted by morris

You know what is funny though? You thinking, before film was released that the aspect ratio would be the worst thing we had to worry about.
I've not read your full review Fortunes. I'm close to seeing it now (Thurs) so I'll wait until then to read it.

I know. It's funny 'cause it's true.

My review will be better enjoyed after seeing it anyway. You'll get the gags.

[thedude]

(SPOILERS!!!!!)

This may take a while...

While I'm dissapointed, my main emotion was anger, much like Mr Fool. The thing that bugs me the most is that as a film fan and wanna be Director, how did Ridley Scott, a Director I personally admire for his contributions to cinema, read that script and not think, what the fuck is this pap?

I almost dont know where to begin, but I'm gonna try.

The Premise, its fine, it has potential, The Vatican agrees with NASA that its almost impossible that we aren't here without help. Its a good idea, our makers are dissapointed with how we have turned out and are going to come back to wipe us out. Why then, do they leave directions? Or indeed warnings, or whatever they are? Surely they must of realised that at some point we would evolve to the point of space exploration? If it indeed did go all wrong for them on this planet and they all died save one, I cant believe that the rest of their species didn't know about it and come and finish the job. It makes no sense, and is gaping plot hole number one.

The Characters. I'm an amatuer, I have aspirations, if the writing I do was as bad as the characterisations in this film I would give up now. Actually I wouldn't, it seems to be working for these two douchebags.
I didnt care about any of them. Shaw and her bloke were bland, their relationship was utterly unbelievable, and incidently, why on earth did Shaw need to be English (seriously)? I have no problem with Rapace as an actress, why cant we have a Swedish scientist? Must we listen to her attempts at an English accent? The grumpy "geologist", Rafe Spall, the other two pilots, some of the random characters I cant even remember,not too mention Vickers, I fail to see the point of her at all. The script is guilty of one of cinemas greatest sins, multiple characters that mean nothing. How can I care about any of them when there is nothing that seperates them from each other. And could of been anymore obvious from the get go that Weyland was still alive and very much on the ship?
David being the exception, The Fass is superb, and at the very least he has a variying story arc.

Plot Threads, where the fuck to begin here?
So, stacked Albino dude drinks nasty shit that spreads his D.N.A in the water, its homeopathy gone mad. Maybe if a few million of these guys had done this then possibly, but all Darwinian life evolving from the strand of one individual?!? Is this sci-fi or some sort of trite neo-Christianity? Why did "The Engineers" leave the location of where their biologocal warefare bunkers were? As I said before they must of known we would evolve, in fact, their knowledge of evolution is what prompted them do a "melt" thousands of years ago.
David and his mixed ambition, David was the best character in the film, however I still had some issues with him. What did he poison that bloke? Orders, vendetta, interested, its never made clear. When Shaw gets preggers, why does he stop her from seeing it, but then makes no attempt to stop her from removing it?

Why did the angry geologist come back to life? And why was it so poorly handled? There is no tension without some knowledge of what might happen. If they had discovered that the black goo can reanimate the dead, then they could of had it that within 15 mins the Geolgists camera makes its way back towards the ship before cutting off by the time they get outside? There you have some tension at least, not just another random scene that makes no sense and has no explanation. Instead he just appears and starts doing a movie monster.
There are more but I cant imagine that anyone is still reading!

The Script, sigh, also dire, I wont go into too much description of my dissapointment. However,
the second Shaw mentioned she couldnt have babies was like a warning light, I knew she was going to get impregnated somehow. And when Vickers says "Father" to Weyland, that came with flashing lights and a neon sign it was so obvious. There is so much more I could go on all night.

There are so many more annoyances I have with this film, all the above is really the tip of the iceburg for me, if this film had come from a different Director from a different Universe then it would be an okay film with some nice ideas, instead its a fucking mess from the same director who made Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator.

2/5

One for The Fass and one for the general idea in the first place.

[jaykays hat]

Human life coming from aliens.....Scientology anyone?

[Jonesy]

Just been to see it at BFI IMAX in 3D. This probably makes a significant difference to the experience in that...I kind of enjoyed it. Yes Rapace was dreadful in the role - a complete damp squib, and her non-descript boyfriend was even worse. And yes, I did want to tear her a new hole when she went back to get the head of the Engineer, risking the lives of all those around her. And yes, there were so many unanswered questions, and pointless moments. But in IMAX 3D? It was fun, plain and simple.