For all its over the top science fiction, bombardment of mythology, special effected CGI green screen orgy and larger than life cast. Prometheus has a surprising amount of good old fashion Hollywood film lover’s storytelling. It should come as no surprise that watching this film feels like watching every great sci fi classic of years past. Will Prometheus be a classic in the same realm as Alien? Probably not, but that’s not because it’s any better or any worse. We simply just don’t get movies like that anymore. Prometheus is the closest thing I have seen in many years to even come close to capturing the feeling and magic of knowing you’re supposed to be going to the movies.
Prometheus is ridiculously heavy on mythology and exploring the deepest questions of life. Where did we come from, and can man some day be on equal playing field with the gods? These are the questions our team of scientists aboard Prometheus ask, and it is the sole basis for their exploration. In the semi distant future, we have discovered various drawings all around the world in different places that date back to Earth’s first civilizations, each drawing reflecting the same pattern of stars. Naturally, when explored further, our scientists discover only one pattern similar in the galaxy. Two years later Prometheus has landed on a planet of sorts in a galaxy believed to be the same planet depicted in these drawings.
I understand the need to turn every alien film into an action/adventure flick. But I was a little disappointed at the road the writers chose to take. The film wants to be another Aliens, and it succeeds. But truthfully, nobody wants another Alien. We want something more fulfilling. And while the film is definitely satisfying in the sense that it’s a science fiction movie with a brain, I still found it absurd that after watching for two hours, the viewer is left with another question. If these extraterrestrials did in fact create human beings, why did they then decide to go back and have the need to destroy us, the same species they created? It’s a great question to ask, I only wish I didn’t have to wait for a sequel to find out.
But seriously, should we expect anything more from Damon Lindelof, the creator of Lost, who cowrote the script? The same problems that show faced are the same problems here. The film is slightly too jam packed, both with characters and mythology. The former suffering simply because of the overstuffed cast. My advice for a potential sequel? Keep the cast to a basic four or five (not seventeen) and build on the mythology in having Noomi Rapace’s character get the answers she wants and deserves. We would rather watch her for two hours than some assistant captain whose only base for character development is sticking to a bet.
Prometheus is one of the smartest science fiction films to come along in a great while. It’s entertaining to the point of asphyxiation. Despite its few flaws, that entertainment is supported by larger than life themes I’m very glad are making the rounds in mainstream cinema. Prometheus pushes boundaries of what is expected from similar, but lesser films. Most importantly, Prometheus is the first movie in a month to get me to the theater and not regret going. It is the first movie in four weeks to hit mainstream movie theaters worth discussing.
B+
I just have to let everybody know how lousy and disappointing this film really was. It is the worst of all the Alien movies. The ending of this does not match up with what is in the first Alien movie, which means they would have to insert a whole lot more nonsense to retain continuity in the series, and there is no way I want to see one or more sequels to this. I was looking forward to enjoying this film because I liked the other Alien movies, and this literally put me in a foul mood, because it is such a lousy knockoff. Ridley Scott should be ashamed of himself for directing this monstrosity. It is fundamentally badly conceived and written. The characters are really lame and do really dumb things throughout the course of it. This thing is to the Alien franchise what Terminator Salvation was to that franchise – terrible. Don’t see it in 3d either, because there is very little actual 3d content!
I enjoyed the movie very much. It left me thinking about it long after it was over, as good Science Fiction does. I am hoping I can have a lively intelligent based conversation with someone else who has seen it. It has so many threads to it that one can pursue. I loved the first Alein movie and must have paid to see it over twenty times (this was long before VCRs), and it is the gold standard of Sci-Fy Horror. I am sincerely hoping that Mr. Scott is planning on doing a follow up to this movie because he is the Maestro that can make it work. I plan on seeing Prometheus again…
Loved the tech and the special effects. Aliens looked great. HATED the way each character was written, such hack writing, so lazy. My conclusion is that Carlton Cuse made Damon Lindelof a better writer. Every cliche in the book was thrown up on that screen. The scientists didn’t act like scientists, they did just about everything wrong. We were supposed to hate Charlize Theron’s character, and she was the only one I felt did a modicum of something right, although believe me, the only people I was sorry to see die were the 2 navigators and Idris Elba at the end. SO disappointed.
b+???
More like D. This was one of the worst sci-fi movies I’ve ever seen. While the visuals were stunning and the acting by a few of the cast was strong, this was a movie that was completely lacking in writing and plot. Wooden, shallow characters had to repeatedly act insensibly or stupidly in order to advance the story to its next absurd cliche.
Doomed to the dustbin of failed projects, this movie was one that I wish I could have gotten a refund for the 2 hours of life I wasted.
Movie was garbage.
Just saw the movie this weekend, and I really think much depends on how familiar you are with the Alien films. I absolutely loved this!!! So awesome to watch, special FX were top notch!!! There were a few dumb human moments, but every movie has those. I suspect with time, this move may elevate to a classic status, esp when everyone gets what is being portrayed. I discussed it long and hard, and feel satisfied once we got to a place of understanding.