Official "Ridley Scott's Prometheus" Discussion Thread (Spoilers)

[IrishJedi]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

Agreed. I wish more people understood that we can have nuanced viewpoints and opinions on this stuff. This black & white you either love it ("It rulez!!") or hate it ("that totally sucked!") has grown beyond tiresome.

People can genuinely like something, with some annoyances and reservations. And they can also dislike something, but find elements about it that they do like. And everything outside and in between.

I was overall disappointed in the movie (because I wanted/expected greatness) and have some real issues with it (#1 script, #2 some of the performances/characters) but I'm not throwing the baby out with the bath water. There's some really good stuff there, and ultimately it's an okay movie. But such a rational, lukewarm, middling take seems to blow some peoples minds.

 

[dfchang]

Re: Official Alien Prequel/Prometheus Discussion Thread

A few other general thoughts.

I do feel that this whole relationship to the Alien universe isn't really necessary.

When I first saw Alien and saw the Space Jockey, I just thought it was a cool background piece of info. Something that added to the sense of dread, a hint of something terrible that had killed this alien life form. To me at least, the Space Jockey was just added "color" a throwaway piece of background info to give depth to the movie.

Now THAT is a bit of mystery that I felt was good for the movie. It's not really important to the film but left the audience with that hint of the unknown, a question that will never be answered, something minor to speculate over and have fun with.

I SINCERELY doubt that Ridley Scott had Prometheus all worked out in his head when he put that Space Jockey scene in Alien.

Now?

It's arguable that the ENTIRE film is about these Space Jockeys and the role they played in the creation not only of mankind but increasingly Alien-kind as well.

While I can appreciate that, I just feel we didn't really need to go there to make an excellent film with the themes and message he was trying to get across.

By way, I'm sure this has been mentioned before but one of Guillermo Del Toro's personal dream projects has been to make a movie adaptation of HP Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness.

He was interviewed recently stating he'll probably give up on that project now because Prometheus essentially told that story already.

Anyone who has read At the Mountains of Madness will know exactly what del Toro is talking about.

The fact that Prometheus is a prequel to Alien is incidental, it's really a space age adaptation of Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness.

 

[ExMem-LarjaThwei]

Re: Official Alien Prequel/Prometheus Discussion Thread

I want the people who didn't like it to talk about it. But I'm getting tired of them going OMG IT SUCKS.

Talk about why you didn't like it, so we can discuss it. But do it in a matter which makes it easier to discuss. Not "Why did they do this...OMG SOOO STUPID"

What reasons are there to dislike it unless you're a bitter, negative person anyway? I can't believe some people can sit through such an amazing film and actually focus on tiny, almost non-existant issues, then come out thinking the entire movie was ____.

I wish I was born an Engineer.

All of their reactions made total sense.
Peter Weyland looked like an old guy in the future..
There was NOTHING wrong with the acting. My god, if people think the acting in this movie was bad, they must hate Aliens. Or Alien. Or Predator. Or Star Wars.. Or every movie on the god damn planet.

It's shocking just how many people complain about those three non-existant issues.

It's like they just really don't want to like the movie. "Oh, uh, the make-up was awful. Oh, uh, the acting was terrible."

I went into the theater expecting it to be an average, alright movie. Nothing great. I expected the acting to make me cringe at some parts, expected Noomi to not care whatsoever about Charlie's death (like many people said), although she is crying her eyes out while it's happening for ____s sake. The only reason she doesn't sit and cry through the rest of the film is because she's always on the move after that. She just had a ____ing squid alien cut out of her..she didn't have time to actually sit down and mourn his death.

I remember when the Peter Weyland hologram came up. I was thinking "Oh god, here it comes..it's going to look so ____ty.". But, it didn't. ...it looked..exactly how you would expect a very old person in the future to look.

 

[CelticPredator]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

^ You're disappointed on it's own merits. Not what you expected/didn't get.

Honestly, I do think I love the movie. I've seen it twice, I can play the movie back in my mind, I love the Alien lore. I love the first 3 Alien movies. Even though this flick is messy, vague and sometimes confusing, the overall experience of the film was incredible.

I look at movies as a whole. If the overall experience works for me, I don't need to pick my problems. If some of it works, i'll pick some of the problems. If none of it works, everything will be picked apart.


I see, and understand why people didn't enjoy it....but I just don't feel like going after it. Its the closest thing to an Alien movie, and I personally, since I liked it, am grateful for it.

But that's me.

 

[CelticPredator]

Re: Official Alien Prequel/Prometheus Discussion Thread

The movie does have problems. I'll even say that.

 

[IrishJedi]

The movie does have problems. I'll even say that.

Yeah, to say otherwise is just as nuts as people claiming it's complete trash.

 

[CelticPredator]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

I think David knew what he was doing. In a sense.

Notice how he didn't tell ANYONE else Shaw had an alien baby in her? That's why no one knew where she was, nor they knew the Alien was inside the pod.

Only David knew.

 

[CelticPredator]

Re: Official Alien Prequel/Prometheus Discussion Thread

I never once did this...

There was a few times where I could've...but seconds later, I was doing this....

And then by the end, I was like...

 

[greygoose]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

But the scene with David putting the substance into Halloways drink is left up to interpretation. Did he know what he was doing? Were his intentions evil? You have to decide.

I don't think he knew he was going to end up killing people but I do think he knew his actions would have consequences. He says to Holloway "How far would you go to get your answers?" implying that he either wanted to help him find his answers or he wanted himself to find out what the results were; he just didn't know what was going to happen.

 

[CelticPredator]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

David is also very arrogant, because he has no fear. He would gulp down that substance in a heart beat. But a human being, who knows it might bring him possible death, would not.

David is a sneaky little bastard.

 

[ExMem-LarjaThwei]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

David is a sneaky little bastard.

And he has nice hair.

 

[CelticPredator]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

David of Prometheus.

 

[CelticPredator]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

It gives life...... In a sense.

 

[Bardoon]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

ah ha!!!!! i finally have my answer!!!

them taking their helmets off was a huge key moment in the film!!

the reason is their body temperature changed the atmosphere in that chamber and the vases of black liquid began to melt because of the change in the atmosphere. Worms started to grow because of this and then mixed with this black oil it started to create this new life form.

But the scene with David putting the substance into Halloways drink is left up to interpretation. Did he know what he was doing? Were his intentions evil? You have to decide.

however David discovers that its a weapon because of what happened to Halloway and Shaw getting impregnated and the creature grows inside her.

But this black liquid was intended to be a weapon to destroy the human race because the Engineers created this horrific mutating beast. It keep mutating and mutating to become unstoppable killing machines. this weapon they created to destroy the humans, instead turns against the Engineers. This is where the myth of titan Prometheus comes into play because in the myth he was punished for re-creating the human race.

Yeah, I distinctly remember a scene of the camera focusing on the earthworms while the crew was walking in.

So not only does the black ooze "evolve" and "mutate" organic beings but it also tends to mutate them into something predatory and highly aggressive. And perhaps even fits the scheme that it KEEPS wanting to evolve and mutate into something better...hence the super facehugger and the Proto-Xeno.

I also agree that I think David knew what he was doing. Obviously with Weyland Corp. being known as an "evil corporation" it only seemed to fit the bill that Peter Weyland himself would risk whatever it took to achieve a form of immortality and even David, his android "son" was going to go along with the plan no matter what.

 

[greygoose]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

and here is an awesome report tying Prometheus to Alien:

https://www.thewertzone.blogspot.com/2012/06/filling-blanks-tying-prometheus-to.html

Great read.

 

[crows]

Re: Official Alien Prequel/Prometheus Discussion Thread

I never once did this...

where is this from? what was the interview? why does he do that face?

 

[greygoose]

Re: Official Alien Prequel/Prometheus Discussion Thread

where is this from? what was the interview? why does he do that face?

[ame]https://youtu.be/H6gIc_8pXUI[/ame]

 

[DARKSIDE COLLECTOR]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

Is it just me,or does the space jockeys look like angels without the wings?

 

[DARKSIDE COLLECTOR]

Re: Official Alien Prequel/Prometheus Discussion Thread

I do like the fact that Ridley went back and used images from the original concept art for Alien in this flick.I was watching the Alien box set last night and a drawing of the ending scene in Prometheus was there.The scene of the facehugger attacking the space jockey.

 

[Frank]

Re: Prometheus - Spoiler thread!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWdd6_ZxX8c

Yeah but he treats objects like women, man!

That film makes all arguments irrelevant. Well played!

lol.