I would love to read Spaihts' script because my suspicion is that it started off as a probably workable Alien Prequel and then it was eroded by re-writes, edited in a vain attempt to get PG-13 and then released in it's current disjointed form.

I say this because the film doesn't work as a film not just as a related tale to Alien.

It's the first three episodes of a visually interesting twelve part mini-series poorly spliced together and trimmed to feature length by a not very gifted amateur.

Bingowings said:

It's the first three episodes of a visually interesting twelve part mini-series poorly spliced together and trimmed to feature length by a not very gifted amateur.

Ouch!

After the generally mixed-reaction from those of us who got it first, I'm gonna be interested to see the reaction of the fans from the rest of the world too, who may be kinda nervous now about how things have turned out...

As this was probably the movie I was most looking forward to seeing this year (along with ESB:Revisited, of course)...I unfortunately agree with most of what you've said in your last 2 posts Bingowings.

And I've a few specific niggles of my own about it that I'm gonna get stuck into, once others have had a chance to see it over the coming days.

Bingowings said:

 

I say this because the film doesn't work as a film not just as a related tale to Alien.

It's the first three episodes of a visually interesting twelve part mini-series poorly spliced together and trimmed to feature length by a not very gifted amateur.

Damn.  I really didn't see that coming.  You probably went in most open-minded of anyone here.  Sorry it was a drag for you.  We've all been there, man.

That's how I was with Quantum Of Solace. Coming off of my newly crowned favorite 007 film - Casino Royale - I really thought Quantum would be a home run. Turns out it was a one time only viewing.

Bingowings said:

I would love to read Spaihts' script because my suspicion is that it started off as a probably workable Alien Prequel and then it was eroded by re-writes, edited in a vain attempt to get PG-13 and then released in it's current disjointed form.

I say this because the film doesn't work as a film not just as a related tale to Alien.

It's the first three episodes of a visually interesting twelve part mini-series poorly spliced together and trimmed to feature length by a not very gifted amateur.

I'm pretty sure that is what did happen, i'm sure Scott has mentioned that - in fact i think i have a magazine interview with Spaights. I might have to look it up..Scott kept saying that they'd changed from an actual prequel to something else..

if you had to give it a ball rating?

I may still go see it Friday after I go to the dentist but I'm finding it hard to get excited atm - knowing that the story fails to deliver..(I've learned too much)

I hear they even have plans for a sequel already. Prometheii?

Johnny Ringo said:                                                                                 if you had to give it a ball rating?

I gave it 6 out of 10 on my earlier post.

The first ten minutes or so right up until the crew are all assembled are brilliant.

And there are some really jaw dropping visuals in the film (nearly all of which are spoiled by the trailers).

So it's not all awful.

David is a great character too for reasons I will not discuss yet.

Johnny Ringo said:

I hear they even have plans for a sequel already. Prometheii?

Persephone would probably be a good title.

Bingowings said:

Persephone would probably be a good title.

Saw it today...

Meh. It looks pretty and the acting is good but that's about it really.

Why didn't they use an older actor rather than What'shisface in obvious old man make-up??

greenpenguino said:

Saw it today...

 

Meh. It looks pretty and the acting is good but that's about it really.

 

Why didn't they use an older actor rather than What'shisface in obvious old man make-up??

Because what' shisface will play the lead in the sequel as an android (at the actors real age), and they just wanted to build up to it by keeping actor continuity?   

FanFiltration said:

greenpenguino said:

Saw it today...

 

Meh. It looks pretty and the acting is good but that's about it really.

 

Why didn't they use an older actor rather than What'shisface in obvious old man make-up??

Because what' shisface will play the lead in the sequel as an android (at the actors real age), and they just wanted to build up to it by keeping actor continuity?   

Which would make it even more like AVP1.

It was funny hearing Ridley claim that he couldn't bear to watch that film because if he did he would recognise the film he just made... only more fun and more coherent (though less pretty).

A friend of mine mentioned that someone like Clint Eastwood or even Peter O'Toole would've been far better than Mr Pearce.

If young Weyland looked like Peter O'Toole it would explain why he (being such a narcissist) was so obsessed with the character Pete played in his most famous film so having the same actor play Weyland as an old man makes perfect sense.

I have been calling Weyland, Guy-Guy Pearce since seeing the film, as his first appearance in the film wrecked the mood of the lovely first 10 minutes or so (not that Jar-Jar was the first thing wrong with TPM). 

Bingowings said:

If young Weyland looked like Peter O'Toole it would explain why he (being such a narcissist) was so obsessed with the character Pete played in his most famous film so having the same actor play Weyland as an old man makes perfect sense.

Since he only appears young in only one viral video, I don't think it matters having two different actors play the same character. Or they could've Tron Legacy Flynn'd Peter O'toole.

I have been calling Weyland, Guy-Guy Pearce since seeing the film, as his first appearance in the film wrecked the mood of the lovely first 10 minutes or so.

That really threw me in the movie when he showed up in that stupid make-up.

(not that Jar-Jar was the first thing wrong with TMP).

Jar Jar was in Star Trek: The Motion Picture??? ;)

Thanks for pointing out that fluff.

I've not posted much in the way of acronyms for a few days so I'm out of practice.

Perhaps he should be inserted into the briefing scene for the lulz.

This here blog entry (PRACTICALLY ALL SPOILERS SO DON"T GO THERE IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN SPOILER FREE) points out shots from the trailers that aren't in the film which hint at major scene reshuffles including characters being removed from scenes.

This seems to hold up my theory that a lot of the problems with this film were caused by clumsy editing.

One particular scene would have made a lot more sense if his observations are correct (it currently makes very little sense at all).

There were moments in the film when it was quite suspenseful, but that was because they were mostly references to Alien, and I knew what would happen to the characters.

I saw this yesterday. I'm glad I'd heard the word before hand that it wasn't great so my expectations were much lower.

I'm still some what disappointed. There were some good things to enjoy and it's already been said that the visuals and the acting, for the most part, were pretty great. But yeah the script was trash.

I was on board with the overall idea Scott was presenting and themes with in but the characterisation and some of the dialogue left a lot to be desired.

If you're Anchorhead or share his concerns do not see this movie. I'm just putting that out there. Like I said I like the premise of the movie and Alien is no way affected by the failures of this film but I could see others having a problem with it.

I'm not the biggest Alien fan but I feel I could right 10,000 words on just my initial thoughts of Prometheus, it certainly has my mind churning, but I won't. There was a lot of potential here and a lot that went wrong.

I think there might be a few things that I need to get off my chest so I'm going to say spoilers from now on.

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People are saying the beginning of the movie was pretty great and devolved from there, really? The very beginning was good but once there out of stasis that briefing/exposition scene was awful. In addition to the introduction to the surgical machine and lifeboat, it had Chehkov's gun written all over it, so much so that I spent the whole time waiting for those proverbial guns to go off. It was very poorly set up but ultimately I did love the emergency c-section.

Not to mention the fucking trailers. Jesus Christ. I rewatched the teaser and the UK and US theatrical trailers afterward and man, the former were ok but the later (the US theatrical) was horrendous. I'd previously not seen any more footage than that.

There was no question in my mind what Idris Elba (the Captain) was going to do and succeed in the third act because I'd seen it already. Not to mention the Engineer going for Shaw afterward.

I'm short on time so I might revisit this in regards to questionable character motivations, editing, leaps in logic and the like but I'll quickly say I squealed with delight when David had his neck broken and head ripped off.

I'm not sure I want to give Prometheus a second viewing, I think I got all there was to get, but I'm pretty sure I'm buying the blu-ray if it comes with (I'm sure it will) a commentary track from Scott. His commentaries are pretty great and I'd love to hear his thoughts and reasoning on the minutia of this film. It's deeply flawed but I'm fascinated with what he has to say about it and the decisions he made.

One last thing, what did people think of the final scene? I felt insulted by its inclusion and thought it should be on the editing room floor.

Oh and the reason Guy Pearce is in the film and not an older actor is because apparently there was a scene in the script where David is viewing Weyland dreaming and Weyland is a much younger man. The sequence was never filmed but Pearce remained. It wasn't until after they cut that scene did they think up the viral TED video. So all was not lost casting Pearce.

I had the same thoughts before I knew this, my not cast someone like Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer or Peter O'Toole... oh wait not him he's already in the movie, that would be weird.

I don't think I want to see a sequel to this film no matter who writes or directs it.

see you auntie said:

 

I had the same thoughts before I knew this, my not cast someone like Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer or Peter O'Toole... oh wait not him he's already in the movie, that would be weird.

why not Lance Henriksen? ;)

Or Ian Holm!

:D

Johnny Ringo said:

see you auntie said:

 

I had the same thoughts before I knew this, my not cast someone like Max Von Sydow, Christopher Plummer or Peter O'Toole... oh wait not him he's already in the movie, that would be weird.

why not Lance Henriksen? ;)

He already played the same character in the same story in AVP1 so why not do it again. In fact I imagine fan edits will do this sort of thing months after the extended cut comes out.

Anchorhead said:

Bingowings said:

 

I say this because the film doesn't work as a film not just as a related tale to Alien.

It's the first three episodes of a visually interesting twelve part mini-series poorly spliced together and trimmed to feature length by a not very gifted amateur.

Damn.  I really didn't see that coming.  You probably went in most open-minded of anyone here.  Sorry it was a drag for you.  We've all been there, man.

That's how I was with Quantum Of Solace. Coming off of my newly crowned favorite 007 film - Casino Royale - I really thought Quantum would be a home run. Turns out it was a one time only viewing.

Maybe you shouldn't take my word for it then because I couldn't see much of difference between Casino Royale (sans cheese) and Quanta Of Solaces.

Both had that Bourne action style and both had moments of traditional Bond silliness.

The Venetian Palace demolition would not have looked out of place in Moonraker, just as the big evil villain base in the desert would not have stood out much in The Spy Who Loved Me.

Some food for thought AFTER you have seen the film.

INCLUDES LOADS OF SPOILERS BE WARNED.

saw this with a friend today.

we both thought it was pretty decent.

i have no problem with the story or it being

a prequel, and i liked all the overtones to the

original alien. (which is my favorite, along with alien 3,

didn't like aliens)...

for what they tried to do, it was a nice tie in

the mythology and origin of a lot of questions.

very satisfying to know about a lot of it.

it wasn't that tense or scary really, everything

that happened has been seen before, unless

you've never seen the originals. as a standalone

movie, i don't know if it works. someone asked

me if they should see it, but since they haven't

seen the original alien, and they liked aliens,

i told them to stay away.

later

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