I really like the first Spidey movie. My only pet peeves with it are the Green Goblin’s suit, Kirsten Dunst, and the organic webshooters.
I’m less taken with Spider-Man 2 – I prefer the egomaniacal Doc Ock from the comics, thank you very much – and Spider-Man 3 is an interesting failure. I heavily disliked The Amazing Spider-Man – Andrew Garfield’s performance in particular irked me something fierce – and I have refused to see The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
I’m not a big fan of Kristen either but I was always fine with her mary Jane.
I really like the first Spidey movie. My only pet peeves with it are the Green Goblin’s suit, Kirsten Dunst, and the organic webshooters.
May I ask what bothers you about these things? The organic web-shooters were an interesting thing that I forgot to mention in my post. I actually prefer the webs being biological over the plot device ridden mechanical ones from the comics (“I’m out of webbing!”). I also really like the Green Goblin suit. I feel it captures the comic book feel while also making sense within the story context. And I already mentioned that I think Kirsten Dunst did a fine job.
I’m less taken with Spider-Man 2 – I prefer the egomaniacal Doc Ock from the comics, thank you very much –
I prefer Alfred Molina’s wonderful performance to any old bowl cut, thank you very much. 😉
and Spider-Man 3 is an interesting failure.
“Awful” in the words of Raimi. I think the biggest issue is that because 2 capped off the character arcs so well, it would’ve been impossible to make a third film feel like a natural continuation like 2 was. Everything had to go down hill for a new conflict to work out. Then of course is the real reason it sucked; the studio forced Raimi to work with Venom being shoe-horned in even though he didn’t care for the character. Bruce Campbell’s cameo was as wonderful as ever though. 😄
Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.
I really like the first Spidey movie. My only pet peeves with it are the Green Goblin’s suit, Kirsten Dunst, and the organic webshooters.
May I ask what bothers you about these things? The organic web-shooters were an interesting thing that I forgot to mention in my post. I actually prefer the webs being biological over the plot device ridden mechanical ones from the comics (“I’m out of webbing!”). I also really like the Green Goblin suit. I feel it captures the comic book feel while also making sense within the story context. And I already mentioned that I think Kirsten Dunst did a fine job.
I dislike the Green Goblin suit for the same reasons everyone else on the Internet who dislikes it has already mentioned.
My problem with Dunst’s Mary Jane is she is never this
except perhaps in that stupid dance scene from S3. Most times, she’s just this soft-spoken, passive woman who vacillates between being a damsel in distress and a wet blanket.
As for the webshooters, mechanical webshooters help establish Peter as someone with a keen interest and aptitude for science. In Raimi’s films, he’s just a nerd who likes science but never displays any overt scientific prowess.
Alien: Covenant
My first impression after watching Prometheus was that it felt like a prelude to revelations in the next film. After watching this, I can conclude that neither Prometheus or Covenant are worth the bother. Covenant, though it has a fascinating villain, still fails to provide any answers and ends illogically.
What the Alien franchise has desperately needed is a new type of alien. We know the life cycle of the Xenomorph, so there is no longer any dread in the face of this threat, only momentary shocks due to jump scares. Also, Prometheus was a more interesting movie than Covenant for me because at least there was some nominal change in the plot structure of ‘ship gets a signal and investigates’.
Here’s an idea, Scott: Have a ship with a bunch of competent scientists and soldiers get lost in deep space, crash landing on a planet far from Earth and encountering a threat that is entirely different than the Xenomorphs or the Engineers. It’s pretty simple.
You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)
I really like the first Spidey movie. My only pet peeves with it are the Green Goblin’s suit, Kirsten Dunst, and the organic webshooters.
May I ask what bothers you about these things? The organic web-shooters were an interesting thing that I forgot to mention in my post. I actually prefer the webs being biological over the plot device ridden mechanical ones from the comics (“I’m out of webbing!”). I also really like the Green Goblin suit. I feel it captures the comic book feel while also making sense within the story context. And I already mentioned that I think Kirsten Dunst did a fine job.
I dislike the Green Goblin suit for the same reasons everyone else on the Internet who dislikes it has already mentioned.
My problem with Dunst’s Mary Jane is she is never this
except perhaps in that stupid dance scene from S3. Most times, she’s just this soft-spoken, passive woman who vacillates between being a damsel in distress and a wet blanket.
As for the webshooters, mechanical webshooters help establish Peter as someone with a keen interest and aptitude for science. In Raimi’s films, he’s just a nerd who likes science but never displays any overt scientific prowess.
Valid points, but I feel like your problem with Maryjane is with the chracter and not with the actress. Those aren’t really nuances that Dunst can bring out in a performance when the character simply wasn’t written that way.
Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.
^
I concur. Much better than the “amazing” reboot from a few years ago. Totally don’t get the hate for toby as Peter Parker. I thought both of those movies were very well done.
I disagree. Garfield was far better than Toby for me. The first of the Amazing reboots was quite good. The only one from the Raimi trilogy that impressed me all that much was the second. Never understand the mass amount of love for the first one. I still think it is a pretty mediocre flick.
Well, first off, you’re just plain wrong. 😛
But really, the first two Raimi films are what I consider masterpieces of modern cinema, and they are among the most perfect comic book films ever made.
Not only is Raimi an amazing director, but he was pretty much the perfect director they could’ve gotten. He’s a fan of the comics, he enjoys and understands the characters, and he’s just plain fun. Everything he brought to those films blows Marc Webb out of the water. Who wants a “dark and gritty” Spider-Man film? I’d rather have some comic book optimism.
And the hate for Tobey Maguire as Peter has no legs to stand on. He was perfectly cast (along with everyone else, actually). People seem to complain about a few things in general; he makes weird faces at times/is just goofy looking, he cries too much (understandable and well performed every time save for the third film), and he’s supposedly not “transformed” enough under the mask. None of these complaints that I’ve read/heard make any sense. Andrew Garfield is just awful as Peter IMO. He’s not a genius nerd who gets picked on by bullies, he’s a genius hot guy who protects those who are bullied and he’s just kind of a jerk sometimes, and his performances are just bad most of the time.
J.K. Simmons is J. Jonah Jameson.
Cliff Robertson is Uncle Ben.
Rosemary Harris is Aunt May.
Willem Dafoe is Norman Osborn.
The only complaint about those films that I understand is that Maryjane is underdeveloped. This is somewhat valid, but even this I don’t feel is really that valid either, because she is developed as much as she needs to be, and though she may be a primary character, the films aren’t really about her. I’m fine with what they did, because she does have a developed character, despite being weaker than some others. And Kirsten Dunst does a great job with her.
If you’re interested in wasting an hour of your life, this shows a lot about why people love the first two Raimi films:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD3h_bT0Mfg
I have similar thoughts to Doug Walker when it comes to the spider man films. His review of the first Amazing Spider-Man is on point.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YqFJWG0USuQ
He talks about the older films and what he thought that Webb’s version did better. And you should also note that my main defense here is of the first ASM.
P.S. I also heavily prefer the uncle and aunt in the new ones.
I really like the first Spidey movie. My only pet peeves with it are the Green Goblin’s suit, Kirsten Dunst, and the organic webshooters.
May I ask what bothers you about these things? The organic web-shooters were an interesting thing that I forgot to mention in my post. I actually prefer the webs being biological over the plot device ridden mechanical ones from the comics (“I’m out of webbing!”). I also really like the Green Goblin suit. I feel it captures the comic book feel while also making sense within the story context. And I already mentioned that I think Kirsten Dunst did a fine job.
I dislike the Green Goblin suit for the same reasons everyone else on the Internet who dislikes it has already mentioned.
My problem with Dunst’s Mary Jane is she is never this
except perhaps in that stupid dance scene from S3. Most times, she’s just this soft-spoken, passive woman who vacillates between being a damsel in distress and a wet blanket.
As for the webshooters, mechanical webshooters help establish Peter as someone with a keen interest and aptitude for science. In Raimi’s films, he’s just a nerd who likes science but never displays any overt scientific prowess.
Valid points, but I feel like your problem with Maryjane is with the chracter and not with the actress. Those aren’t really nuances that Dunst can bring out in a performance when the character simply wasn’t written that way.
True.
^
I concur. Much better than the “amazing” reboot from a few years ago. Totally don’t get the hate for toby as Peter Parker. I thought both of those movies were very well done.
I disagree. Garfield was far better than Toby for me. The first of the Amazing reboots was quite good. The only one from the Raimi trilogy that impressed me all that much was the second. Never understand the mass amount of love for the first one. I still think it is a pretty mediocre flick.
Well, first off, you’re just plain wrong. 😛
But really, the first two Raimi films are what I consider masterpieces of modern cinema, and they are among the most perfect comic book films ever made.
Not only is Raimi an amazing director, but he was pretty much the perfect director they could’ve gotten. He’s a fan of the comics, he enjoys and understands the characters, and he’s just plain fun. Everything he brought to those films blows Marc Webb out of the water. Who wants a “dark and gritty” Spider-Man film? I’d rather have some comic book optimism.
And the hate for Tobey Maguire as Peter has no legs to stand on. He was perfectly cast (along with everyone else, actually). People seem to complain about a few things in general; he makes weird faces at times/is just goofy looking, he cries too much (understandable and well performed every time save for the third film), and he’s supposedly not “transformed” enough under the mask. None of these complaints that I’ve read/heard make any sense. Andrew Garfield is just awful as Peter IMO. He’s not a genius nerd who gets picked on by bullies, he’s a genius hot guy who protects those who are bullied and he’s just kind of a jerk sometimes, and his performances are just bad most of the time.
J.K. Simmons is J. Jonah Jameson.
Cliff Robertson is Uncle Ben.
Rosemary Harris is Aunt May.
Willem Dafoe is Norman Osborn.
The only complaint about those films that I understand is that Maryjane is underdeveloped. This is somewhat valid, but even this I don’t feel is really that valid either, because she is developed as much as she needs to be, and though she may be a primary character, the films aren’t really about her. I’m fine with what they did, because she does have a developed character, despite being weaker than some others. And Kirsten Dunst does a great job with her.
If you’re interested in wasting an hour of your life, this shows a lot about why people love the first two Raimi films:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD3h_bT0Mfg
I agree very much. Best superhero movies by a long distance.
I only wish they’d used the animatronic Goblin mask they developed and went with a more traditional Green Goblin costume. That PowerRangers suit they used is silly to the point of breaking some scenes for me and the animatronic mask looked so great!
I actually love the organic web shooters. It makes as much sense as the rest of the powers he endowed from the spider bite and save a heap of time and explaining.
Shouldn’t the webbing be coming out of his butt though? 😉
Where were you in '77?
It did in Spider-Man 2099, if I remember right…
^
I concur. Much better than the “amazing” reboot from a few years ago. Totally don’t get the hate for toby as Peter Parker. I thought both of those movies were very well done.
I disagree. Garfield was far better than Toby for me. The first of the Amazing reboots was quite good. The only one from the Raimi trilogy that impressed me all that much was the second. Never understand the mass amount of love for the first one. I still think it is a pretty mediocre flick.
Well, first off, you’re just plain wrong. 😛
But really, the first two Raimi films are what I consider masterpieces of modern cinema, and they are among the most perfect comic book films ever made.
Not only is Raimi an amazing director, but he was pretty much the perfect director they could’ve gotten. He’s a fan of the comics, he enjoys and understands the characters, and he’s just plain fun. Everything he brought to those films blows Marc Webb out of the water. Who wants a “dark and gritty” Spider-Man film? I’d rather have some comic book optimism.
And the hate for Tobey Maguire as Peter has no legs to stand on. He was perfectly cast (along with everyone else, actually). People seem to complain about a few things in general; he makes weird faces at times/is just goofy looking, he cries too much (understandable and well performed every time save for the third film), and he’s supposedly not “transformed” enough under the mask. None of these complaints that I’ve read/heard make any sense. Andrew Garfield is just awful as Peter IMO. He’s not a genius nerd who gets picked on by bullies, he’s a genius hot guy who protects those who are bullied and he’s just kind of a jerk sometimes, and his performances are just bad most of the time.
J.K. Simmons is J. Jonah Jameson.
Cliff Robertson is Uncle Ben.
Rosemary Harris is Aunt May.
Willem Dafoe is Norman Osborn.
The only complaint about those films that I understand is that Maryjane is underdeveloped. This is somewhat valid, but even this I don’t feel is really that valid either, because she is developed as much as she needs to be, and though she may be a primary character, the films aren’t really about her. I’m fine with what they did, because she does have a developed character, despite being weaker than some others. And Kirsten Dunst does a great job with her.
If you’re interested in wasting an hour of your life, this shows a lot about why people love the first two Raimi films:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD3h_bT0MfgI agree very much. Best superhero movies by a long distance.
I only wish they’d used the animatronic Goblin mask they developed and went with a more traditional Green Goblin costume. That PowerRangers suit they used is silly to the point of breaking some scenes for me and the animatronic mask looked so great!
I’m curious though, how do you think that kind of Goblin face would’ve been explained in the film? The animatronic mask doesn’t make any sense so they’d have to figure out a really good reason for that mask to even exist. The armored mask appears the same as the rest of the armored flight suit, so it’s logical to assume it was something that was made for the suit, as silly as that may seem. I just can’t think of a logical explanation for his face turning green and eyes turning yellow, not to mention where that purple getup came from. 😉
I actually love the organic web shooters. It makes as much sense as the rest of the powers he endowed from the spider bite and save a heap of time and explaining.
I always thought it was dumb that the signature super power of SPIDER-MAN wasn’t even a super power originally.
Army of Darkness: The Medieval Deadit | The Terminator - Color Regrade | The Wrong Trousers - Audio Preservation
SONIC RACES THROUGH THE GREEN FIELDS.
THE SUN RACES THROUGH A BLUE SKY FILLED WITH WHITE CLOUDS.
THE WAYS OF HIS HEART ARE MUCH LIKE THE SUN. SONIC RUNS AND RESTS; THE SUN RISES AND SETS.
DON’T GIVE UP ON THE SUN. DON’T MAKE THE SUN LAUGH AT YOU.
^
I concur. Much better than the “amazing” reboot from a few years ago. Totally don’t get the hate for toby as Peter Parker. I thought both of those movies were very well done.
I disagree. Garfield was far better than Toby for me. The first of the Amazing reboots was quite good. The only one from the Raimi trilogy that impressed me all that much was the second. Never understand the mass amount of love for the first one. I still think it is a pretty mediocre flick.
Well, first off, you’re just plain wrong. 😛
But really, the first two Raimi films are what I consider masterpieces of modern cinema, and they are among the most perfect comic book films ever made.
Not only is Raimi an amazing director, but he was pretty much the perfect director they could’ve gotten. He’s a fan of the comics, he enjoys and understands the characters, and he’s just plain fun. Everything he brought to those films blows Marc Webb out of the water. Who wants a “dark and gritty” Spider-Man film? I’d rather have some comic book optimism.
And the hate for Tobey Maguire as Peter has no legs to stand on. He was perfectly cast (along with everyone else, actually). People seem to complain about a few things in general; he makes weird faces at times/is just goofy looking, he cries too much (understandable and well performed every time save for the third film), and he’s supposedly not “transformed” enough under the mask. None of these complaints that I’ve read/heard make any sense. Andrew Garfield is just awful as Peter IMO. He’s not a genius nerd who gets picked on by bullies, he’s a genius hot guy who protects those who are bullied and he’s just kind of a jerk sometimes, and his performances are just bad most of the time.
J.K. Simmons is J. Jonah Jameson.
Cliff Robertson is Uncle Ben.
Rosemary Harris is Aunt May.
Willem Dafoe is Norman Osborn.
The only complaint about those films that I understand is that Maryjane is underdeveloped. This is somewhat valid, but even this I don’t feel is really that valid either, because she is developed as much as she needs to be, and though she may be a primary character, the films aren’t really about her. I’m fine with what they did, because she does have a developed character, despite being weaker than some others. And Kirsten Dunst does a great job with her.
If you’re interested in wasting an hour of your life, this shows a lot about why people love the first two Raimi films:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD3h_bT0MfgI agree very much. Best superhero movies by a long distance.
I only wish they’d used the animatronic Goblin mask they developed and went with a more traditional Green Goblin costume. That PowerRangers suit they used is silly to the point of breaking some scenes for me and the animatronic mask looked so great!I’m curious though, how do you think that kind of Goblin face would’ve been explained in the film? The animatronic mask doesn’t make any sense so they’d have to figure out a really good reason for that mask to even exist. The armored mask appears the same as the rest of the armored flight suit, so it’s logical to assume it was something that was made for the suit, as silly as that may seem. I just can’t think of a logical explanation for his face turning green and eyes turning yellow, not to mention where that purple getup came from. 😉
I dunno about all the details, but I’d make it (and the purple cowl attached) a Halloween mask, a la Micheal Myers. Something he grabs almost at random to whip up a disguise based on some sort of art type thing he has in his house, as is hinted at in the actual film. I can’t remember the origin of his mask in the comics, but I’ve always thought of it as a Halloween mask. Sure, it’d be a stretch that it moves and contorts with his real face, but I’d buy it.
That the suit and mask in the film were supposed to be used for military soldiers is flat-out stupid.
I actually love the organic web shooters. It makes as much sense as the rest of the powers he endowed from the spider bite and save a heap of time and explaining.
I always thought it was dumb that the signature super power of SPIDER-MAN wasn’t even a super power originally.
IIRC, Lee & Ditko considered making Spidey’s webs organic but ultimately decided against it so as not to make the character “too creepy”.
Jesus, isn’t there a Spiderman thread somewhere?
No, but I bet nobody would mind if we posted it in one of the 20 or so Batman threads.
You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)
Jesus, isn’t there a Spiderman thread somewhere?
J. Jonah Jameson, is that you? 😉
Where were you in '77?
^
I concur. Much better than the “amazing” reboot from a few years ago. Totally don’t get the hate for toby as Peter Parker. I thought both of those movies were very well done.
I disagree. Garfield was far better than Toby for me. The first of the Amazing reboots was quite good. The only one from the Raimi trilogy that impressed me all that much was the second. Never understand the mass amount of love for the first one. I still think it is a pretty mediocre flick.
Well, first off, you’re just plain wrong. 😛
But really, the first two Raimi films are what I consider masterpieces of modern cinema, and they are among the most perfect comic book films ever made.
Not only is Raimi an amazing director, but he was pretty much the perfect director they could’ve gotten. He’s a fan of the comics, he enjoys and understands the characters, and he’s just plain fun. Everything he brought to those films blows Marc Webb out of the water. Who wants a “dark and gritty” Spider-Man film? I’d rather have some comic book optimism.
And the hate for Tobey Maguire as Peter has no legs to stand on. He was perfectly cast (along with everyone else, actually). People seem to complain about a few things in general; he makes weird faces at times/is just goofy looking, he cries too much (understandable and well performed every time save for the third film), and he’s supposedly not “transformed” enough under the mask. None of these complaints that I’ve read/heard make any sense. Andrew Garfield is just awful as Peter IMO. He’s not a genius nerd who gets picked on by bullies, he’s a genius hot guy who protects those who are bullied and he’s just kind of a jerk sometimes, and his performances are just bad most of the time.
J.K. Simmons is J. Jonah Jameson.
Cliff Robertson is Uncle Ben.
Rosemary Harris is Aunt May.
Willem Dafoe is Norman Osborn.
The only complaint about those films that I understand is that Maryjane is underdeveloped. This is somewhat valid, but even this I don’t feel is really that valid either, because she is developed as much as she needs to be, and though she may be a primary character, the films aren’t really about her. I’m fine with what they did, because she does have a developed character, despite being weaker than some others. And Kirsten Dunst does a great job with her.
If you’re interested in wasting an hour of your life, this shows a lot about why people love the first two Raimi films:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD3h_bT0MfgI agree very much. Best superhero movies by a long distance.
I only wish they’d used the animatronic Goblin mask they developed and went with a more traditional Green Goblin costume. That PowerRangers suit they used is silly to the point of breaking some scenes for me and the animatronic mask looked so great!I’m curious though, how do you think that kind of Goblin face would’ve been explained in the film? The animatronic mask doesn’t make any sense so they’d have to figure out a really good reason for that mask to even exist. The armored mask appears the same as the rest of the armored flight suit, so it’s logical to assume it was something that was made for the suit, as silly as that may seem. I just can’t think of a logical explanation for his face turning green and eyes turning yellow, not to mention where that purple getup came from. 😉
I dunno about all the details, but I’d make it (and the purple cowl attached) a Halloween mask, a la Micheal Myers. Something he grabs almost at random to whip up a disguise based on some sort of art type thing he has in his house, as is hinted at in the actual film. I can’t remember the origin of his mask in the comics, but I’ve always thought of it as a Halloween mask. Sure, it’d be a stretch that it moves and contorts with his real face, but I’d buy it.
That the suit and mask in the film were supposed to be used for military soldiers is flat-out stupid.
I just assumed the animatronic mask was the result of a physical transformation ala Jekyll and Hyde.
Feels like we need a comic-book / superhero movie thread and a non-comic book / non-superhero movie thread.
Here’s an idea, Scott: Have a ship with a bunch of competent scientists and soldiers get lost in deep space, crash landing on a planet far from Earth and encountering a threat that is entirely different than the Xenomorphs or the Engineers. It’s pretty simple.
Sounds like this…
… well except for scientists and soldiers. But it contains likeable characters, an awesome planetary setting with scary monsters and a charismatic anti-hero … which was ruined in the Sequels. But on his own it’s a very good Sci-Fi Horror movie.
Rogue One is redundant. Just play the first mission of DARK FORCES.
The hallmark of a corrupt leader: Being surrounded by yes men.
‘The best visual effects in the world will not compensate for a story told badly.’ - V.E.S.
‘Star Wars is a buffet, enjoy the stuff you want, and leave the rest.’ - SilverWook
Exactly!
And for a prequel, Life is at least a better contender than Prometheus or Covenant.
You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)
Alien: Covenant
My first impression after watching Prometheus was that it felt like a prelude to revelations in the next film. After watching this, I can conclude that neither Prometheus or Covenant are worth the bother. Covenant, though it has a fascinating villain, still fails to provide any answers and ends illogically.
What the Alien franchise has desperately needed is a new type of alien. We know the life cycle of the Xenomorph, so there is no longer any dread in the face of this threat, only momentary shocks due to jump scares. Also, Prometheus was a more interesting movie than Covenant for me because at least there was some nominal change in the plot structure of ‘ship gets a signal and investigates’.
Here’s an idea, Scott: Have a ship with a bunch of competent scientists and soldiers get lost in deep space, crash landing on a planet far from Earth and encountering a threat that is entirely different than the Xenomorphs or the Engineers. It’s pretty simple.
I think a shift in storytelling would make these films better than just making a new threat. Covenant tried to balance action, horror, and the philosophical elements of Prometheus to somewhat lackluster results as the latter two don’t feel nearly as present in the film. If the film had just been scarier and answered a few more questions I would have enjoyed it a lot more than I did.
Haarspalter, feel free to repost that cover here!
Haarspalter, feel free to repost that cover here!
Honestly, i tried to find a better one, but ultimately all posters & dvd covers of Pitch Black suck.
Rogue One is redundant. Just play the first mission of DARK FORCES.
The hallmark of a corrupt leader: Being surrounded by yes men.
‘The best visual effects in the world will not compensate for a story told badly.’ - V.E.S.
‘Star Wars is a buffet, enjoy the stuff you want, and leave the rest.’ - SilverWook
Alien: Covenant
My first impression after watching Prometheus was that it felt like a prelude to revelations in the next film. After watching this, I can conclude that neither Prometheus or Covenant are worth the bother. Covenant, though it has a fascinating villain, still fails to provide any answers and ends illogically.
What the Alien franchise has desperately needed is a new type of alien. We know the life cycle of the Xenomorph, so there is no longer any dread in the face of this threat, only momentary shocks due to jump scares. Also, Prometheus was a more interesting movie than Covenant for me because at least there was some nominal change in the plot structure of ‘ship gets a signal and investigates’.
Here’s an idea, Scott: Have a ship with a bunch of competent scientists and soldiers get lost in deep space, crash landing on a planet far from Earth and encountering a threat that is entirely different than the Xenomorphs or the Engineers. It’s pretty simple.
I think a shift in storytelling would make these films better than just making a new threat. Covenant tried to balance action, horror, and the philosophical elements of Prometheus to somewhat lackluster results as the latter two don’t feel nearly as present in the film. If the film had just been scarier and answered a few more questions I would have enjoyed it a lot more than I did.
That it’s not scary is a structural problem though. As I said, there’s negligible mystery in the Xenomorph life cycle, so we’re all just waiting for the hapless redshirts to catch on before they all bite it. We’re not learning along with them the dangers of this threat. The other problem is the lack of answers. It’s not that we are given few answers to Prometheus, but that the person who demanded these answers is gone and with them the drive in the story to provide those answers. Therefore, the answers it does provide it provides to the audience and not to the characters in particular, making it explanation heavy while failing to satisfy our desire.
You probably don’t recognize me because of the red arm.
Episode 9 Rewrite, The Starlight Project (Released!) and ANH Technicolor Project (Released!)