Prometheus

[James Stacey]

In all fairness you could just as easily say that Russian film had ripped its look off Alien, which Prometheus is visually following.

In fairness, I wasn't aware the crew of Alien chronologically-back-flipped before 1962- when the Sovs made Planeta Bur -Planet of Storms.

touché

[Bat King]

Joined a posse of nerds going to see this next Friday!

[dweezil2]

In all fairness you could just as easily say that Russian film had ripped its look off Alien, which Prometheus is visually following.

In fairness, I wasn't aware the crew of Alien chronologically-back-flipped before 1962- when the Sovs made Planeta Bur -Planet of Storms.

See! Proof that time travel does exist! 

[shaolin_monkey]

My Prometheus cinema partner has unfortunately just gone on holiday for a fortnight, so I've got to wait before I can see it.  On the plus side, I'm having an 8 hour tattoo session on my back tomorrow - there's no way I would be able to sit still in a cinema seat after that, so it's probably just as well my pal ain't around!   

[HdE]

Early reactions are starting to trickle in across the interwebz. So far, early signs are good.

Critical reaction seesm to be waffly, useless, and a bit sniffy. Which is most likely a sign that the film is great.

[Beaky Smoochies]

Early reactions are starting to trickle in across the interwebz. So far, early signs are good.
Critical reaction seesm to be waffly, useless, and a bit sniffy. Which is most likely a sign that the film is great.

The only opinions I'll take to the bank are those of y'all on the forum here, and when giving your considered opining on the movie, for pity's sake, be as liberal as possible - five words I NEVER thought I'd say - with the spoiler blocks please... I'll say this straight out though, if the Space Jockey turns out to be Keyser Soze, I'm walking out right there...

[Beaky Smoochies]

Early reactions are starting to trickle in across the interwebz. So far, early signs are good.
Critical reaction seesm to be waffly, useless, and a bit sniffy. Which is most likely a sign that the film is great.

Not according to the 'Empire' review - http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137119 - they basically take a rubber hose to it, and then give it a kicking for good measure...

[JOE SOAP]

Not according to the 'Empire' review - http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137119 - they basically take a rubber hose to it, and then give it a kicking for good measure...

Ha, they gave the Phantom Menace 3 stars too. So are they saying Prometheus is as bad a it or did Scott not pay his shill bill?


It is a latter-day Ridley Scott film so it wouldn't surprise me if it's not the great shaekes people have built up in their heads.

[JOE SOAP]

That Empire review actually seems refreshingly honest and not the gushing reverence of old. Highlights a lot of the same problems Scott has had in many of his films.


Next up: Blade Runner II - Unicorns Get Angry.

[radiator]

Early reactions are starting to trickle in across the interwebz. So far, early signs are good.

Critical reaction seesm to be waffly, useless, and a bit sniffy. Which is most likely a sign that the film is great.

Isn't it more likely that it's just a massively overhyped, ultimately mediocre film by a director who has spent the last 20 years making largely mediocre films?

To me the enormous budget for the film and the apparent focus on spectacle betrayed a lack of confidence by the filmmakers - if they had genuinely great ideas then they would have been able to deliver a thrilling film on a third of what this film cost.

People built this up waaaaay too much - hopefully the lukewarm reviews will lower people's expectations to a realistic level so they can actually enjoy it.

[dweezil2]

Early reactions are starting to trickle in across the interwebz. So far, early signs are good.
Critical reaction seesm to be waffly, useless, and a bit sniffy. Which is most likely a sign that the film is great.

Not according to the 'Empire' review - http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137119 - they basically take a rubber hose to it, and then give it a kicking for good measure...

I can't remember the last time I paid any attention to an Empire review. They gave The Hunger Games a 4 star rating and the film's a pile the also gave the far inferior Sherlock Holmes sequel 4 stars.
It's very fashionable to bash Scott, as it was Kubrick years before, so I don't pay attention to those dissenting voices either.
I'll be making up my own mind when I see it at the London IMAX tomorrow. But yes it's very likely it will live up to expection. How could it? It's Scott revisiting the Alien franchise after 30 years-the weight of expectation is just too great. However if it's worse than those deplorable AvP movies I will be very, very suprised.

[JOE SOAP]

It's very fashionable to bash Scott, as it was Kubrick years before

Is it fashionable? Judging by every forum and media interview the opposite is true, it's like he could do no wrong, so there's nothing wrong with pointing out his misses amid the flurry of hype and bombast. 

Kubrick was bashed cos he made a bad last film not for his older track record which tends to be mostly praised. They aren't particularly comparable anyway.


I'll see it anyway, out of curiousity, but it'd be better if films weren't prostituted so intensely, expensively and as if it's the second coming, especially when they fail to deliver on that promise.

[radiator]

Is it fashionable? Judging by every forum and media interview the opposite is true, it's like he could do no wrong, so there's nothing wrong with pointing out his misses amid the flurry of hype and bombast. 

Totally agree - I even got attacked by a friend of a friend on facebook for daring to suggest that Scott hadn't made a decent film in years. It's like people have selective amnesia with the guy. I'll freely admit that I've got a bee in my bonnet about this film - but that's due to the gushing praise, towering expectations and borderline obnoxious marketing push it's receiving.

Imo, Scott suddenly deciding to revisit his two biggest past glories 30+ years later suggests either a lack of confidence in his ability to come up with something new - or more likely an increasing struggle to get his new projects financed, as he hasn't had a solid hit since Gladiator - neither of which is a good basis to make a cinematic masterpiece.

if it's worse than those deplorable AvP movies I will be very, very suprised.

I don't think anyone's saying this is the new Phantom Menace - but I'd be amazed if it's anything other than workmanlike and ultimately a bit forgettable.

[dweezil2]

Early reactions are starting to trickle in across the interwebz. So far, early signs are good.
Critical reaction seesm to be waffly, useless, and a bit sniffy. Which is most likely a sign that the film is great.

Not according to the 'Empire' review - http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=137119 - they basically take a rubber hose to it, and then give it a kicking for good measure...

I can't remember the last time I paid any attention to an Empire review. They gave The Hunger Games a 4 star rating and the film's a pile the also gave the far inferior Sherlock Holmes sequel 4 stars.
It's very fashionable to bash Scott, as it was Kubrick years before, so I don't pay attention to those dissenting voices either.
I'll be making up my own mind when I see it at the London IMAX tomorrow. But yes it's very likely it will live up to expection. How could it? It's Scott revisiting the Alien franchise after 30 years-the weight of expectation is just too great. However if it's worse than those deplorable AvP movies I will be very, very suprised.

Damn typo! Of course I meant it's very "unlikely" that it will live up to expectation. Doh!

My Scott/Kubrick comparison was based on their creation of seminal movies and their influence, longevity and standing in the business. Also the accusation by many that their movies are concerned with aesthetic perfection over narratice and humanity.

[Mangamax]

A big perk (sometimes) of being a Projectionist is having to run a film through before the public sees it.
Its an even bigger perk when its a film you've been dying to see.
So this morning saw me all alone in a 350-seat auditorium, being paid to watch "Prometheus" - what could be bad about that eh?
Sadly, the film.
It starts well and looks terrific - although setting it only 80 years from now is a BIG mistake. No way will we have technology that advanced by then.
The Prometheus ship itself is excellent and i'll be buying the inevitable kit, and the interiors are very close to the Nostromo's, tying both films together there. I can buy a prequels technology being better than the film that follows as the prequels ship is a state of the art craft while Alien's is a beat-up tug.
So far, so good then.
The film unfolds at a nice sedate pace, again similar to Alien, there's a few lines that are near indentical from Alien & Aliens, which i'm surprised at Ridely for doing and up to the half-way point i was really rather enjoying it.
But, when it all starts to kick off, something so absurd and so unbelievable happens that i was taken right out of the film with a real "whaaaat??????" moment. Its totally ludicrous and the film suffers from that moment on because of it, as you're reminded of it in pretty every scene from then on.
That'd be bad enough, but then we start to get explanations.
For everything.
The whole point of calling Alien "Alien" was because of the mystery and how what they encounter is so Alien to us.
Well now its not.
This is spoiler-free, so i can't say why, but every reason and every explanation reduces the established continuity down to some dumb-ass, cliched crappy seen it all before type of SF film.
Just the same way the Thing reboot was.
We also get along the way, almost word for word dialogue from the first 2 films, characters stolen from the first 2 films, scenes lifted from the first 2 films.
And the new creature designs...
Those in Alien and Aliens are truly worthy of being called classic and iconic.
These are not.
Again, i refer you to the Thing reboot.
Such, such a shame.
The whole thing comes across not so much in the style of Alien, its much more Sunshine mixed heavily with Mission To Mars.
Such a shame.
If Alien is a 10 (which it is) then Aliens is a 9. And this is a 6.