The Prometheus has landed.
And reviews, from what I can tell, have been mixed.
Ridley Scott, who gave us Alien and Blade Runner, has returned to science fiction after a very long hiatus that has included a great number of movies I could have cared less for. When Prometheus was announced, Hollywood buzzed about Scott tackling a new sci-fi film.
Maybe it was nostalgia; maybe it was hope. Whatever the case, movie goers have waited and waited… excitement building.
Science fiction films have not fared well, to be honest. Wall-E was easily the best of the last decade. In the hands of a master storyteller and director like Ridley Scott, perhaps we’d get another great movie likes those mentioned earlier.
I was one of those people eagerly awaiting Prometheus. I am a huge science fiction fan—if it is handled with respect—and Scott has done just that in his career. I am an even larger fan of Alien and Aliens, two films that, while very different in sub-genres, are both fantastically done. Due to time constraints this last weekend though, I haven’t been able to see Prometheus. Sad but true. And in the days since its release, reviews have been almost unanimously split from what I’ve seen on movie websites and Facebook/Twitter.
Some love it scopes and the beauty of its cinematography and CGI; others have lamented its inability to finish off those high concepts in a meaningful way.
What’s the verdict for you? And should I see the movie this coming weekend?
Or save my money for the Blu-ray?
Watch it for the visual spectacle alone. The plot is rather… problematic.
It’s a shame that this astounding picture should be so hindered by terrible, terrible writing.
I saw it in AVX 3D and paid quite a premium for it. Since this was my first AVX movie, I felt it was worth it. I’m not certain I want to ever pay extra for AVX again, but I enjoyed the experience. Prometheus was somewhat disappointing for me. Except for the interesting mytho, what else did it offer? If you disregard its big production value, I felt it was no better than the score of critter movies the original Alien inspired. The creatures are seriously boring. In some scenes, it looks like the characters-turned-critters don’t even know what to do. To me, those are signs of overused clichés, and it’s sad to see that in a Ridley Scott movie. Blu-Ray would probably have been sufficient for me.
It was a great experience, even though the movie is flawed. If you have liked the first 4 Alien films, then this is a must-see. As you would expect from many Ridley Scott films, the look and feel of the film is better than the storytelling. And with the script by ‘Lost’-man Damon Lindelof, you can be sure that there are more questions than answers. The movie really felt like part 1 of a two-parter. I definitely felt they could have made the movie about 10-15 minutes longer to make some of the scenes more ‘logical’ or ‘realistic’. But to be honest, all these ‘issues’ come to mind mostly after watching the movie. While it is on-screen (I watched on IMAX 3D), I was really captivated by the images and the atmosphere.
Here’s a review I wrote a few days ago with my thoughts on it:-
http://chronophlogiston.wordpress.com/2012/06/10/prometheus-a-religious-pilgrimage-for-devotees-of-alien/
Watch Cybornetics instead! http://youtu.be/DHvrrTwbh4g
The plot was awful, the characters were thin, “This is not an Alien prequel” according to the producers, it is supposed to be a spin off, yet the only satisfying thing in the entire story is the (thin) psudo answers you get to unresolved questions in Alien.
It’s like if you took the worst possible aspects of Alien 4, then told the writer of LOST to write write a mid-season cliffhanger based on the cover art, then edited it down to a movie.
That said, it sure was pretty.
At the risk of being double moderated. Yes you should go see it. The art direction alone is amazing. The actors did a great job. The director did an amazing job. The “plotting” is so bad that it almost ruins it. Worse plotting than a reincarnated sigourney weaver alien cat hybrid clone.
Here’s my take on it:
Lots of questions posed, none answered. Cool visuals, semi-interesting characters. Not very suspensful.
Based on everything I’ve seen and heard (including right here on this blog) I’m going to wait to see it on Netflix or on Cable TV. I don’t go to the movie theater often and when I do the movie’s got to break all the barriers and shine through on every level.
Prometheus asks the big questions: where did we come from; why are we here; where are are we going; what comes after death?
Not only does it not have all the answers, it suggests we might not like them when we get them.
There are plotholes, but the film is ambitious, spectacularly gorgeous, and features the best use of 3D outside of Avatar and Hugo.
Despite some clunky dialogue and few developed characters, Michael Fassbinder, Noomi Rapace and Charlize Theron are spellbinding – and Logan Marshall-Greene gives a breakthrough performance.
Prometheus is flawed, but ultimately well worth seeing in a theater – in 3D.
Yes, enjoy the movie for what it is – an epic and beautiful scifi film that has a few plot holes but who cares, suspend disbelief and enjoy it! Forget all the criticism.