porntrooper
Posts: 2497
Joined: 6/9/2006
From: Sheffield
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Since catching this on Saturday I've been thinking about it on/off a lot. During Snow White yesterday, all I was thinking about was Prometheus (Yes, Snow White is utter dog shit).
I've gone back and forth on a few points, on the bits I lvoed, on the bits I felt were missing or poorly explained, and on the bits I thought were pretty piss poor, but each time I come back to a place where I think "that was a pretty damn good film". It really does exa tly what Ridley Scott had been talking about..... no direct feed into Alien, but a link it in't universe and in it's dna. It takes the Space Jockeys, expands upon them and essentially introduces the idea of where the Xeno life-cycle begins, via mutation, bio weaponry and introduction of other forms of dna.
I mentioned some thoughts in the review thread and I'll try not to go over them again, but I will say that my biggest complaint remains with the films score. It reminded me of The Day After Tomorrow, and for some reason suggested American patriotism rather then the sense of exploration, discovery and wonder I assume it was aiming for. On top of being not very good, it also felt very, very intrusive and there were scenes that I feel may have benefited from silence, or a least a less in your face score. I think the should do a 'Troy: Directors Cut' on this and totally replace the music.
I really liked the majority of the characters we got to know, with David, Janek, Shaw and Vickers being the stand outs. What surprised me was Holloway, I really expected to hate him, but I thought he was pretty well played. I loved the whole 'David Alone' sequence, prior to the crew waking up, it was really great. The movie looks great and there were some top notch effects work and thinking back, none of the creature designs bugged me (more on that later) as they seem to have bugged others.
The recreation of the 'Alien' universe was really well done. From the design of the ships interior to the crews casual wear, uniforms and space suits, to the subtle links in the sound design, it really felt like the Prometheus crew couold walk up and interact with the crew of the Nostromo and it wouldnt feel out of place or odd. They definately inhabit the same world and they pulled it off on screen really well. Loved the swen on badges seen on some crew shirts and overalls, really remeniscent of thoase from Alien. I loved the sound design on the ships computer and the quality of chatter coming through via radio. I loved that during darkness the Prometheus lit up in hundreds of small lights, just like the Nostromo and that it had a huge radar on top too. These sublte links really sold it as being the same movie universe.
There are parts that bothered me though, mostly with how the story played out and how the crew interact and respond to events. It really feels, as has been mentioned, that there are huge chunks missing from the narrative, and I hope an extended cut is released on Blu. The whole first half of the movie felt fine, but it's around the time Millburn and Fifield get 'lost' that things start to unravel and parts seem to have been lost in the edit. I can accept those two get lost trying to escape the temple/station, or at least, I can if there is some explanation how. Given that Fifield was the guy responsible for mapping out the structure with his pups, it just didnt make sense that he was immediately lost. However, I can let that go, it's some of the later scenes that really feel rushed, poorly written and edited. So, as soon as Shaw tries her escape from the medics it starts to make little sense and needs more time to explain what the fuck is happening. Why does no one give chase when she escapes? When she has finished her surgury, she walks in on Daveid/Weyland etc, David helps her but makes no mention of her pregnancy, and no one seems to care to ask why she is injured and covered in blood...why!?! It needs a scene between Shaws sugury and the discovery of Weyland. As Shaw later encounters Janek they discuss what he needs to do, to not let anyone leave the planet, but he never really questions what is happening or what happened to her. Intercut with the surgury scene is the return of Fifield and it feels totally unneccesary. I dont mind that his corpse is somehow mutated with no explanation, it's just that the scene is used to get rid of characters we dont know and it is then never referred to again. Why doesnt Janek tell Shaw about it, why does no one bring it up? As I say in the review thread, it really does remind me of situations in the show 'Lost', where characters woulg go through some crazy situations and encounter wierd strange people, but never actually ask the questions that need answering, or they would never discuss things later when sat round camp. Really infuriating at times. I just hope there is a lot removed here that can be put back in an extended cut. Having said that, I still really really enjoyed it. I still love that this movie didnt just try to tie directly to the Derelict on LV-426. I love that the Space Jockey in Alien still has mystery and this movie didnt try to fill all the gaps. A lot of Alien's power comes from that mystery, so it's good that Prometheus and it's flaws haven't detracted from that great original movie. However, it is a shame that Prometheus couldnt answer a number of questions within it's own story.
Another bit of mystery that I'm still enjoying within Prometheus and Alien is the creation cycle of the Xeno's. Am really glad this one is still open and I love that it's causing so much discussion. I know a lot of people are really annoyed by the life cycle of creatures on display in Prometheus, but I kinda really like it and I like that it isnt all laid out in front of us. It's pretty clear that the Space Jockeys are terraforming/creating life, as is shown in that awesome opening sequence (the only time, I thought the score worked). They create life on Earth using whatever it is they use and the break down of their DNA is then recreated on Earth in primitive form, leading to humans. As David seems to indicate, to create life you must first destroy, (kinda a theme throught the Xeno lifecycle anyway) and the Space Jockeys do this to create us by essentially killing one of themselves. I like that idea, that the life comes from death/creation from destruction etc. It isnt a theme of the Alien movies, but it fits with their life cycle. So, life on Earth is created and is happily bobbing along and then the Space Jockeys decide to wipe us out, and from this military station they're to set out in their ships to drop their cargo of black goo on Earth to destroy us and (presumably) start again. However, something happens at the military station that wipes out all but one of the Jockeys, yea? Well, Fifled and Millburn find the dead Jockeys and from the description of what they see, it sounds like a chest burster of sorts? So, I'm thinking that the black goo these guys have created works differently on different kinds of life forms yea, and I think that if it infects Jockeys, it creates that prototype xenomorph. There is a picture of it on the mural in the amuple chamber and I think that is acting as the warning to the Jockeys...."Dont get this on you, or we have to deal with these fuckers. We're the ultimate creators, but with this inside us, we create the ultimate killing machines.". I guess like a "Dont forget to wear your goggles!" sign on a factory floor! So, I'm guessing that during the scramble to leave to head to Earth, black goo escapes and Jockeys are infected. Some die in the station (and are found by Fifield) but one escapes after being infected and it is his ship that crashes on LV-426 and becomes the derelict. The resultant proto-xeno is a Queen and (as was indicated by the external egg sack on the xeno at the end of the movie) it lays the eggs of Facehuggers, which are then found by Kane and the human element is introduced to the Xeno, creating the bastard Alien we know and love.
As for the mutations in Prometheus, when Holloway is infected and mutating he has sex with Shaw, now I didnt read it that Shaw then becomes infected and that her reproductive cycle mutates to create this evil squid thing. I more read it that what is in Shaw is Holloways mutated sperm (a rather minging thought, but one which again fits in with themes of reproduction and impregnation from the Alien movies) and it mutates in her due to her infertility. It can't move into the next stage of life due to her infertility, so continues to mutate within it's mutant sperm form. After it's removed it continues to mutate and, as the whole point of sperm it to essentially kick off fertilisation of eggs, it mutates into a creature that directly creates life through fertilisation/impregnation. Which it does to the Space Jockey and creates the resultant proto-xeno. I dunno, this is speculation on my part, but I love that the themes of mutation here in Prometheus, really do link into the themes of reproduction and impregnation in Alien. It does all tie in thematically and the life cycle of the xeno's can really start to be built from the foundations here in Prometheus.
Apologies for the long, long rambling post, but I've been thinking hard on it and wanted to puke out my thoughts to the forum.....
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RE: PROMETHEUS - 
), we're left with Shaw and the others, they go through that stuff with the head and the atmosphere changing etc., they flee because the weather gets bad and then we discover that those other two are inexplicably lost? Despite the others finding their way out with no problems? Was there a reason they couldn't get on the blower and ask for directions or something, given they were still on the super-advanced radar? Really felt like stuff was missing from that sequence.
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