Author Topic: Prometheus  (Read 4251 times)

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Offline Erik L (OP)

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Prometheus
« on: September 13, 2012, 02:50:39 PM »
Saw this the other day. One thing that didn't make sense was the alien attacking the humans. The android talked to him and then got his head ripped off. That entire sequence made no sense to me at all.

Offline Beersatron

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #1 on: September 13, 2012, 03:13:57 PM »
Saw this the other day. One thing that didn't make sense was the alien attacking the humans. The android talked to him and then got his head ripped off. That entire sequence made no sense to me at all.

My thoughts:
The android told them that they were from Earth, the big alien's original mission was to destroy all life on Earth so he attacked them.
 

Offline Erik L (OP)

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #2 on: September 13, 2012, 03:45:57 PM »
According to imdb.com, he said "This man is seeking more life. He believes you can give it to him." referring to Weyland. But that still doesn't explain the head-ripping. I'm guessing a simple "No" would have sufficed.

Offline HaliRyan

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #3 on: September 13, 2012, 10:24:16 PM »
There was a huge amount of stuff in that movie that didn't really make sense.  :(
 

Offline Panopticon

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #4 on: September 13, 2012, 11:32:08 PM »
Worst. Archaeologists. Ever.
 

Offline Erik L (OP)

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2012, 11:37:22 PM »
In theory, there are going to be two more sequels that are going to tie this timeline to Alien, Aliens, Alien3, etc., ad nauseum.

Offline sloanjh

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #6 on: September 14, 2012, 10:39:03 AM »
There was a huge amount of stuff in that movie that didn't really make sense.  :(

You mean like "Gee, we're here on an alien planet, with two guys stuck overnight off the ship, and we're not even going to keep a com watch?"

Was very disappointed with this movie....

John
 

Offline SteelChicken

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #7 on: September 14, 2012, 03:59:21 PM »
Visually the movie was brilliant, but story wise, dialogue, etc, it was horrible.   No one will take sci-fi seriously if you have to abandon common sense to participate.   
 

Offline Sematary

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #8 on: December 28, 2013, 01:45:36 PM »
I know this is a bit of necroing but I figured I would post a reply here instead of creating a new thread and referring to this. There is apparently a lot of stuff that Ridley Scott came up with for explaining things, like why there is the head ripping, that didn't make it into the movie. I am hoping for a director's cut or something similar to eventually come out and put in all the backstory that can be found online that makes this a much better movie.
 

Offline MarcAFK

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #9 on: December 28, 2013, 07:33:26 PM »
I guess I'm probably alone here in that I loved it, I didn't notice the flaws until they were pointed out online, which is odd since I'm always the guy who dissects and analyses the film verbally to the annoyance rs other cinema patrons. I suppose the ability of a film to suspend disbelief depends on how well it captures the viewers attention and imagination and I was particularly open to the genre at the time.
" Why is this godforsaken hellhole worth dying for? "
". . .  We know nothing about them, their language, their history or what they look like.  But we can assume this.  They stand for everything we don't stand for.  Also they told me you guys look like dorks. "
"Stop exploding, you cowards.  "
 

Offline Sematary

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #10 on: December 28, 2013, 08:14:38 PM »
I guess I'm probably alone here in that I loved it, I didn't notice the flaws until they were pointed out online, which is odd since I'm always the guy who dissects and analyses the film verbally to the annoyance rs other cinema patrons. I suppose the ability of a film to suspend disbelief depends on how well it captures the viewers attention and imagination and I was particularly open to the genre at the time.

No, you aren't. I didn't notice them either until people pointed them out.
 

Offline boggo2300

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #11 on: January 01, 2014, 02:34:58 PM »
Half your luck,  I struggled to see anything but the flaws  :(

Matt
The boggosity of the universe tends towards maximum.
 

Offline Theodidactus

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #12 on: January 10, 2014, 02:26:14 PM »
I'm not picky with regard to my science fiction. Like, I really un-ironically enjoy a lot of campy science fiction, but I think Promethius actually did a terrible job suspending disbelief. In my opinion, they massively violated cinema kosher by mixing gravity and gaiety, both in HUGE amounts. When you say things at the outset like "I have spent my entire lifetime contemplating the questions: Where do we come from? What is our purpose? What happens when we die? And I have finally found two people who convinced me they're on the verge of answering them." you are going to invariably short-circuit the part of my brain that would otherwise be okay with all of the following things:

- astroarcheologists on the most important mission in the entire sphere of human history touch, electrify, inhale, smoke, and screw everything they encounter.

- Von Daniken style paleo-aliens that intervened at many points in human history, enough to leave maps all over the world, but apparently hate us and consider us as dust and don't mind killing us for fun...also, apparently they left us little maps to their secret bioweapons research lab.

- totally implausible biology on both the micro and macro scale

- lack of discernible goals or motivations in all levels of antagonists, from weyland (why did he lie about coming?), to the android (why did he infect that one guy?),  to the space jockeys (why did they create humans... then direct humans to their bioweapons facility...then kill them...then try to destroy earth?)

it's not simply that they do this at the beginning and then things return to normal. They lace the whole movie with really important conversations about teleology and mortality and stuff, which forces me to use parts of my forebrain usually inactive when watching things like "Predators" or "Pacific Rim"

I know this is a bit of necroing but I figured I would post a reply here instead of creating a new thread and referring to this. There is apparently a lot of stuff that Ridley Scott came up with for explaining things, like why there is the head ripping, that didn't make it into the movie. I am hoping for a director's cut or something similar to eventually come out and put in all the backstory that can be found online that makes this a much better movie.

This to me is a HUGE warning sign that something has gone wrong. I recall having conversations regarding both "Halo" and the Star Wars movies to the same effect: any reasonably creative person, if they sit down and think on it long enough, can connect things into a coherent explanation* for why weird stuff happens. The question is whether things happen for a plausible reason for your audience, that is, is the explanation contained in the movie...or, if it isn't...is there a good reason for the lack of reason.





* here's mine: The jockeys created humans because they wanted a prototype for a grander creation. Earth is Mk. I and Mk. II was being built on that new planet. We were supposed to be exterminated by a later crew but in building mk. II, something went horribly wrong and the space jockeys died, never returning to earth again. The cave paintings were elements in the human collective unconcious which also prompted the expedition, hence destroying the implausibility of going to this planet on a hunch...humans are programmed to want to go to that planet. Weyland pretended not to come because his plan was to, behind the scenes, kill every member of the ship in order to make contact ALONE with his android, which explains the android's malice. Headrip happens because the jockeys know Mk. I humans are Mk. II weapons, like the garden of eden allegory (deeply implanted in our subconscious), they know that now that we have knowledge the only thing that prevents us from becoming exactly like them is eternal life. Weyland's quest for eternal life is their worst fear.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2014, 08:37:25 AM by Theodidactus »
My Theodidactus, now I see that you are excessively simple of mind and more gullible than most. The Crystal Sphere you seek cannot be found in nature, look about you...wander the whole cosmos, and you will find nothing but the clear sweet breezes of the great ethereal ocean enclosed not by any bound
 

Offline MarcAFK

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Re: Prometheus
« Reply #13 on: January 10, 2014, 05:59:49 PM »
That makes a lot of sense, I remember having similar difficulties believing the plot of battleship until someone pointed out that the aliens were probably peacekeepers or something who wanted to avoid civilian casualties hence avoided nuclear weapons or glazing from orbit, or they were just scouts who wanted first contact and we are huge jerks.
" Why is this godforsaken hellhole worth dying for? "
". . .  We know nothing about them, their language, their history or what they look like.  But we can assume this.  They stand for everything we don't stand for.  Also they told me you guys look like dorks. "
"Stop exploding, you cowards.  "