After watching Prometheus I was in perplexed and in deep thought until it hit me: Riddley Scott has an evil twin with the same name. One Riddley Scott is directing Blade Runner, Alien and Gladiator and the evil one the Prometheus.
Where to begin: the plot holes, the cardboard characters, the unbelievable scenario, the details that make no sense. I could have excused all that if there was good action to go along with the stunning visuals; if there was a strong message or a cathartic ending among the pointless running around. Alas no.
**spoiler alert** At the opening scene we see a beautiful take of what we are led to believe was primitive Earth and one of the "Engineers" while watching his spaceship take off, is apparently seeding Earth with his DNA. A civilization this advanced and he has to commit suicide for that? We then have a visual of his DNA being destroyed. If the idea is to propagate it then why destroy it? One possibility is that he could be rouge but why not suggesting that with a chase by the others in the spaceship?
The two protagonist scientists keep finding drawings in early human civilizations of a star system. Those humans were separated by hundreds or thousands years. So the engineers keep revisiting Earth again and again to give humans that star map? Weren't humans impressed by 3 meter tall aliens to make any drawings of them?
The huge ship that takes our motley crew to the distant system is actually capable of making a landing itself, not a smaller craft which would be more logical. No mother ship orbiting and scanning from above, no probes released in the planet.
Then we have a Star Trek moment when they land right next to the alien "pyramids" and how do they find them in this gazillion dollar ship with advanced technology? They look out the window!
Charlize Theron is one more of the disposable characters and mostly doing the catwalk around the ship. Her performance is wooden and her character adds nothing to the movie.
She is the daughter of the billionaire who funded the trip and while in his recording he specifically says that the two scientists are in charge, she acts like she is. Only that besides being a bitch she makes no leadership decisions.
She is the apparent heir of a person that can fund such an expedition, something that would stretch the budget of the richest nation, and she wants to come along to a trip in space that takes years each way rather than stay home and hang out with Paris Hilton's granddaughter. Oh yes, talking of fun, out of the blue she has her way with the captain - another unnecessary plot dead end.
Noomi Rapace's character is downright annoying. She is supposed to be the strong female character so well played by Sigourney Weaver in the Alien movies and fails. Not so much by the actress, it is the plot and direction that makes this character confusing to say the least. Combine that with a slightly strange expressionless face and an annoying voice with a forced accent and you struggle to find anything to like about her.
Her fellow scientist and boyfriend while at a certain point and for no apparent reason is tainted by David the android, he starts to turn into a monster, not impregnated by the alien creature. He is sleeping with her and SHE is impregnated. How is this consistent with the Alien's ways I don't know.
Then in the famous (or infamous) scene with the auto surgeon: She runs to the hugely complex and expensive machine that performs auto surgery and asks for a cesarean section; what happens then? It can't because it is calibrated only for males! OK, Meredith Vickers whom is beyond doubt a woman brings along this marvel of a machine half way across the galaxy and it is set for men only. It could be for her father but how difficult would it be to be programmed for women too?
The list goes on and on. I don't want to forget to mention the music that is annoying at places and doesn't always project the feelings on screen. This is unforgivable in such a high budget film.
I am afraid that I cannot recommend it to any scifi fan. Put one of the first two in the DVD and watch Riddle Scott at his best (The real Riddley Scott)
Where to begin: the plot holes, the cardboard characters, the unbelievable scenario, the details that make no sense. I could have excused all that if there was good action to go along with the stunning visuals; if there was a strong message or a cathartic ending among the pointless running around. Alas no.
**spoiler alert** At the opening scene we see a beautiful take of what we are led to believe was primitive Earth and one of the "Engineers" while watching his spaceship take off, is apparently seeding Earth with his DNA. A civilization this advanced and he has to commit suicide for that? We then have a visual of his DNA being destroyed. If the idea is to propagate it then why destroy it? One possibility is that he could be rouge but why not suggesting that with a chase by the others in the spaceship?
The two protagonist scientists keep finding drawings in early human civilizations of a star system. Those humans were separated by hundreds or thousands years. So the engineers keep revisiting Earth again and again to give humans that star map? Weren't humans impressed by 3 meter tall aliens to make any drawings of them?
The huge ship that takes our motley crew to the distant system is actually capable of making a landing itself, not a smaller craft which would be more logical. No mother ship orbiting and scanning from above, no probes released in the planet.
Then we have a Star Trek moment when they land right next to the alien "pyramids" and how do they find them in this gazillion dollar ship with advanced technology? They look out the window!
Charlize Theron is one more of the disposable characters and mostly doing the catwalk around the ship. Her performance is wooden and her character adds nothing to the movie.
She is the daughter of the billionaire who funded the trip and while in his recording he specifically says that the two scientists are in charge, she acts like she is. Only that besides being a bitch she makes no leadership decisions.
She is the apparent heir of a person that can fund such an expedition, something that would stretch the budget of the richest nation, and she wants to come along to a trip in space that takes years each way rather than stay home and hang out with Paris Hilton's granddaughter. Oh yes, talking of fun, out of the blue she has her way with the captain - another unnecessary plot dead end.
Noomi Rapace's character is downright annoying. She is supposed to be the strong female character so well played by Sigourney Weaver in the Alien movies and fails. Not so much by the actress, it is the plot and direction that makes this character confusing to say the least. Combine that with a slightly strange expressionless face and an annoying voice with a forced accent and you struggle to find anything to like about her.
Her fellow scientist and boyfriend while at a certain point and for no apparent reason is tainted by David the android, he starts to turn into a monster, not impregnated by the alien creature. He is sleeping with her and SHE is impregnated. How is this consistent with the Alien's ways I don't know.
Then in the famous (or infamous) scene with the auto surgeon: She runs to the hugely complex and expensive machine that performs auto surgery and asks for a cesarean section; what happens then? It can't because it is calibrated only for males! OK, Meredith Vickers whom is beyond doubt a woman brings along this marvel of a machine half way across the galaxy and it is set for men only. It could be for her father but how difficult would it be to be programmed for women too?
The list goes on and on. I don't want to forget to mention the music that is annoying at places and doesn't always project the feelings on screen. This is unforgivable in such a high budget film.
I am afraid that I cannot recommend it to any scifi fan. Put one of the first two in the DVD and watch Riddle Scott at his best (The real Riddley Scott)
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