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Accurate Review (spoiler-free)

Heapheastus

MemberOvomorphJune 01, 20121043 Views17 Replies
[size=5][b]Note:[/b] This review has been marked "spoiler-free". Any spoilers posted will be removed (the entire post).[/size] -----------------------------------------------------------------i live in the UK i saw the film last night at 12.05am so it is still fresh in my mind and here is my honest unbiased opinion. Visually it is brilliant, i seriously hate films that use tons of cgi and end up with a visual that seems ott and soulless, this movie is the total opposite it looks real. You actually believe what your seeing is them on another planet and it feels lonely and vast not claustrophobic like alien. The atmosphere of the film is not scary but you are intrigued so badly to find out stuff, its has an innocent feel to it like they are exploring and stumbling upon things instead of a terror haunting them. It feels like i suppose it would feel visiting a ghost town, your aware of the unknown but your not actually scared more interested. The dialogue for many character is the weak area, apart from janak and david everyone else seems unable to get across a charecter you feel for or are interested in. While watching i couldn't help but think "damon lindeloff isnt that great a character writer, he might be good at story structure but characters, no way" Its a shame because what was great about alien was the unpredictability of the characters dialogue but with this it feels sometimes very much like an american TV show (LOST springs to mind). Idris and Fassbender give us 2 memorable characters though and i would say that Fassbender has created a sci-fi fan fave that sticks in the mind long after the film ends. It is a shame that fox did not give ridley another 45 minutes of screen time (like james cameron aslways seems to get) because that 45 minutes could of been filled with more Fassbender moments. As for the mysteries i wont spoil the movie but i thought it was unique what i was seeing, i have not seen anything touch on these subjects and psychologically as the movie went on unlike other movies that make you feel empty this movie fills you with more wonder and questions, i found myself checking my watch hoping that the movie would not end because it felt like it was slowly swelling into something really grand. The ending is genius, i did not even fathom that ending, it opens a massive opportunity for the beginning of a new franchise that has potential to leave alien behind and take on star wars. You feel gutted when the film ends but not because its a bad movie but because like a spoilt brat you cant have all the cookies in the jar you thought where going to be there, this film is like lusting after every cookie in a jar only to find that the jar only offers 3 cookies but theres a message at the bottom of the jar and it reads "Theres more cookies you know, but they aint in this Jar there in another one" ;P Why are people against it ? its simple really, when a child wants it all at once he cries and stomps his feet, because he is immature and impatient. Film deserves 2 oscars best director and best support actor and Fox should greenlight the next saga as quick as possible, but next time not via Damon lindeloff.
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brightonrock
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Heapheastus That's ace you enjoyed it. It's definitely an interesting film with ideas that and far grander than most cinema fodder. But that doesn't mean there ain't problems! I think the main issue is that if you don't understand someone's motivation, then it's hard to understand 'why' everything is happening? There were no answers given for any motivation. Now maybe 'Prometheus 2' will illuminate some of these? But for now the audience needs something and i felt that there was nowhere near enough. It was like you watched 8 episodes of a 16 part series, skipped 7, and then watched the end only to (understandbly) go '...I don't get it. Why did any of that happen?!'. Prometheus skipped 7 episodes and left us scratching our heads.
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shardy
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Bravo! great / objective / spoiler free review! you told me what i was hoping to hear. and your "cookie jar" analogy is a great way to help me understand your point of view of the film personally, i LOVE a good cookie*, and i hope to get my fill on the 8th, and i TOO hope that i sit in my seat, as the ending credits roll up, feeling like a bit of a brat, because i want more! and now, i really DO want some cookies! aaaargh! thanx for the great post Heapheastus
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brightonrock
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Oh and agreed: Fassbender was aces. Mesmerising actor.
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David 1
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Good review. Yes, please keep Lindelof at bay.
[b]Ask nothing from no one. Demand nothing from no one. Expect nothing from no one.[/b]
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eduardomonkey
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Watched it last night at 12.01, thoroughly enjoyed it. Will be back at cinema during the coming week for a second viewing, just to absorb it all. Great story, brilliantly shot, fantastic performances (Fassbender steals the show, Rapace excellent as well), special effects were top notch. Thought the score was a little over the top at times, think that is expected now with blockbusters. Left the cinema with a few questions, think that may have been RS's plan all along (set up nicely for a sequel). 4 out of 5 on first viewing, may increase on second viewing.
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epv
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i agree, just saw the movie tonight, another 45 mins would have been great. Also the character area is the weak one... Indeed there is a massive opportunity for new franchise but you will have to get a VERY good director for that, i hope if it's the case it won't be messed up.
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karlosfunkster
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Answers where given for the 'motivation' by David. The motivation was just far simpler than we could imagine. Life, and death is like that!
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karlosfunkster
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A bit like the movie, it too was far simpler than imagined by most here.
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Frantz
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I wonder what could have been prometheus with a soundtrack like Sunshine ..... BTW Lindelof was able to make 5-6 memorable character from a silly movie like Cowboys Vs Aliens ...why people give the fault on him and not to Spahits ? I think the best moments ( David Vs Halloway .... Shaw faith Vs David ...Janek ) are a Lindelof product . PS Great Review btw
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brightonrock
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@Frantz - memorable characters from 'Cowboys Vs Aliens'?! Are you serious! That was one of the WORST films i've ever seen!!! Ok, i'm being OTT here, but it was godamned awful! Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig just stood around staring at each other and mumbling. And the aliens want our gold???....why? Why do they want it? Why the hell should we care about gold? Makes no sense. Sorry if i sound like i'm having a go dude. I just REALLY hated that film! @karlosfunkster - if you truly know what the motivations REALLY were then either start a spoiler thread or message me so I can start one. There are hundreds of us dying to know. From what I can tell...no motivations were given.
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brightonrock
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@Frantz - also i think you're right about the spaihts thing. However, I reckon if it had been more of an Alien prequel I would have been turned off from the outset.
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karlosfunkster
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Brightonrock - the motivation is given during the many exchanges between the humans that David talks to - in this case the answers that man is looking for are to be found in a simple place, within. In other words the motivations of the Engineers are no different to ours in creating and replacing David, the android. I think it's simply drawing a parallel as we are a contactable God for David, yet we make no sense and appear as Brutal as the Engineer seems to us. Think about that. The hardest questions often have very simple answers that are in your face all the time - we just fail too look or see them. I think that's what the film was saying.
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brightonrock
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Karlosfunkster - that's a very astute and interesting reading of the film, and it's the best explanation i've heard so far on these boards. However for a film it is FAR too ambiguous! If indeed that is the answer at all?! I don't think it is due to certain moments in the film. I'd like to go into this more but we're getting into spoiler territory. I will say however though that your explanation is far better than ANY given in the film. Philosophical and apparent. GIve Ridders a ring...say you'll pen the sequel?
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karlosfunkster
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Ha Ha - I think it's intentional and based on a Blade Runner and Alien mashup I'd have to say that Ridleys fascinated by the fact that the answers to creation, even for the creator/s are effectively ambiguous. And this is deeply frustrating - however these creators/engineers are no Gods - just advanced Aliens. They have no more motivation than us. I think we were expecting, or Shaw was, so much more and like the viewer she gets something far more straightforward. And that's the parallel or paradox that David finds himself in. There is no God....at least not in this film...David enters into slightly goading questions about belief with Noomi throughout - although the discussions are not long. A fair few people are really angry with the film for not giving us solid answers about creation and motive - the fact that the film gives us none is as frustrating for the viewer as it must be for the characters - as we are tantalisingly close!! However Ridley and Lindelhof want you to feel that way - perhaps not hate the movie, but definitely want you to feel that you are animals as are the engineers, and they are no more divine than we are or imbued withe REAL answers than we are to the questioning Android. In fact David must be as dissapointed with humanity as we are with The Engineers.
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karlosfunkster
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David may be the most 'Divine' being in the film.
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Maiafay
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Many people are complaining the ending was "cheesy" and "sucked". And yet, I see threads like this saying it was brilliant. Not sure if people are seeing the same movie or what, lol.
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DAVROS59
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Heapheastus we must have seen different versions. Agree with you on some points but that ending was awful, convuluted predictable seen it before and cheesey. Having said that its still a well above average movie..howver the ending as our American cousins are want to say Sucked!

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