Confused by the mixed reviews.

@ BugHunter, I think these discussions are always complicated by the fact that movie opinions are completely subjective. I mean I know people who like Alien Rez better than the original Alien. Sometimes the things you love about a film are the very things someone else hates. One need look no further than the massive success of the SAW or Twilight franchises to see that. There is also the issue of what makes someone think. Some people love ambiguity and an absence of information but other's enjoy being saturated with complexity. I think the extremely subjective nature of movie watching probably means it will be impossible for people from both sides to come to an agreement on whether the film was bad or good as a whole.

I think you hit the nail on the head, I am also an older viewer and I see the complaints as nit picking nothing more. Of course this would not have happened in the day as we did not have Internet communication where every snob and over zealous fan can recite their utter disappointment at what should have been a life changing experience for them. as they have completely lost grips with reality. Bottom line, its a great film and I am proud to be one of the unblind. People are interpreting this film in so many ways, I find that interesting. The funny thing is that some people seem to have been expecting Citizen Kane with monsters. This film stands heads taller than anything that has been attempeted recently bar District 9 and that a compliment. We have here, a great start to something that could be greater if continued, and I hope it is.

I think a lot of it has to do with people expecting answers from the original Alien. Fair enough, it's going on it's own tangent away from Alien, but if it's set in the same universe, let alone the same star system that was in the original, I don't think it's too unforgivable of people to hope for some answers. This movie has been marketed as an Alien movie through and through, you can't honestly tell me it has not, and I think people have been hoping for some more substance than what they've seen. If some new questions had been asked while at the same time answering one or two of the old ones, I would be quite happy with that, as I'm almost certain many other Alien fans would. It seems though, from what I've been hearing, that it raises more questions while not even bothering to answer some old ones. Which seems rather, dare I say it, fucked. If there is a sequel in the next 10 years, will Ridley Scott be directing it, or will he be too old at that stage to follow up what he began here? I don't think it is unfair for fans to feel like they have been ripped off somewhat. I still have 2 days to wait before I can see it, which also annoys the crap out of me because it should have had a simultaneous world-wide release as far as I'm concerned. As soon as I have I'll post a review here, but I have had to lower my expectations considerably from what I have been reading/seeing.

Good for you if you liked it :) As I've already said, the cinematography is superb. But for me the scriptwriting has flaws. And that is the reason why i haven't had the time of my life while watching this movie. I am also old (let's say more than 40 :) and I was not expecting something really related to Alien. That was in fact a good idea to make a stand alone movie which could explore the origins of the space Jockey. I was not waiting for chestbursters or aliens. I guess this movie should have a 3 hrs duration to set the pace, learn the different characters, and avoid some dangerous cuts during editing. Let's say it's like reading a book with some blank pages in it. And i'm not speaking about questions left unanswered like the reasons why SJ react like that with humans.This kind of questions could easily be left for the watcher's imagination or for a sequel. Maybe, with a director's cut, the script will be in better shape. That's all i'm waiting for.

And before you ask, I am 31 in July and grew up watching the Alien movies, in fact I'm certain I've viewed Alien more than 100 times, and every time I see it I want to know how that ship ended up there and why it's pilot had a cargo hold full of Alien eggs. After 20 years of asking the question, I'd appreciate some kind of answer from the man that helped create the original. Dan O'Bannon is still the man that birthed this universe as far as I'm concerned.

We all saw the same movie... Only what I saw I didn't like. How is that confusing to you? Is it because most of the people who saw it don't share YOUR opinion? Welcome to the real world.

And it was bound to happen Charlie

From everything I've read, the chief issues that critics (at least the ones that I [u]trust[/u]) are citing are: poor pacing in the 2nd half, undeveloped characters (save for the leads), clumsy plotting, amateurish dialogue, and what apparently is a cheap-ish, tacked-on ending...in other words, the script is the problem. By contrast, the cinematography, direction, production design, and certain of the 'setpiece' sequences in particular (as well as Fassbinder's performance) are all receiving nearly universal praise. I'll be seeing it this weekend, and making up my mind for myself. And yes, I'm an [i]Alien[/i] fanboy, but we shouldn't have to be fanboys to enjoy this film. By the same token, we shouldn't let our enthusiasm for it rob us of our ability to be objective - otherwise our opinions would be even less relevant than the opinion of the average joe who goes to see the film.

at cypher : I totally agree with you. Why on earth do they decide to release this movie first in Europe ? I am puzzled. That is really really frustrating for you.

And some people loved it, welcome to the real world.

Charlie, your bitterness shows in nearly every post you make. I think the real world would be a wake up call for you as well. :-)

Extremely frustrating. I've literally been waiting 20 years for this. I know 2 days is not long, but it just does not make any sense as to why Fox decided to release it this far apart in different countries...... Unless they are putting in a different ending or something...................

CharlieDontSurf, most people are idiots do you really want to be part of that club?

I agree Cypher. It is a bad way to release a film.

Hi Mizere and the Machine, this is my first post. I have prowled these forums and gleaned information through everyone's posts since before i even had an account, and all I can say is i haven't been more excited to see this movie. It hasn't come out in the states yet but ill be seeing it at midnight in Imax 3d. I know this movie will not disappoint me as its a movie i can appreciate on multiple levels which is a relief to the bland horror movies they make these days.

Cypher they might pull a Blade Runner on it but I would not recommend it, the film is good enough as it is.

And it's left me in the unenviable position of having to be exposed to the spoilers as they were revealed, I wanted to go in with a fresh mind regarding the movie, so I think I'll have to meditate heavily and clear my mind before I see it. Like I've said before, I can deal with it not being the same Space Jockey from the original, I can deal with it going off on it's own tangent, but the way it has been marketed had led me to believe I would be happy with getting a couple of my questions answered whilst having a few new ones to ask in regards to the Alien universe. I didn't want to have to wait for a sequel to this to get those answers, and Force forbid if they never are, I would not be a very happy camper if they aren't. The very first time I saw the teaser trailer with the crashing ship, my first reaction was, quite literally " :-O THAT'S THE SHIP THEY FOUND IN ALIEN!!!"

BloodBrother, I suspect you will enjoy it, some people go in expecting faults and search like madmen for them in the shadows where they (if they look hard enough) wil find them. I am a massive Alien, Predator, Sci Fi fan and I loved it, because I can appreciate it for what it is a great Sci FI film, not the second comming of Christ, which I'm sure I would find less entertaining.

I cannot believe members on here covering for Prometheus all the time. It was terrible! no ifs or buts about it! I'm not a hater or a dwarf or hobbit whatever u Internet freaks call them lol first time I've ever posted on a website, and I've had Internet since 1997! Seriously this movie falls behind alien ressurection it's that bad. I've been so looking forward to this movie since it was first mentioned. I don't think any new movies these days or in the future will ever have the "magic" cult classic movies had in the 70's 80's and early 90's, wouldn't you agree?

I'm sorry to say it but I do actually agree with that statement.

The complaints I have read from critics have nothing to do with the Alien connection. Most imply that the script does not do justice to the big topics this film is trying to address (creation, meeting our makers, immortality, etc...). I have been somewhat baffled that people who state the the film had great visuals and was entertaining cannot understand why people looking for a deeper story did not like the film. There have been many entertaining films with great visuals in recent years (Inception, Avatar, X-Men: First Class, The Avengers) that some people did not enjoy. What this film tried to do was to tackle big issues that many people are very serious about and, from the many negative reviews I've read, it seems the script did not respect that. It seems like the story was very formulaic and offered the standard "commercial" film experience it thought general audiences expected (minor characters dying off one by one, plenty of violent monsters, heroine kicking butt, happy ending, xeno at the end) INSTEAD of doing something new and original and going off in its own direction.

I think the problem is this: It's a hardcore sci-fi movie (...well, that, and the ending *was* kinda goofy...). It has been such a lamentably long time since *true* science fiction got any kind of real backing in Hollywood that it's a complete curve-ball to try to mass-market in this age. It's obvious to me from reading many of the reviews that what a lot of people are really complaining about is that this a film that requires the viewer to do some *thinking*, and possibly answer a few questions for themselves. Still, it's hovering at around 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes (i.e. it's a hit - at least in Europe), so I think it's safe to say that it's appreciated. I also think it's safe to say, if nothing else, that this is a film that will be talked about and debated for years, which is a lot better than something cut-and-dried and completely self-explanatory if you ask me.

@ dtrisml I do not think the statement, "what a lot of people are really complaining about is that this a film that requires the viewer to do some *thinking*" is very fair to many of the people who did not like the film. In essence, it suggests that they did not like it because they are not intelligent enough to appreciate it. From reading many of the negative reviews on this site and others, I have learned that there are some very smart people who did not like the film one bit and whose past favorite films are high brow science fiction movies. I think it is important to be aware of how your comments will be interpreted by members of this site who may not agree with you. For the sake of civility I think we should refrain from using phrases akin to: "If you like this film then you must be..." or "If you didn't like this film then you are...".

Well You only have 2 days left to figure it by yourself don't you ? :)

haven't you... Drat... Question tags are such a pain for french people....

I'm not getting into another one of these debates, but I had to say I really like this statement from the OP: [i]In fact, it actually bothers me that we have a unique film in our midst and people are complaining about the most baseless trivialities. In a world where horrible movies like Saw and The Hangover get huge amounts of money at the box office , we are given a beautiful film full of ideas, a story that is near heartbreaking and the beginning of something that could be huge (with any sequels) and people are poo-pooing because somebody plays a flute in it.[/i] Prometheus is a film that makes us THINK and is a rare sight these days with films like Twilight, The Hangover, Saw, etc... We should appreciate Prometheus for what it is and not for what you wanted it to be. And it definitely does not fall BELOW Alien Rez.. That's a ridiculous statement to make on any account. Perhaps go re-watch Alien Rez before making that statement, specifically the last 30 minutes... *facepalm* Welcome to the boards [b]Mizere[/b], glad to have you with us! I think you nailed it with your post up there. I really like the points you brought up.

i jsut love the movie! it is amazing! just watched it.. (moderated)

@ dtrisml gotcha.

very nice movie...

Mizere... I haven't seen the movie yet and I have to say that I'm happy to see a post that understands the level of expectations a film can create. I myself am looking forward to seeing what Ridley Scott has created. I've always been a big fan and I take each of his films as they come. What I'm looking for in this film has to do more with the concept of science and religion. With religion is GOD. With science is evolution. They both have flaws. Mostly because of our own inability to grasp what we don't understand, but in a basic sense Religion is obvious with it's faith and science with it's missing link. The difference sometimes is how we were brought up... I myself am somewhat religious, but not practicing... on the other hand with more knowledge, I have more questions... Discovery is so interesting, but the reality of what we find may not be. It may be beautiful... or frightening. If we can't see past our own trivial criticisms and explore the mind of the artist, then we might not ever see another film with this kind of ambition. I don't think most people understand how hard it is to get a film like this made. Hollywood won't see the point to do it again if it doesn't make the kind of money it needs to make. I plan to see it and see it again and I hope more people do for the sake of the genre. The good news is that Ridley is not finished with this genre so I'm very pleased, as I'm sure most of you are as well.

I think my statement was fairly clear and to the point. If people *choose* to interpret it in some broad, sweeping fashion and then take offense at their interpretation of it, i don't see how I can really do anything about that, but I don't think I (or anyone) should have to walk around the board on eggshells terrified that someone *might* elect to take a general observation that's thrown out there personally. You know? If people are that insecure about their opinions and conclusions, maybe they should be more selective about what they do or don't expose themselves to...

Do not post links to pirated material on this site, thanks.

@ Freeze! Who was posting links to pirated material?

There must be something wrong with you if you thought the movie was "amazing" yes visually but that's about it seriously!

@Drakeequation, nice name by the way! To answer your question, I have it moderated now. Links to sites hosting pirated material have been appearing, as well as this thread not that long ago. Gotta be quick! I wish I was this fast on my toes... LOL

Lovely. Another civilized (more or less) thread. :•) The point about audiences becoming jaded (though not being expressed precisely in that way) is a really valid one. I think compared to 1979, WE’RE BORED, because we've become conditioned to be so by an inordinate amount of content on cable, on the web, in theaters, everywhere!! In general, it's super difficult to impress us. The bar isn't even just a bar that's been raised anymore, it's a series of jungle gyms in an obstacle course that ends with a zip line through the forest in PV, Mexico where [i]Predator[/i] (I) was filmed. It's real. I've been there. I do feel, however, that getting into and connecting to/with a film is a very subjective, personal thing. I've said it before here too. The acid test is [url=http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thetreeoflife/][i]Tree of Life[/i][/url]. It's WAAAAAAAY at one end of the spectrum of public appeal. You either get it, or you don't. If you do it's utterly brilliant. If you don't, it's shite. I'm convinced that it was made without a shred of thought for those who are doomed (by a lack of, not intelligence, but life experience) to hate it. And if you'd like a counter-example at the other end of the spectrum, [u]Avatar[/u]. Made to be adored by the masses, and it is. If you don't believe me look at [url=http://boxofficemojo.com/alltime/world/]this[/url]. 2 BILLION [u]outside[/u] of the US. It transcends all cultures and languages. It is brilliantly crafted for the LCD (Lowest Common Denominator), but that includes 12-year-olds in Xian and Grandmothers with PhDs in Helsinki. I have not seen it yet, but I predict that [i]Prometheus[/i] will fall more or less in the middle of that spectrum leaning more towards [i]ToL[/i] than [i]Avatar[/i]. It will have "big ideas" yet it will be decidedly mainstream. It HAS to be mainstream because it has to make at least $325 million or so to make the right folks happy. That's the way the industry now works, and we only have ourselves to blame. They give us what we pay for. We pay for amazing visuals. We pay for human drama. We pay to see corporate giants fall. We pay for tragic deaths and existential crisis after existential crisis. I will like it not because it is perfect or even necessarily REALLY good, but largely because I'm determined to like it. I'm determined to find the [u]value[/u] in it—whatever and wherever and whenever that is. If Jar Jar Binks shows up I will be horrifically disappointed in that, but I know that there will be other good in it; somewhere. I have nothing to gain by being a snob about it one way or the other. And, if it's truly awful in every way, I'll eat a crow or two (but I'm pretty sure the crows in my neighborhood have nothing to worry about). My ampoule is half full.

I agree on most things. That said, Ridley sure misled us with the trailers that contained the horrific Alien sounds. It isn't a horror movie. He should've told that before. Second, the last hour was way too short.

big beginnings have small endings

@mizere Have to say you must have seen a completely different film than what I saw - Regarding age I am 41 and first witnessed Alien when I was 9. I have been a massive science fiction fan from very early childhood, Alien I must have seen over 100 times also. One of the most iconic, dark but beautiful well acted game changing movies in cinematic history. For you to say you dont understand why people are not liking it is statement itself that there is no point in me explaining why it is such a horribly disappointing movie. If you cant see the massive plot holes and flaws, badly written script, movie pacing, editing, certain acting then I guess you view movies through completely different eyes and brain proccessing to myself and various others. Thats not a BAD thing! In fact I am almost envious that you have obtained pleasure from Prometheus and "see it" as been a fantastic film, you have not had to go through "Prometheus Aftershock" which I have been suffering for 4 days now, after spending 2 years in excitement and anticipation for a film that (I didnt care about any Alien connection) would be a game changing, question raising, original Sci-Fi film..... That it most certainly is not my friend.........

@Mizere, I appreciate your thread and look forward to writing a review once I've seen it. I will surely ask you to join in to the conversation!