David behaved like a human, poor writing/unrealistic perfomance?

We live in an age when media has expanded to explore concepts involved in the preproduction of a film. There may have been print articles in publications like Starlog and Fangora examining the roles of Ash and Bishop but rarely were they as encompassing as the viral campaigns for Prometheus. The David 8 media and Weyland Corporation websites examined what is is to be an android. It's operating modes, behavioral algorhythms, even bits of information from the product itself. The expectation had to be set higher due to the attention to detail that the studio lavished on David 8 and other ingredients that comprise the universe of Prometheus. I didn't like the way Holloway treated him like an appliance versus a brilliant piece of engineering. It's akin to abusing a Bugatti Veyron or anything precision manufactured at great expense merely because you can. Also you have to consider that THIS David 8 may have been a prototype as it was the personal property of Peter Weyland. No doubt it may have been equipped with modifications that were lacking in the production versions available to the public.

@Ghost Solitaire; I agree with you points on David, in regards of him being Weyland's personal droid. Well said.

How else would anyone know David was an android without someone telling you. Not all androids are meant to walk around and act like ASH does. David 8 was programmed to act the way he was told to. My questions is. What does an appropriate droid act like??? The perfect droid would blend in and be indistinguishable to the lay person.

I think the performance was great actually, it's the writing that's flawed. Holloway wasn't even the first to rain on David's parade. Look at the FIRST topic that Weyland hologram uses to address a briefing. They want to know WHY they are 34.5 light years from Earth, and Shaw and Holloway want to tell them, but first, Weyland's 'ghost' will tell them that David is the closest thing he has to a son, but has no soul. Holloway was a jerk to David for no apparent reason (unlike Ripley's understandable distrust of Bishop, following her experience with the murderous Ash). When they land and it's time to suit up, Holloway calls David 'boy' for no reason. David clearly has an ego, (perhaps because he is the personal property of Weyland, he is a bit more complex than a standard servant). When Holloway makes a crack about Davids language lessons, David makes one about Holloway's 'thesis'. Later when drunk, Holloway is a real jerk to David, for no reason. Treating him like Pinocchio. David shows the audience his superior skills not just by learning languages, but by his display of basketball on a bike. This echoes Bishops motor skills (not as crazy as the knife thing, but pretty cool) and also the superhuman skills of Ripley's clone in throwing a perfect basket shot as if it was being dropped in from 1 foot away. Fassbender does quirky movements, detachment, cold unfeeling remarks and some dark humor, like when Holloway says "here's mud in your eye " (ironic, because the mud or 'goo' from the planet will soon be in his eye) and David replies "to your health" knowing that he's just infected him. He has obviously not been programmed not to harm humans, and to obey Weyland, and he shows no remorse for his actions. his concentration is great. As for whether or not Fassbender deliberately said something to enrage the Space jockey, that may be just another one of many teasers. I hear that this Lindelhof guy is known for sowing confusion. (I have no TV, and have never seen LOST) But I'd argue that it would be a silly redundant plot device for two reasons. a) this space jockey, was the pilot, he slept while the others worked on the bioweapons to wipe out mankind. He was expecting to be woken by the others when it was time to fly to Earth. Instead he awakes finds humans have roused him, which not only is offensive to him, but lets him know that the other crew is dead. This alone is sufficient motivation for him to beat them all to death b) the film is big into Mythology and 'the big questions' . Well from the myth of Prometheus, we know that the gods were very angry at humans being given the spark of fire. Or in this case, life. (I've discussed[url=http://www.prometheus-movie.com/community/forums/topic/6971] elsewhere[/url] that the seeding of Earth may have been unauthorised work by a few "engineers") and worse, they show up, having made a creation of their own - David. Most likely an abomination to their cult beliefs. So, again, death for all. What would David gain from enraging this beast? Freedom from his maker? At the price of being ripped apart? Doesn't sound like the type of deal he would go for. I think that the "everyone wants to see their parents dead" remark was really for later events, but deliberately ambiguous.