What a confused movie

Also, the two explorers who get lost... Really?! Really?! With all the tech, they couldnt find their way out or the team, even though one of them was the mapping guy ? B movie quality writing. Shamefully bad. The audience was laughing at the fassbender head talking scenes. Just so bad. Weyland comes all this way to be punked? Dumb. He's meant to be a genius. Awful anti climactic scene, meaningless. Literally meaningless because we have no idea why the engineer killed them or wants to kill the humans they created. Probably because there is no logical answer it's the height of stupidity.

@ Alienpuzzle It actually makes perfect sense, given the fact that the entire operation was "classified." That is explicitly illustrated in the viral campaign. In the movie, it's deliberately made clear that most of the crew had no idea why or where they were going before they climbed in the freezers. That could only be for reasons of operational security. Weyland plainly traded operational security for planning, training, crew coordination and cohesion. Presumably, everyone on board was to be paid quite hansomely for accepting such extreme conditions. That much, they must have known beforehand.

@latinhypercube as you said the Weyland Corp is portrayed as a bunch of amateurs. Just think about the hiring process: they hire these biologist and geologist but they apparently don't stipulate in their contract what is expected from them in the event alien lifeforms are found, so these guys just desert their jobs. What sense does it make?

Seriously? There was nothing confusing about this film. Next time pay attention when you watch a movie. "WTF kind of shit weapon is that?" One that's much better than nuclear weapons because it only affects certain organisms. Holloway and Fitfield had different dosages of the goo and got it into their systems through different means, but given enough time, Holloway would have suffered Fitfield's fate. If Holloway was already mutating, then of course he was gonna have a mutated baby. Shaw most likely produced eggs with messed up DNA, missing chromosomes, etc, which is why she was incapable of conceiving life. It wasn't a lack of reproductive parts that caused the problem. That baby came from Charlie's mutated sperm and Shaw's messed up egg. The cobra showed us that the invertebrates were enhanced by the goo. Oh and PS, the engineer's have been coming and going to earth for thousands of years messing with life and humanity. Remember that pictures of them are found in cave paintings and temples. Evolution is not really in question here. That's pretty obvious in the first half of the movie. You young people really need to develop attention spans.

@laurellestars I agree with some of what you say cos i am not young at 32 and but i thought it was awful. I watched it twice due to coming on here and slagging it off. I thought perhaps i was wrong and would eat my words. I went and watched it again to find way to many silly things in the movie happening. I still stand by what i said previously. If movies like battlefield earth or skyline had the same amount of fans as this. They would also be considered classics cos they has just as many floors yet that are slaughtered for them. Where as here we are fobbed off with "ideas" and views of what each person thinks the movie meant and cos its Ridley its classed as "Clever". I don't buy that. District 9 was mountains ahead of this story wise and delivery wise.

@artyoh Anyway, it did not work, right? Untold amounts of money went to waste and everybody got killed. They should have recruited just robots lol

It didn't actually impregnate the guy I think it just killed him and i think the goo is actually kind of unstable beacuse evoultion that quickly would definnetly be unstable so that's why it's effect varies and also could be that it mutated sperm because the creature looked kind of like sperm just with more tentacles and bigger also the fully grown squid looks alot like the original giger design or at least closer to it. The movie isn't supposed to be based on real life evolution in the universe of alien the engineers created us but it dosen't say wether it was on purpose or not it's supposed to challenge beliefs and now that i think about it who says the engineers didn't create the dinosaurs and maybe sent an asteroid that's a small possibility although probaly not likely And the alien looked crap no it actually didn't it looked different and it did look the one one on the mural maybe some engineers wanted to create it while others didn't maybe the mural was a prophecy or instructions and seriously the alien didn't look close to the one from the first one it's not supposed to look exactly like the the original but at least it's close and which do you think looks more like the other i honestly have to disagree that the engineer looks more like the original alien than the new one And it wasn't that bad it could have been alot worse so i don't think that's it's a failiure or at least a complete failiure It was meant to be a confusing movie who knows what'll happen in the sequel becuase there has got to be a sequel to a movie like this an hopefully that provides answers

Got a cracking question for all the fanboys that ignore major floors haha. Picture it ! They all board the ship playing hide and seek to get to the sleeping chambers and avoid any contact with each other. This way when they wake up they can say they do not know each others names. HOWWWWW haha

My problems were more with the actual 'realism of the science' per se. The thing that made the original Alien/Aliens awesome was that it was sci-fi that was plausible. The characters even in the future still had very human and normal responses. In this movie a lot of stuff is crammed down the audiences' throat for the sake of making a blockbuster movie. I'm talking about things like a crew of trained military and highly educated scientists doing basically crazy things like taking off their helmets in a place with alien biological material. Or the fact that no one was freaking out when they actually saw real evidence of alien life. (This might be able to be explained since they didnt say if humanity had already discovered other life in space already if they had then I can understand it) Or like the OP said the mapping guy not being able to find his way out of the pyramid, the woman having a C-Section and staples holding her stomach together but 2 hours later shes running around and doing jumps like an olympic athlete. Now I dont agree with the other rambled stuff the OP said lol.

At first I somewhat enjoyed the movie, I was thinking it was going to be like a Greek god story. It did not have much storyline to it like if it was part 1 of 5, I feel it could have been a very good movie till the Alien POP out and I LMAO because it had nothing to do with the movie at all. But I still think they can save it, next movie don't use the alien and it let just be a inside joke as I LMAO already and follow the women to their home planet and base a war on that idea and leave the alien on that planet.

@ Alienpuzzle They were screwed from the time they first took off in Weyland's private yacht, because everyone on board was completely unprepared for the trap that lay in wait for them. It actually makes sense that everything went to hell in a handbasket, so quickly and chaotically. That much was realistic to me. Other things.....this movie isn't hard sci-fi by any means...not so much.

@ Lopan Why are you assuming they were first placed in cryo aboard the ship? We've already seen folks being moved around in cryo-stasis in the other movies.

@Lopan I am quoting a review some funny guy posted earlier: 'We realize that the crew selection procedure was yet another casualty of the cuts required to ensure that they had a sodding big spaceship (SBS from here on in). At the breakfast table a rather nice biologist (played by Raef Spall, son of Timothy) introduces himself to a grumpy geologist, who is very rude. Later on, he confirms he’s the geologist, by shouting “I’m a geologist, I fucking love rocks!” as if that was the most pressing point that needed explaining. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves. The current point that needs explaining is the implication that these two crew members have managed to make it this far without actually meeting each other, and are plainly incompatible. It seems that at least one part of the crew selection procedure took the form of a raffle at an arsehole convention. Cut to Mission Briefing. The crew is gathered. Two of the chaps at the front are betting that it’s a terraforming expedition. Apparently they don’t know why they’re here either. You’d think they’d shown a little curiosity when, for instance, they were packing and saying goodbye to their loved ones. Or climbing on board the SBS. Or going into suspended animation. But no. “Where are you going darling?” “Ha ha. F*ck knows. I imagine I’ll find out sooner or later. Or not. Who cares?” “When are you coming back? “Ha ha. I’m coming back?”'

Yeah, taking their helmets off AFTER they had been mysteriously infected previously soo f*cking DUMB. Why ? No reason what was the point of Charlize's character ? Seriously WTF was the point. She does nothing in the film but call Weyland father (why?) only to end up a pancake. What was the point of her even making it off the freaking ship. No reason, meaningless. Probably just so they could have Charlize T in the trailer. Soooooo bad

Charlize Theron "We're half a billion miles away from Earth..." Just past Jupiter. Neil deGrasse Tyson - a real scientist.

I got a problem with all of these folks pointing out the obvious "flaws" of this movie. I'm not even talking about the "real issues" (which I'll state later). The fact that we are exploring planets a billion miles away within 80 to 120 years from now...is realistic? Folks, this is why it is called science fiction. I love all of the accredited (sarcasm) scientist/biologists who come in on these boards and talk about how stupid it is that the thrusters make a sound in space...REALLY??? Well, let's bastardize EVERY SINGLE FANTASY/SCI-FI MOVIE EVER MADE THEN! How boring would EVERY space scene in Star Wars be if it were "realistic". Wow, a bunch of metal ships roaming around shooting things with no sound...yea...realism...that's the experience I was going for. Then, there is the time of stasis...please, who cares? In this story it takes "x" amount of time...enough said. It's their story. Go with it. Again, this is not reality or attempting to be. Not one Star Trek geek has questioned the ridiculousness of "warp speed" or the transporter...nah, THAT'S ok LOL! I understand that most people had a problem with the actions of the crew...I did as well. However, it wasn't the obvious problems that most had. I could care less how the geologist, and the biologist high tailed it form the group it was the fact they acted like total morons once they went back to the ampule room. This was pretty much summed up by this being a privately funded, corporate mission...not governmental/military. I work for one of the biggest corporate entities in the world, and trust me...I'm surprised half of the contract help doesn't mess themselves on a religious basis. Also, Weyland had his own agenda...which we learn is all about his own self preservation...the corporation hired the grunts...typical as it is today. The other two were hired by Weyland...mystery of stupidity solved...to some degree. However, the biologist was SOOOOOOO bad (the whole trying to pet the friggin' cobra worm)...I was squirming in my seat because I felt dumberer for watching it. I enjoyed the fact he got deepthroated by the cobra worm...made the moment ok. "Why the holographic images of the SJs running from something...why would they tape themselves...this is stupid!" Well, we have black boxes that record everything on planes. We also have...wait for it...video recorders which record EVERYTHING in our buildings for security/insurance/legal, etc. purposes. Geez...this isn't a tough one. Not trying to be sarcastic, this is just so damned nitpicky it makes the ol' blood boil. One more "why" moment...why weren't the other 2 crew members watching over the 2 morons in the structure while the captain was hammering one out with Vickers? The answer I guess is really simple...the captain was watching these guys...no sense in any one else doing HIS job. How in the world did the captain know he was going to get proposed to from Vickers? Not trying to sound sexist, but c'mon...NO man, could turn down a direct order from Charlize to "steady the ship", right?? Bad judgement on his part...however, he WAS human LOL! Having Guy Pierce as a 100 plus year old Weyland is perplexing unless you partake in the viral marketing with him in it some 70 years before. The abruptness of seeing him is kind of harsh at first (when Shaw sees him after her c-section). This is one of the few actual flaws due to the pacing of the movie. However, there was a huge clue when Vickers told Shaw to not to mess with the MedPod and of course she does to get the "thing" out of her and the MedPod states that it is equipped for males...I knew something was definitely up...didn't mind how obvious it was either. Pacing problem...why does the captain know soooooo much of the "plan" of the SJs??? That was all to neat without further development. But, it is a movie and SOME answers had to be answered. Imagine if the S.O.B., Alien ruining ass, stealing of everyone on here's childhood's greatest movie of all time (sorry, I find it funny all the hate for Damon Lindelof...highly uncalled for and really discredits them by placing the blame on him for the reasons they hate the movie) DIDN'T answer at least that? WOW! One of these nutjobs would be dangerously stalking that poor man with actual death threats...more so than now! So, there was your simple answer. "No way Shaw could get a c-section, stapled up, and run around like she was...stupid and unrealistic!" Yep. So, as far as everyone is concerned in the real world, so is a xenomorph. Not grabbing my pom-poms, but c'mon...they followed the procedure to the "T". She was shot full of "something" which I would assume was for pain. Hell, if they can travel over half a billion miles, go into stasis for 2 years, be in a ship which creates gravity...I'm sure the drugs to help pain are super wicked...enough said. And, OMG...arguing the fact that Shaw's baby grew exponentially in a matter of hours is hilarious! Guess what...that is how fast it grows in this story...plain and simple. There isn't any "rules" to abide by since we don't know what the rules are at play? Look at how fast the ebola virus works...2 to 3 days...and that's in our world. I'm just saying...we are quibbling over things that don't matter one bit to whether or not the movie was entertaining. Prometheus wasn't scary like Alien where the environment was closed and compact and used the "scare tactic" of things jumping out at you and the sound track to give the effect a better shock value. But the same issues I have stated above were in Alien & Aliens (big time in JC's version) as in Prometheus. The pacing was too fast which made the movie seem like it had holes...it didn't. The things that were bad (to me) were the biologist trying to pet the snake, Vickers not running left or right, the captain revealing the SJs plot, the SJ not wearing a helmet when it came after Shaw (they were all wearing them in the holographic images...why if they didn't need to), and of course, the exam of the SJ head without proper contamination procedures. That's it...not too ambitious. I was expecting more things that didn't stack up. For a movie of this size I was really impressed. As I was watching it I gave it 3.5 stars out of 5. After I watched it the damn thing kept sinking in. I have thought more about this movie than any other movie I can recall in years...and I'm 42. After seeing it a second time I give it a 4.5 out of 5. It's crazy, I guess I can see why there is a lot of dislike for this movie because the expectations were set to something this movie was not, and that's a shame. Whether you liked it, loved it or hated it, one thing is for sure...this movie has got more people talking about it well AFTER the fact than any other movie has in a long time. And that, my friends, is a job well done in my book.

It was a foolhardy and impetuous act for Holloway to take off his helmet....and also, completely [i]in character[/i]. At least he redeemed himself in the end. As for Vickers, she did much more than just "call Weyland father." She was one of two professional, relatively calm, voice-of-reason individuals who served as foils for other agendas and more passionate, impetuous characters. Parker had enough sense to ask "why don't you guys freeze him?" It was foolhardy not to........ but if they'd listened, we wouldn't have had the movie. ;- )

Yes @ artyoh, I thought Vickers character was right on. The hallway scene with David had me starting to scratch my head if she was an android...but didn't David call Vickers "mother"? I started wondering (after Vickers' talk with Weyland) maybe David has some of Vickers in him...that would make sense for him calling her mother.

I'm sure we were intended to wonder if Vickers was an android. Early on, Scott dropped some hints about possibly having two robots in the movie, and a number of people theorized that it must either be Vickers, or multiple David models. Just another red herring?..........maybe...heh heh.

The goo obviously isn't that unstable otherwise it would not have created humans after millions of years that looks almost EXACTLY like the engineers. Everyone here is just making excuses for really bad illogical writing. I fully understand that this is fantasy, just like the original film, but there HAS TO A LEAST BE SOME INTERNAL LOGIC. Which this film is sorely lacking.