Prometheus Reviews

When a team of scientists decipher what appears to be an ancient map to another world, an exploration vessel is dispatched to investigate in the hope of finding answers as to the origins of the human race. Opinions of Prometheus vary wildly and I suspect that this has a lot to do with how you approach it. Anyone expecting another Alien film will no doubt find it disappointing as the "alien" as we know it does not make an appearance; in fact the original Alien franchise was essentially a blend of action and thriller with a Gothic horror spin. Prometheus is a far more straight-edge sci-fi film that may not necessarily appeal to mainstream audiences but hardcore genre fans will find plenty of weighty questions and high concepts to enjoy. The cast is very strong but once again Michael Fassbender shows his star quality and steals the show. His portrayal of David continues the concept of "artificial people" with a similar moral ambiguity that began with Ash from the first film and he has a really nice aura of otherworldliness while still engaging the viewer. The horror aspects are not overplayed and Scott shows his consummate skill where it comes to creating atmosphere and building tension making for a nicely different experience from your average sci-fi blockbuster which displays the kind of originality that is sadly absent from the majority of modern cinema. An intriguing opening to a potentially exciting new direction for the idea.

A

Big promise, huge let down!
Don't let the cast fool you, although visually stunning and the premise memorising it leaves you unsatisfied.

It's sad to see a film crushed under the weight of its ambition, and I hate to admit that Prometheus bites off a lot more than it can chew. I can certainly tell you that I liked the film. I was never bored and I was very fascinated in the mythology and where the story seemed to be going. And yet, I can totally understand the disappointment of disgruntled fans calling for the heads of director Ridley Scott and co-writer Damon Lindelof. The biggest problem with Prometheus is that it feels like the first act of a story that is only just gathering steam by the time the credits role.
No doubt Ridley Scott made the film he wanted to make. But he leaves too many things open ended and over complicates the mythology to the point where you have about 800 times more questions than answers. As a stand alone film, there is absolutely no reason to see it because it needlessly complicates the Alien mythology. As a first half or opening act of a trilogy, the film intrigues me to keep watching, ie: buy a ticket to the sequel. But the story as it stands feels incomplete and thus, I have no opinion yet.

The Alien Begins

We came from them. They will come for us.

Very good Film! Prometheus puts you on the edge of your seat from its first scene, where we see a humanoid looking alien creature disintegrating into nature of planet earth, and thereby its DNA starts off the chain-reactions that inevitably lead up with the creation of the man kind. And then it swiftly jumps into the future to introduce our characters and keeps building on that mystery in a perfectly paced manner, and there is so much mystery in the air that you feel it in your stomach. Add to that the overwhelming art design, scenery and VFX of the film, and the straight to the bone performances by our the cast, and especially, Michael Fassbender as "David", which is by far the most established and interesting character and the most outstanding performance in the film. The cinematography is fantastic. Ridley Scott nailed that aspect like a genuine master. The entire movie is basically a succession of grandiose shots which surely will have other directors blush in shame. The cinematography is accompanied by great sets and fantastic special effects for which Prometheus should receive a bunch a nominations.

A team of scientists travels through the universe on the spaceship "Prometheus" on a voyage to investigate alien life forms. The team of scientists becomes stranded on an Alien world, and as they struggle to survive it becomes clear that the horrors they experience are not just a threat to themselves, but to all of mankind.

Not bad. Watchable. But I guess a must for SciFi Fans.

'Prometheus'. A few flawed character motivations don't stop this visually atmospheric, challenging flick from being great. Fassbender a stand-out. My kind of sci-fi.

26/12/2012 (VIDEO FILE)

"I wanted to see this pretty badly considering the cast and the director. But I guess big names can fool you into watching anything. I was expecting a scary/gory ravishing alien flick. Instead I stumbled into a religous movie. WTF?!?! I am disappointed. The movie gets points for being visually nice, acting (for some), and for the part that made me cover my mouth in utter shock of grotesque. Noomi and Fassebender made this watchable. Theron fell flat, very flat. I felt like she was just a pretty face to add to the story. She really had no purpose in the movie and her scenes are forgettable. I was really hoping for an "Amazing" instead I got an "OK". It's not something I will be rushing to see again....if ever."

Prometheus is definitely the "prequel" to the Alien films in that the sets, story, and even the character names are taken directly from the trilogy. Scott must have wanted to avoid the dreaded prequel brand that seems to infuriate most fans, but this one is really good! Prometheus is what going to the movies is about: 2 hours of action, thrills, scares, and jaw dropping special effects! There is also about 75% completely new material that ties together nicely with the originals. I found this very enjoyable....

A smart, slam-bang thriller that engages its audience from its mysterious opening shot all the way to its open-ended conclusion, featuring a team of scientists (led by Noomi Rapace) who journey to a distant planet in the year 2093 in hopes of uncovering hidden secrets regarding mankind's beginning and the meaning of life. Ridley Scott's visual scope is impeccable right from its opening tracking shot of the hills of Scotland, and the way he packs his film with atmosphere, tension, and absolute horror is a welcome surprise to the banal horror films (with exception to "The Cabin in the Woods", namely) we have received lately.

Sure, the film is not a mastery in how to develop characters (but neither were "Alien" or "Aliens", two films that are considered to be all-time greats by many, many people, including me), but it is an old-school lesson in how to properly freak out your audience, all while inputting a philosophical spin that is completely arresting. Although the film could have expanded on its "faith vs. science" battle, and there are some notable, inexcusable plot holes, it still works due to its cast. Everyone involved gives fantastic performances (Noomi Rapace, aka the original "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is outstanding, as is Michael Fassbender as the android David), there are tons of scares, all concluded with an ending straight out of Hell. Flawed, absolutely, but still an engaging, arresting, beautifully shot philosophical blast of a film whose ambiguity is frustrating and ballsy at the same time.

It took a while, but with Prometheus, Ridley Scott made a return to sci-fi- a genre which he helped transform greatly during the late 70s and early 80s. It's a nice homecoming, too.

The anticipation was ungodly high for this movie, and it's easy to see why. It's been in development for years, it was initially pitched as a fifth film in the Alien series (likely a prequel), and as mentioned above, it's a genre definer making a come back.

While the film is undeniably linked to the alien series (it shares the same universe/tons of elements), I am unsure as to if it truly belongs in that camp or not. Scott said it's similar, though meant to stand on its own. That might be true, but I think it might be more related than he's willing to admit as well. If it is supposed to be a lead up to Alien, well, it's not quite successful. I think you'd need at least one more film to fully bridge the gap.

Looking at it purely on it's own terms though, it's a really good film. It doesn't totally live up to all the hype (how could it?), but it does deliver the goods. It's not quite as intelligent as it should be or thinks it is, as many of these characters act less smart and professional than they should, but it at least tries to be smart, and is far better at it and in general than basically almost all other recent sci-fi films.

The plot focuses on a group of scientists out on a space expedition to investigate what could be origins of humanity. What they stumble upon is potentially revolutionary, but it might not be quite what they were searching for, and it definitely brings with it something far darker and sinister than what they anticipated as well.

A good mix of brains and monster movie, this film is, above all, a visual masterpiece. The look is great, the cinematography and visuals are absolutely stunning and gorgeous, the effects and art direction are top notch, and you ca ntell a lot of work went into this.

It's not all style and flash though. There's brains, though as I said, it's not quite as smart as it thinks it is. Still though, this asks some big questions, has lots of ideas going on, and, like some of the best sci-fi, doesn't always provide the answers. I was mostly happy with that last part, though I know a lot of people wouldn't be. I think it can get away with not giving some answers, but unlike 2001, not everything needs to go unanswered here. It's not deserving of that distinction.

I myself have lots of questions, and hopefully a sequel or tow could answer some of those, but at the same time, I think it should also have tried to have been as self contained as much as possible, which, given some of my questions (which I won't share) can't necessarily be done. Maybe that's just me though.

Even though the film has really gotten a mixed reception, it's at least getting people talking and thinking, and that's where it counts. I feel odd when I have to praise a film for forcing people to think, which is something all films need to try to do on some level to begin with.

I knew this was going to be a lengthier review, but I'll try to wrap it up. Guess I'll do that by finally getting to the acting. Noomi Rapace is really good as the lead scientist, and while she will probably receive (unfair) comparisons to Weaver, she's really good, and it would be great if we could see more types of characters like hers more often. It's perplexing to me as to why Guy PEarce was needed for his role, and why they had to make him look so old when they could have just gotten an older actor, but whatever. He doesn't make the film any better, but he doesn't hinder it either. I think more could have been done with Elba, but he's okay. Where the film really cooks is with Michael Fassbender (definitely the best character and performance), and Charlize Theron (second place). These two are chillingly, compelling, and really dominate a lot of the scenes they are in. Also, these are two of the cases where I'm more fine than not with the ambiguity, speculation, and questions are concerned.

Even I have mixed feelings toward this movie, and yeah, it is quite flawed. Yet, like The Dark Knight Rises, it does so many things right that, despite the flaws, it's still some great film making that deserves to be seen.

A glorious return to the sci-fi genre, a riveting film thats also brilliant, epic, haunting, bold and truly amazing. Director, Ridley Scott has crafted yet his most excellent and extroadinary masterpiece yet. Scott returns to full form in the genre that made him famous and brings something truly incrediable to the screen again and it delivers. A true original. A groundbreaking roller-coaster ride thats filled with eye-popping special effects and spectacular action. It`s bone-chilling, intensely gripping and insanely heart-pounding. A mind-blowing thrill-machine that will take your breath away. It grabs you and shakes you, delving you deep into the horror of space and the Alien universe along with some awesome suspense and terrifying moments. A brilliantly entertaining and explosive movie experiance. A total must-see for any fan of the genre. A pulse-pounding and adrenaline-charged edge of your seat ride. It has a gifted and great all-star cast. Michael Fassbender gives an extroadinary performance as the cyborg, David. Fassbender totally embodies this character and makes it his own. Naomi Rapace is terrific, shes breaking out just fine in her Hollywood performances. Charlize Theron is excellent. Idris Elba is fantastic. I loved it. And delivers a jaw-dropping ending that will make you want to see it again

First off, this is not the Alien prequel everyone was hoping for. It leaves you with more questions than answers by the end. That said, it creates a mythology all its own and I absolutely loved it. If all you are looking for is a kick-ass Alien prequel then you will be disappointed. You have to have an open mind when starting the movie. It does have little nuggets of Alien mythology in it and it's pretty cool, but that is about it. I won't say much else because I don't want to give the story away, but it is much more thoughtful than I was imagining going into it and ponders some interesting questions. The film is just plain gorgeous to behold as well, with some of the best visual effects I've ever seen. The set & creature designs are also fantastic. The performances are pretty darn good, especially Michael Fassbender who mixes humor with cold anti-humanism incredibly well. The other leads are solid. Noomi Rapace has a scene to rival the stomach scene from the original film. It's ridiculously awesome. This is definitely one of my favorite science fiction movies so far this decade.

Excellent movie and easily the best "Alien" film in years. The more times I watch it the more I enjoy it.

three stars

Ridley Scott migrates back to his sci-fi suspenseful ways in this film. There is nothing new, yet there's nothing old about it. Simplistic and original in all ways from the depths of the story to its shocking revelations (which we already knew). But I believe what saved and brought the film to higher grounds were the performances of its two main stars: Noomi Rapace & Michael Fassender. 4/5

It has a slightly disappointing third act, a number of stereotypical characters and surprisingly a lack of tension in some scenes because of that. Visually, however, it the best film I've seen so far this year, it has some excellent performances (Fassbender in particular) and is thoroughly entertaining throughout.