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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
You want an alien world created anew, with wonders and horrors lurking in its furrows? You go to Ridley Scott, of course, spectacle maker and pictorialist par excellence. So Prometheus is bound to be eye filling, with fully wrought planetary vistas and occasionally jaw-dropping visual coups. And did we use the word alien back there? Yes, folks, Prometheus is a prequel, in a sideways sort of fashion, to Scott's 1979 Alien original--or at least it's a long-distant stage setter for that story. This one begins with a space mission that could reveal the extraterrestrial roots of Earth, although what's buried out on the planet turns out to be much more complicated than expected. In the midst of suspenseful episodes (and a few contrived plot turns), Prometheus reaches for Big Answers to Big Questions, in a grand old sci-fi tradition. This lends the movie a hint of metaphysical energy, even if Scott's reach extends well, well beyond his grasp. The hokier moments are carried off with brio by Michael Fassbender (the robot on board), Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba, and then you've got Noomi Rapace entering the badass hall of fame for a long, oh-no-they-didn't sequence involving radical surgery, which might just induce the vapors in a few viewers. Even if Prometheus has its holes, the sheer size of the thing is exciting to be around. Because this movie is gigantic. --Robert Horton. 
A team of scientists journey 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. - WellardRockard
Synopsis
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
Meet the Characters
Elizabeth Shaw View larger
- Noomi Rapace as Elizabeth Shaw captured the eyes of the international entertainment community with her commanding, unnerving and critically acclaimed portrayal of Lisbeth Salander in the film adaptations of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest. Rapace began her acting career at the age of seven, in Iceland's In the Shadow of the Raven. She has since gone to appear in over twenty films and television shows. Born in Sweden, Rapace is the daughter of Flamenco singer Rogelio Duran. Shaw, an archaeologist, discovers a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading her and a team of scientists and explorers on a thrilling journey, aboard the spaceship Prometheus, to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race. Shaw and her team aboard the Prometheus are on nothing less than a journey to discover answers to some of life’s most profound questions. She is a scientist filled with faith and hope, but who transforms into a warrior when faced with the danger she encounters at her destination.
Michael Fassbender as David View larger
Meredith Vickers View larger
Logan Marshall-Green as Charlie Holloway View larger
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Product Description
Legendary director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) returns to his sci-fi origins in this epic adventure bursting with spectacular action and mind-blowing visual effects. A team of scientists and explorers travels to the darkest corners of the universe searching for the origins of human life. Instead they find a dark, twisted world that hides a terrifying threat capable of destroying them...and all mankind!
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349 of 396 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray|Amazon Verified Purchase
I'm reviewing the 4-Disc Collector's Edition. I'll go through each disc individually to give you a good idea of what you will be getting, and which version you should purchase. But first, let's briefly discuss the movie itself.
If you haven't seen the film yet, you will still undoubtedly be aware of the polarized reception it received. Some love it, some hate it. Instead of giving you another opinion on why it's the best/worst film ever, let me tell you what to expect. PROMETHEUS is not a horror film. Certainly it has structural similarities to ALIEN, and there is one scene that I would consider very "stressful." But overall, the film is what I would classify as a "concept drama." That is, a drama that doesn't focus on characters, but rather on concept. Don't let any of the tense trailers fool you, this movie was meant as a discussion piece, not an adrenaline rush. You can decide whether it succeeds or fails when you watch it yourself.
Onto the discs ...
DISC 1 - 3D Blu-Ray (ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE 4-DISC VERSION)
A lot of critics commented that PROMETHEUS had some of the best use of 3D they have ever seen. Many compare it to AVATAR or animated films. With expectations set so high, I was expecting quite a lot out of the 3D version of the movie. I don't know that it fully delivered on what I was expecting, but here is my take on the 3D presentation seen on this disc.
1) 3D isn't used as a gimmick where things jut out of the screen at you, which is a plus in my book.
2) There are a few sequences that look absolutely gorgeous in 3D, usually involving holograms or "projected" images. I also think that the medpod scene benefits particularly by the use of 3D.
3) I feel like the depth of the 3D was under-utilized. Almost everyone seems to disagree with me, but I felt that throughout most of the film, the 3D was a bit flat. That being said, if you prefer 3D, you should get this disc in order to fully appreciate the aforementioned scenes.
The image quality was near perfect, and there were no noticeable signs of ghosting on my TV setup. Audio quality was fantastic, the mix sounded nearly identical to the 2D disc, so I'll comment more on it in my review of that disc. Subtitles are also included.
DISC 2 - 2D Blu-Ray (AVAILABLE IN ALL BLU-RAY VERSIONS)
The image quality here is near perfect. Most important for me are the blacks, which are quite striking on this transfer. Definite reference quality material here. As far as audio clarity goes, it's spot on. The dynamics are up to a bit of interpretation, but it is worth noting that the speakers are seperated with precision. And there aren't any silly choices made like dialogue coming only from the front speakers, or the back speakers being dedicated exclusively to music. Subtitles are again included.
The primary draw of this disc, apart from the film itself, is the surprisingly large wealth of bonus features. We have two audio commentaries: one by director Ridley Scott, and one by the writers. In addition, there are more than 30 minutes of alternate and deleted scenes (although many scenes have incredibly minimal changes) with optional audio commentary, and The Peter Weyland files. For those who have not yet seen the movie, I would actually recommend watching The Peter Weyland files before delving into the film itself. It's comprised of four videos (created for the express purpose of promoting the movie) that play very much like deleted scenes or webisodes. None of the content is necessary to understand the film, but they certainly help give further context and depth.
For any casual fan, this disc includes all of the elements comprising of PROMETHEUS's "canon." So unless you want a 3D copy of the movie, or are into bonus features, the standard Blu-Ray release should be more than satisfactory.
DISC 3 - Blu-Ray Bonus Disc (ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE 4-DISC VERSION)
As far as completionists go, this disc is solid, if not perfect. I was hoping that FOX would come out with an extended cut of the film to be released six months down the road, but this seems to be the definitive home video release for the foreseeable future.
The good news is that it's the most COMPLETE wealth of bonus features I have seen since the transition of home video to the Blu-Ray format. From the "Behind the Scenes" documentary, which performed beyond my wildest dreams, to an incredibly massive collection of pre-vis sequences, artwork, stills, storyboards, promotional content, and more. (Side-note: I love when they're willing to include marketing material like trailers, tv spots, and posters, because those so often shape our opinions of the final product.)
So why do I think that the disc is imperfect? Because there is more content that we were told that we would get that we're not getting. In an interview, Ridley mentioned at least one deleted scene that would appear on the "special edition" that we're not getting here. We were also promised an early version of the script, while the film was still a hardcore ALIEN prequel. That was supposed to be on the "second screen" app. Due to ambiguous legal reasons, that's not happening.
(On that note, the second screen app is a nice supplement, but really isn't necessary to have a complete viewing experience.)
DISC 4 - DVD + DIGITAL COPY DISC (AVAILABLE IN THE 2 & 4-DISC BLU-RAY VERSIONS)
This is a bare bones version of the DVD and includes a digital copy. It doesn't include any of the special features that are on the standard DVD release, but those are all included on the 2D Blu-Ray disc anyway. (Still, it would have been nice to have them in DVD form as well.) The advantage I see with these combo packs isn't that I need to watch the same movie on a billion different devices, but if I currently have only a DVD player, and plan on upgrading to Blu-Ray eventually, I can buy the special edition now for only a few dollars more than buying the DVD on its own.
Both the two and four-disc version comes with an Ultraviolet copy of the movie IN ADDITION to the standard digital copy.
As a final thought, here are the different home video releases available for purchase:
1) Standard DVD Version
2) 2-Disc Blu-Ray (Standard Release)
3) 1-Disc Blu-Ray (Walmart Release)
4) 4-Disc Blu-Ray (Collector's Edition)
There are also various digital copies available from Amazon or iTunes, but those have been available for some time, and like the standard DVD release, do not come with much in terms of bonus features.
[EDIT AS OF OCT. 21st] Some have reported macro-blocking and various other issues with the 2D Blu-Ray disc and the Extras disc. Not all copies are affected, but if yours is, and you don't wish to exchange your discs, you should be able to fix it by turning off your Blu-Ray player's internet connection. It apparently has something to do with new copy protection protocal. In addition, there have been reports of these discs working well after updating the firmware, and/or on different Blu-Ray players.
If you haven't seen the film yet, you will still undoubtedly be aware of the polarized reception it received. Some love it, some hate it. Instead of giving you another opinion on why it's the best/worst film ever, let me tell you what to expect. PROMETHEUS is not a horror film. Certainly it has structural similarities to ALIEN, and there is one scene that I would consider very "stressful." But overall, the film is what I would classify as a "concept drama." That is, a drama that doesn't focus on characters, but rather on concept. Don't let any of the tense trailers fool you, this movie was meant as a discussion piece, not an adrenaline rush. You can decide whether it succeeds or fails when you watch it yourself.
Onto the discs ...
DISC 1 - 3D Blu-Ray (ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE 4-DISC VERSION)
A lot of critics commented that PROMETHEUS had some of the best use of 3D they have ever seen. Many compare it to AVATAR or animated films. With expectations set so high, I was expecting quite a lot out of the 3D version of the movie. I don't know that it fully delivered on what I was expecting, but here is my take on the 3D presentation seen on this disc.
1) 3D isn't used as a gimmick where things jut out of the screen at you, which is a plus in my book.
2) There are a few sequences that look absolutely gorgeous in 3D, usually involving holograms or "projected" images. I also think that the medpod scene benefits particularly by the use of 3D.
3) I feel like the depth of the 3D was under-utilized. Almost everyone seems to disagree with me, but I felt that throughout most of the film, the 3D was a bit flat. That being said, if you prefer 3D, you should get this disc in order to fully appreciate the aforementioned scenes.
The image quality was near perfect, and there were no noticeable signs of ghosting on my TV setup. Audio quality was fantastic, the mix sounded nearly identical to the 2D disc, so I'll comment more on it in my review of that disc. Subtitles are also included.
DISC 2 - 2D Blu-Ray (AVAILABLE IN ALL BLU-RAY VERSIONS)
The image quality here is near perfect. Most important for me are the blacks, which are quite striking on this transfer. Definite reference quality material here. As far as audio clarity goes, it's spot on. The dynamics are up to a bit of interpretation, but it is worth noting that the speakers are seperated with precision. And there aren't any silly choices made like dialogue coming only from the front speakers, or the back speakers being dedicated exclusively to music. Subtitles are again included.
The primary draw of this disc, apart from the film itself, is the surprisingly large wealth of bonus features. We have two audio commentaries: one by director Ridley Scott, and one by the writers. In addition, there are more than 30 minutes of alternate and deleted scenes (although many scenes have incredibly minimal changes) with optional audio commentary, and The Peter Weyland files. For those who have not yet seen the movie, I would actually recommend watching The Peter Weyland files before delving into the film itself. It's comprised of four videos (created for the express purpose of promoting the movie) that play very much like deleted scenes or webisodes. None of the content is necessary to understand the film, but they certainly help give further context and depth.
For any casual fan, this disc includes all of the elements comprising of PROMETHEUS's "canon." So unless you want a 3D copy of the movie, or are into bonus features, the standard Blu-Ray release should be more than satisfactory.
DISC 3 - Blu-Ray Bonus Disc (ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE 4-DISC VERSION)
As far as completionists go, this disc is solid, if not perfect. I was hoping that FOX would come out with an extended cut of the film to be released six months down the road, but this seems to be the definitive home video release for the foreseeable future.
The good news is that it's the most COMPLETE wealth of bonus features I have seen since the transition of home video to the Blu-Ray format. From the "Behind the Scenes" documentary, which performed beyond my wildest dreams, to an incredibly massive collection of pre-vis sequences, artwork, stills, storyboards, promotional content, and more. (Side-note: I love when they're willing to include marketing material like trailers, tv spots, and posters, because those so often shape our opinions of the final product.)
So why do I think that the disc is imperfect? Because there is more content that we were told that we would get that we're not getting. In an interview, Ridley mentioned at least one deleted scene that would appear on the "special edition" that we're not getting here. We were also promised an early version of the script, while the film was still a hardcore ALIEN prequel. That was supposed to be on the "second screen" app. Due to ambiguous legal reasons, that's not happening.
(On that note, the second screen app is a nice supplement, but really isn't necessary to have a complete viewing experience.)
DISC 4 - DVD + DIGITAL COPY DISC (AVAILABLE IN THE 2 & 4-DISC BLU-RAY VERSIONS)
This is a bare bones version of the DVD and includes a digital copy. It doesn't include any of the special features that are on the standard DVD release, but those are all included on the 2D Blu-Ray disc anyway. (Still, it would have been nice to have them in DVD form as well.) The advantage I see with these combo packs isn't that I need to watch the same movie on a billion different devices, but if I currently have only a DVD player, and plan on upgrading to Blu-Ray eventually, I can buy the special edition now for only a few dollars more than buying the DVD on its own.
Both the two and four-disc version comes with an Ultraviolet copy of the movie IN ADDITION to the standard digital copy.
As a final thought, here are the different home video releases available for purchase:
1) Standard DVD Version
2) 2-Disc Blu-Ray (Standard Release)
3) 1-Disc Blu-Ray (Walmart Release)
4) 4-Disc Blu-Ray (Collector's Edition)
There are also various digital copies available from Amazon or iTunes, but those have been available for some time, and like the standard DVD release, do not come with much in terms of bonus features.
[EDIT AS OF OCT. 21st] Some have reported macro-blocking and various other issues with the 2D Blu-Ray disc and the Extras disc. Not all copies are affected, but if yours is, and you don't wish to exchange your discs, you should be able to fix it by turning off your Blu-Ray player's internet connection. It apparently has something to do with new copy protection protocal. In addition, there have been reports of these discs working well after updating the firmware, and/or on different Blu-Ray players.
1,862 of 2,350 people found the following review helpful
Format:Amazon Instant Video|Amazon Verified Purchase
Are your survival skills as finely honed as the scientists aboard Prometheus? Let's find out...
You, a scientist, have landed on a distant planet with a team of fellow scientists in search of alien life. What would you do in the following scenarios?
1. Upon first arrival and entrance into what appears to be a manufactured cave structure, you deploy very high tech scanning and mapping probes. Do you:
A) Also send out your android crew member to evaluate any possible danger and then wait for the probes to finish scanning and mapping before you begin exploring?
B) Brazenly charge forward into the unknown and maybe consult your equipment's discoveries later, shrugging off any blips of alien life as an equipment malfunction?
2. While traveling through the cave structure on this alien planet you discover the presence of oxygen in the air. Do you:
A) Keep your space helmet secured tightly because there may be any number of unknown elements, pathogens, bacteria, contagions, and other toxic substances in the atmosphere that are undetectable by your equipment?
B) Quickly remove your helmet AFTER stating what an idiotic idea it is because a fellow teenage scientist, who has properly tested the air by taking a few shallow breaths, peer-pressures you into it?
3. Your android crew member appears to have quickly learned the language of the inscriptions found within the cave. Do you:
A) Ask him to translate everything and share his wealth of knowledge from that point forward?
B) Treat him like a red-headed step child and ignore him for the rest of the mission?
4. As scientists on a mission in search of alien life, you stumble upon a deceased alien life form in the cave structure. Do you:
A) Restrain your excitement at the discovery and prepare to study, take samples, and test further?
B) Piss your pants in fear and then while attempting to return to the ship you run in random directions until you are lost within the caves, refusing to consult the mapping tools you brought with you even though you happen to be THE expert in their usage?
5. After becoming lost within the caves you learn of a storm outside that will prevent you from returning to the ship until morning. Do you:
A) Break out your mapping tools to help determine your location and plot your exit strategy; or still refusing that logic, simply ask the crew on the ship to help guide you through the caves with their 3D map which includes your location?
B) Decide that exploring deeper into the caves to frighten yourself further with more deceased alien discoveries is probably the most logical thing you can be doing with your spare time?
6. After wandering through the entire haunted-house cave structure you decide to enter the initial room that frightened you off in the first place; unfortunately you then come face to face with a living alien that resembles a large snake which begins posturing and hissing at you like a king cobra. Do you:
A) Shoot it in the face and run for your miserable life?
B) Decide that you are only afraid of dead aliens and not live ones, and then try to pet the aggressive alien snake with your hand?
7. Upon the discovery of a 2000 year old decapitated alien head which has been wondrously preserved, you bag the head in your trusty ziplock and return to the ship with your trophy for testing. Do you:
A) Take a sample and have a look at its DNA first?
B) Recalling your fond memories of Frankenstein, you inject stem cells into its locus coeruleus to re-animate it and increase the amps until the alien head explodes; and then you run your tests?
8. You manage to collect a small sample of a strange black goop in the caves, which appears to be alive. Do you:
A) Put a drop onto a slide and take a look under a microscope?
B) Decide that the scientific method of small children will yield the best and quickest results and so you secretly put a drop into a drink which you then give to a scientist to see what happens?
9. You have become incredibly sick with some unknown illness and witness an alien larva worm crawl out of your eye. Do you:
A) Quarantine yourself and ask the other crew members to help treat your condition immediately?
B) Pretend that nothing is amiss and you feel fine, then romp about as usual with the rest of the crew until you collapse half-dead?
10. After a contagion outbreak and another scientist lost to death-by-alien-snake, the missing scientist left for dead in the caves returns to the ship as a zombie spider monkey. Do you:
A) Leave the door tightly secured until you can determine the status of the unresponsive crew member with the variety of cameras located on the ship?
B) Open the door and go out alone to investigate, then kick the creature while turning your back to it until it smashes your face in with its zombie strength?
11. You come face to face with an Engineer, the creator of humans, after waking him from hypersleep. Do you:
A) Attempt to speak his language and introduce yourself, your crew, and your mission?
B) Barrage him with fat mama jokes until he becomes an enraged Neanderthal and tears your head off with his bare hands?
12. A disc shaped spaceship rolls towards you in the final moments of its crash landing. Do you:
A) Run ten yards to the right or left, perpendicular to the ship's path, and let it roll on by?
B) In the heat of the moment you forget about the steamroller scene from Austin Powers, and so for a full minute you attempt to outrun the crashing town-sized spaceship by following its trajectory as it slowly barrels towards you?
How did you do? Total your score and share it in the comments!
All A's = 1 point
All B's = 0 points
Hopefully you managed better than the total of ZERO scored by the characters plucked straight out of a teenage slasher film to masquerade as scientists in the movie Prometheus!
"On behalf of scientists everywhere, I am ashamed to count you among us." -Milburn
[If you enjoyed this review, I highly recommend The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe Podcast #363]
You, a scientist, have landed on a distant planet with a team of fellow scientists in search of alien life. What would you do in the following scenarios?
1. Upon first arrival and entrance into what appears to be a manufactured cave structure, you deploy very high tech scanning and mapping probes. Do you:
A) Also send out your android crew member to evaluate any possible danger and then wait for the probes to finish scanning and mapping before you begin exploring?
B) Brazenly charge forward into the unknown and maybe consult your equipment's discoveries later, shrugging off any blips of alien life as an equipment malfunction?
2. While traveling through the cave structure on this alien planet you discover the presence of oxygen in the air. Do you:
A) Keep your space helmet secured tightly because there may be any number of unknown elements, pathogens, bacteria, contagions, and other toxic substances in the atmosphere that are undetectable by your equipment?
B) Quickly remove your helmet AFTER stating what an idiotic idea it is because a fellow teenage scientist, who has properly tested the air by taking a few shallow breaths, peer-pressures you into it?
3. Your android crew member appears to have quickly learned the language of the inscriptions found within the cave. Do you:
A) Ask him to translate everything and share his wealth of knowledge from that point forward?
B) Treat him like a red-headed step child and ignore him for the rest of the mission?
4. As scientists on a mission in search of alien life, you stumble upon a deceased alien life form in the cave structure. Do you:
A) Restrain your excitement at the discovery and prepare to study, take samples, and test further?
B) Piss your pants in fear and then while attempting to return to the ship you run in random directions until you are lost within the caves, refusing to consult the mapping tools you brought with you even though you happen to be THE expert in their usage?
5. After becoming lost within the caves you learn of a storm outside that will prevent you from returning to the ship until morning. Do you:
A) Break out your mapping tools to help determine your location and plot your exit strategy; or still refusing that logic, simply ask the crew on the ship to help guide you through the caves with their 3D map which includes your location?
B) Decide that exploring deeper into the caves to frighten yourself further with more deceased alien discoveries is probably the most logical thing you can be doing with your spare time?
6. After wandering through the entire haunted-house cave structure you decide to enter the initial room that frightened you off in the first place; unfortunately you then come face to face with a living alien that resembles a large snake which begins posturing and hissing at you like a king cobra. Do you:
A) Shoot it in the face and run for your miserable life?
B) Decide that you are only afraid of dead aliens and not live ones, and then try to pet the aggressive alien snake with your hand?
7. Upon the discovery of a 2000 year old decapitated alien head which has been wondrously preserved, you bag the head in your trusty ziplock and return to the ship with your trophy for testing. Do you:
A) Take a sample and have a look at its DNA first?
B) Recalling your fond memories of Frankenstein, you inject stem cells into its locus coeruleus to re-animate it and increase the amps until the alien head explodes; and then you run your tests?
8. You manage to collect a small sample of a strange black goop in the caves, which appears to be alive. Do you:
A) Put a drop onto a slide and take a look under a microscope?
B) Decide that the scientific method of small children will yield the best and quickest results and so you secretly put a drop into a drink which you then give to a scientist to see what happens?
9. You have become incredibly sick with some unknown illness and witness an alien larva worm crawl out of your eye. Do you:
A) Quarantine yourself and ask the other crew members to help treat your condition immediately?
B) Pretend that nothing is amiss and you feel fine, then romp about as usual with the rest of the crew until you collapse half-dead?
10. After a contagion outbreak and another scientist lost to death-by-alien-snake, the missing scientist left for dead in the caves returns to the ship as a zombie spider monkey. Do you:
A) Leave the door tightly secured until you can determine the status of the unresponsive crew member with the variety of cameras located on the ship?
B) Open the door and go out alone to investigate, then kick the creature while turning your back to it until it smashes your face in with its zombie strength?
11. You come face to face with an Engineer, the creator of humans, after waking him from hypersleep. Do you:
A) Attempt to speak his language and introduce yourself, your crew, and your mission?
B) Barrage him with fat mama jokes until he becomes an enraged Neanderthal and tears your head off with his bare hands?
12. A disc shaped spaceship rolls towards you in the final moments of its crash landing. Do you:
A) Run ten yards to the right or left, perpendicular to the ship's path, and let it roll on by?
B) In the heat of the moment you forget about the steamroller scene from Austin Powers, and so for a full minute you attempt to outrun the crashing town-sized spaceship by following its trajectory as it slowly barrels towards you?
How did you do? Total your score and share it in the comments!
All A's = 1 point
All B's = 0 points
Hopefully you managed better than the total of ZERO scored by the characters plucked straight out of a teenage slasher film to masquerade as scientists in the movie Prometheus!
"On behalf of scientists everywhere, I am ashamed to count you among us." -Milburn
[If you enjoyed this review, I highly recommend The Skeptics' Guide To The Universe Podcast #363]
490 of 664 people found the following review helpful
By DBrown35
Format:Blu-ray
"Prometheus has landed." You've all no doubt seen the bombardment of television advertisements ranging from ESPN collaborations with the NBA Finals to Coors Light ads featuring the impressive ship landing on an alien surface. Ridley Scott defined the science fiction horror genre when he gave us an absolute perfect film in 1979: "Alien." There is nothing I can fault with this film. It's the perfect blend of science and horror. It uses suspense rather than gore. It rarely shows us the creature lurking aboard the ship, yet we feel like we've been forced to stare at it's disturbing makeup for hours. In fact, the alien (or "xenomorph") is only seen on screen for a total of 4 minutes. In a two plus hour film. You'd swear he was staring you in the face the entire time. So, when Scott announced two years ago that he would be revisiting the universe he helped redefine, I was ecstatic. I followed the film when it was known simply as "Alien 5," then "The Untitled Ridley Scott Alien Project," the "Alien Paradise," and eventually, "Prometheus." It was penned to be a prequel to "Alien" wherein we'd get the story of how the xenomorphs came to be, who that big guy in the pilot seat of the alien space ship was, and then a beautiful segue into the opening sequence of the original film. But then it changed. Scott decided to widen the scope and take the story much further than we ever imagined.
An "Alien" prequel, this is not.
Those of you expecting to see the iconic creature roaming around the ship and picking off crew members one by one, will be sorely disappointed. Those of you who are open to seeing something wholly original, with some very creative DNA strands connecting it to the "Alien" universe, will be incredibly impressed.
The connections are few, but they are big, in my opinion. You have Weyland Industries playing a major role, which it did in the original film, you've got androids, you've got LV-223, a moon in the same solar system as LV-426, the planet on which the original takes place, you've got the "Space Jockey's," (or the big, fossilized creature in the pilot seat of the original film) and yes, of course, you've got a host of strange, bizarre, and disgusting creatures that are recognizable, yet unique, to this universe.
The film's major drawback, for me, would be that it asks too many questions, gives us a half-ass answer to some of them, and then forgets about the rest. However, since Scott has publicly stated the film is to be a new trilogy, it does make sense that we'd have to learn more from sequels to come. This is just part one of the prequel to "Alien." This is part one of three, that will eventually lead us to the opening sequence of the original film. But we're still a hundred years away from that universe in "Prometheus." The xenomorphs haven't even been created yet. And yes, I said created. It's hard to discuss this film without giving away major spoilers, so I won't say anymore about that. But the creatures you do encounter are equally as strange, dangerous, and one of them (when we see it in great detail) is one of the most disgusting and revolting things to look at on screen that I've ever seen.
The performances are, for the most part, very good. Idris Elba as the captain of the ship is brilliant, Noomi Repace is very good as the naive young scientist who is trying to balance her faith in God with her work in science, Charlize Theron plays the ice-cold bitch perfectly, but it's Michael Fassebender's performance as the quasi-evil android, "David," that steals the show. It's nothing short of Oscar worthy, in my opinion. His walk is reminiscent of Olympic swimmer Greg Luganis' and he parts his hair and models his dialect after Peter O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia." He is amazing to watch on screen.
What really shines in the film, though, is the incredible visuals. It is a pure eye-gasm for two hours with the special effects. For the first time, the computer generated creatures look and feel like they have real weight and substance to them. It's hard to tell if they are animatronic or computer rendered. Every detail (down to peeling placental tissues on a "squid baby") is in place and makes you feel like you're there. And the 3D is mesmerizing and the best use I've ever seen, even trumping "The Avengers." The sound is deafening and it all comes together for a true masterpiece of artistic genius.
As for the "squid baby." Yeah, I'm not going to say anything else, other than the scene will surely go down as one of the great horror moments in the history of film, and that it easily rivals the shock of the original "chest burster scene" from "Alien," when poor John Heard starts...choking. This will be a scene talked about for years to come, I know it.
In closing, "Prometheus" is a genius piece of science fiction art. It's for the hardcore sci-fi fans, not for the folks who just want to see a horror movie with slimy monsters roaming around. It's got incredible substance, it's got the most beautiful opening sequence to a film I can think of, and it's got top notch special effects that are unmatched, in my opinion, to date. And even amongst all of the great acting, deep story telling, thought provoking ideologies and gorgeous set pieces, we still get a couple of nasty little creatures to help us get that "Alien" vibe. And the last thirty seconds of the film REALLY give the fanboys what we were after.
4.8/5 Stars, losing a tiny portion because of some big plot holes, but hopefully regaining it when the sequel answers those burning questions.
An "Alien" prequel, this is not.
Those of you expecting to see the iconic creature roaming around the ship and picking off crew members one by one, will be sorely disappointed. Those of you who are open to seeing something wholly original, with some very creative DNA strands connecting it to the "Alien" universe, will be incredibly impressed.
The connections are few, but they are big, in my opinion. You have Weyland Industries playing a major role, which it did in the original film, you've got androids, you've got LV-223, a moon in the same solar system as LV-426, the planet on which the original takes place, you've got the "Space Jockey's," (or the big, fossilized creature in the pilot seat of the original film) and yes, of course, you've got a host of strange, bizarre, and disgusting creatures that are recognizable, yet unique, to this universe.
The film's major drawback, for me, would be that it asks too many questions, gives us a half-ass answer to some of them, and then forgets about the rest. However, since Scott has publicly stated the film is to be a new trilogy, it does make sense that we'd have to learn more from sequels to come. This is just part one of the prequel to "Alien." This is part one of three, that will eventually lead us to the opening sequence of the original film. But we're still a hundred years away from that universe in "Prometheus." The xenomorphs haven't even been created yet. And yes, I said created. It's hard to discuss this film without giving away major spoilers, so I won't say anymore about that. But the creatures you do encounter are equally as strange, dangerous, and one of them (when we see it in great detail) is one of the most disgusting and revolting things to look at on screen that I've ever seen.
The performances are, for the most part, very good. Idris Elba as the captain of the ship is brilliant, Noomi Repace is very good as the naive young scientist who is trying to balance her faith in God with her work in science, Charlize Theron plays the ice-cold bitch perfectly, but it's Michael Fassebender's performance as the quasi-evil android, "David," that steals the show. It's nothing short of Oscar worthy, in my opinion. His walk is reminiscent of Olympic swimmer Greg Luganis' and he parts his hair and models his dialect after Peter O'Toole in "Lawrence of Arabia." He is amazing to watch on screen.
What really shines in the film, though, is the incredible visuals. It is a pure eye-gasm for two hours with the special effects. For the first time, the computer generated creatures look and feel like they have real weight and substance to them. It's hard to tell if they are animatronic or computer rendered. Every detail (down to peeling placental tissues on a "squid baby") is in place and makes you feel like you're there. And the 3D is mesmerizing and the best use I've ever seen, even trumping "The Avengers." The sound is deafening and it all comes together for a true masterpiece of artistic genius.
As for the "squid baby." Yeah, I'm not going to say anything else, other than the scene will surely go down as one of the great horror moments in the history of film, and that it easily rivals the shock of the original "chest burster scene" from "Alien," when poor John Heard starts...choking. This will be a scene talked about for years to come, I know it.
In closing, "Prometheus" is a genius piece of science fiction art. It's for the hardcore sci-fi fans, not for the folks who just want to see a horror movie with slimy monsters roaming around. It's got incredible substance, it's got the most beautiful opening sequence to a film I can think of, and it's got top notch special effects that are unmatched, in my opinion, to date. And even amongst all of the great acting, deep story telling, thought provoking ideologies and gorgeous set pieces, we still get a couple of nasty little creatures to help us get that "Alien" vibe. And the last thirty seconds of the film REALLY give the fanboys what we were after.
4.8/5 Stars, losing a tiny portion because of some big plot holes, but hopefully regaining it when the sequel answers those burning questions.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Enjoyed
I'm an ALIEN fan (the first two films) but ignored all the marketing hype that went with the release of PROMETHEUS and recently watched it on my home screen. Read more
Published 15 hours ago by Kathryn Kramer
1.0 out of 5 stars
Bombs away
2012 will probably go down as the year of flops in Hollywood. We had 5, count it 5, big name bombs, each of which had loads of special effects, a cast full of superstars, and... Read more
Published 1 day ago by Newton Ooi
2.0 out of 5 stars
Special Effects Nothing Else
Other than special effects there is nothing in this film that is of any interest. The story line is bad, too many changes to the alien creatures that now look bland when compared... Read more
Published 2 days ago by Paul Heyse
3.0 out of 5 stars
Prometheus
I've always said making A prequal of A previsa movie is most of the time A waste of money and effort. Read more
Published 3 days ago by john ward
5.0 out of 5 stars
Suspend your disbelief
This film has received some not inaccurate hate for silly decisions made by characters and possible plot holes, that said the special effects are great and the film attempts to... Read more
Published 4 days ago by George D. Long
5.0 out of 5 stars
Shaw & David (robot), OUT to battle planets of Engineers/Aliens! - To...
Hi,
Yes, I agree with everyone about the writing (petting the baby alien snake, no helmets, "NO WEAPONS?", ETC). Read more
Yes, I agree with everyone about the writing (petting the baby alien snake, no helmets, "NO WEAPONS?", ETC). Read more
Published 6 days ago by CAPRICORN ONE
1.0 out of 5 stars
BAD....just bad
Scenes have some logic errors in them or I missed something, (sorta spoiler) one scene in particular the main character is in quarantine and hits some people to get out; she was... Read more
Published 6 days ago by Shmeter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Misunderstood Prometheus
This movie is nothing like the original Alien series but it still connects with the Alien storyline. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Scrubbycritter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow
When human look beyond the skies, a deep movie but monster as our higher being.
Maybe I'm feeling something greater something so beautiful whatever.
Maybe I'm feeling something greater something so beautiful whatever.
Published 7 days ago by Starry2
1.0 out of 5 stars
Garbage.
Special effects alone do not a good movie make. When adults are acting like pre-teens I lose interest fast. This is not a criticism of the actors but of the writers. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Ernest Hoffs
