PROMETHEUS - Grade and Discuss

[Locutus of Bored]

Could a slighlty poor US book office taking be down the later relase date and to word of mouth about the quality/issues of the film from places like the UK.

That might have played a role in convincing some less enthusiastic fans to wait for DVD, but probably not a huge number. Likewise, there were bootleg versions of the film out on the net because of the staggered release that might have hurt the box office a bit, but I still think most people want to see a big spectacle film like this in the theaters.

I was determined to see it because it was Ridley Scott doing scifi and revisiting the Alien universe again, regardless of some poor reviews by some of our British (and other foreign) posters whose opinions I trust. And it was still worth seeing it even with the unfortunate sucktitude of the story.

 

[Professor Zoom]

^


Brad Jones, an Internet critic who gave Prometheus a glowing review recently re-reviewed the movie after reading all of the negative reactions online.

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5YWUeDHFjQ&feature=plcp[/yt]

I like how he addresses the real criticisms of the movie....

I think I've watched that guy before... his voice just DRIPS with condescension. Can't stand him.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

I think I've watched that guy before... his voice just DRIPS with condescension. Can't stand him.

Really? He has a deep voice, but condescension? Not seeing it.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I think I've watched that guy before... his voice just DRIPS with condescension. Can't stand him.

Really? He has a deep voice, but condescension? Not seeing it.

You mean, other than him and the others condescending to people who have criticized Prometheus (and not for the petty reasons they satirically bring up) being the entire point of that video?

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I was wondering about the big the red space suits that were in the background of at least one scene.

Those remind me very much of some armored deep sea suits designed to survive extreme pressure. I seem to remember NASA studying them for possible use in situations where astronauts would have to do exterior repair work in micro meteor showers. I believe they have two layers of armor. The first armor layer would slow a micro meteor while the second was supposed to stop it.

 

[Trekker4747]

I think I've watched that guy before... his voice just DRIPS with condescension. Can't stand him.

He's usually most like that when he puts on the "Cinema Snob" persona, the Midnight Reviews are just Brad not playing a character so the condescension in his voice isn't as pronounced.

 

[Set Harth]

It is really annoying when people end sentences with a preposition. It's like, why can't you just say "come with me"?

 

[sonak]

I think I've watched that guy before... his voice just DRIPS with condescension. Can't stand him.

Really? He has a deep voice, but condescension? Not seeing it.

You mean, other than him and the others condescending to people who have criticized Prometheus (and not for the petty reasons they satirically bring up) being the entire point of that video?

yeah, what exactly was the point of that other than to say "if you criticize this movie, you are a petty, nitpicking, loser fanboy?"

Why not bring up points that were serious criticisms? That would have been too much effort?

 

[Maurice]

My thoughts on this were that the Engineers represented Humanity's evolutionary future. Perhaps a few million years ago, the Engineers looked much like us. Overtime, however, they grew larger, lost their hair, and turned grey. Maybe that's where we're headed. Humans have been getting taller over the centuries.

I realize this post is some days old, but contrary to popular belief humans as a species have not been gradually getting taller over time. It's mostly a recent (~150 year) phenomenon tied mostly to childhood nutrition affecting reaching growth potential.

...First, the observed increase in height has not been continuous since the dawn of man; it began sometime around the middle of the nineteenth century. In fact, examinations of skeletons show no significant differences in height from the stone age through the early 1800s. Also, during World Wars I and II, when hunger was a frequent companion of the German civilian population, the heights of the children actually declined. They only recovered during the post-war years....

...Second, the trend toward increasing height has largely leveled off, suggesting that there is an upper limit to height beyond which our genes are not equipped to take us, regardless of environmental improvements...

Scientific American, "Why Are We Getting Taller As a Species?"

 

[Professor Zoom]

I think I've watched that guy before... his voice just DRIPS with condescension. Can't stand him.

Really? He has a deep voice, but condescension? Not seeing it.

Well, it is TOUGH to SEE condescension. You have to LISTEN for it.

(See what I did there?)

 

[TremblingBluStar]

You mean, other than him and the others condescending to people who have criticized Prometheus (and not for the petty reasons they satirically bring up) being the entire point of that video?

Ah, but if you are criticizing the movie for valid reasons, don't sweat it. The video was more poking fun at people who did go nuts and bash the film for silly reasons.

In the end, people just need to learn to laugh at themselves.

Well, it is TOUGH to SEE condescension. You have to LISTEN for it.

(See what I did there?)

Very clever.

Either way, other than when he does the Cinema Snob (a character), I'm not hearing any condescension in his voice. His normal midnight reviews are him simply stating whether he likes or dislikes a particular film and discussing why. He doesn't normally make fun of people who hold a different view.

Spoony, on the other hand, a reviewer that I enjoy a great deal, gets rather condescending in the "if you like this film you are brain dead" sort of way.

Here is a video I found earlier from a guy who really dislikes Brad Jones, who quote possibly does actually live in his mom's basement from the looks of it.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bn75HlX2h-A[/yt]
His video has five views so far... two of which were from me.

 

[Trekker4747]

Really? He has a deep voice, but condescension? Not seeing it.

You mean, other than him and the others condescending to people who have criticized Prometheus (and not for the petty reasons they satirically bring up) being the entire point of that video?

yeah, what exactly was the point of that other than to say "if you criticize this movie, you are a petty, nitpicking, loser fanboy?"

Why not bring up points that were serious criticisms? That would have been too much effort?

Mostly because that wasn't the point, they enjoyed the movie in spite of the nitpicks and such. Which, yeah, they all came to me in the days after watching the movie and seeing what others said on it, but I still really liked it.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Mostly because that wasn't the point, they enjoyed the movie in spite of the nitpicks and such. Which, yeah, they all came to me in the days after watching the movie and seeing what others said on it, but I still really liked it.

Sorry, but I don't think my problems with the movie were "nitpicks." Deeply stupid characters are not "nitpicks."

 

[Trekker4747]

Very true, still, the underlining point with Brad was that he liked the movie in spite of its flaws.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Very true, still, the underlining point with Brad was that he liked the movie in spite of its flaws.

By making a snarky video that doesn't address those flaws, and in fact paints those that have pointed out those flaws as "nitpickers"?

I guess I shouldn't care that much, he sounds like a douche anyway...

Maybe that guy living in his basement and I should get together and make a movie about Brad....

 

[Mach5]

Beautiful looking movie, but hack script with terrible characters written by an idiot who continues to get a job in Hollywood for his ability to confuse audiences into thinking what he writes must be deep and good, when in the end, the audience is just stupid.

Exactly how I feel about the whole thing.

 

[Warped9]

when in the end, the audience is just stupid.

Thanking for clarifying my stupidity. I wasn't sure.

I'd like to go on, but words fail me. Must be another example of my stupidity.

 

[Mach5]

Thanking for clarifying my stupidity. I wasn't sure.

I'd like to go on, but words fail me. Must be another example of my stupidity.

The real question is, why is it that you think the author of the quote was talking to *you*?

 

[Locutus of Bored]

Beautiful looking movie, but hack script with terrible characters written by an idiot who continues to get a job in Hollywood for his ability to confuse audiences into thinking what he writes must be deep and good, when in the end, the audience is just stupid.

Exactly how I feel about the whole thing.

I wasn't a fan of Prometheus, but that doesn't make people stupid for enjoying it or being okay with the lack of explanation for many of the events in the film. What I personally see as poor scriptwriting and direction, others might see as a deliberate choice to leave things vague and mysterious for the sequel(s). The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.

 

[Pauln6]

Beautiful looking movie, but hack script with terrible characters written by an idiot who continues to get a job in Hollywood for his ability to confuse audiences into thinking what he writes must be deep and good, when in the end, the audience is just stupid.

Exactly how I feel about the whole thing.

I wasn't a fan of Prometheus, but that doesn't make people stupid for enjoying it or being okay with the lack of explanation for many of the events in the film. What I personally see as poor scriptwriting and direction, others might see as a deliberate choice to leave things vague and mysterious for the sequel(s). The truth probably lies
somewhere in the middle.

Reluctantly, I agree. I enjoyed te movie but I'm disappointed that so many people are so willing to overlook its very obvious flaws and give it a big thumbs up. But I think it very much depends on what expectations you went in with. I have hugely enjoyed some horrendously schlocky movies because I accepted them for what they were. I can overlook about a third of Star Wars' flaws on the basis that it is a franchise for children but I lament some of the elements of Trek 09 that moved it further from what TOS (at its best) used to be and closer to being a franchise for children. I was disappointed in Prometheus because I thought it was an opportunity to move the Alien universe franchise away from the recent schlocky AvP style movies and back towards something deeper, creepier, and scarier. On that score, it failed miserably unfortunately.