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  1. #1
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    Prometheus early review

    How do I describe this film?

    Thoughtful, challenging, tense, beautiful.

    It was clearly one of the best pure sci-fi films I have seen in several years. It starts sorta slowly and dragged a bit in the middle, but once the action gets going in the final third, it is incredibly exciting. That said, there are some other words I would use to describe it.

    Gory, terrifying, and unwilling to give easy answers. In other words, it is not for everyone. Hard core sci-fi fans will love it but if you are not someone who likes a little gross-out terror, this may not be the movie for you. I cannot imagine it as a "date night" film nor can I see children under about 15 or 16 going to see it, which means it is not a family flick. There is a limited audience of people who will enjoy a film like this and I think that will keep it from being a huge boxoffice hit. It is not for everyone!

    I am not going to discuss the plot. It is best experienced with NO KNOWLEDGE of what is going to happen. I am serious. AVOID ALL REVIEWS that tell you anything about the plot. All you need to know is what thy have been giving you in trailers and commercials for months -- ancient aliens left messages on Earth calling us to a far away planet. A space ship called Prometheus goes there to investigate. You need to know nothing more.

    I will tell you that the story makes sense. It does not require any ridiculous leaps of faith. It challenges you and contains some plot twists and turns that may seem a tad confusing. It most certainly does not try to answer all of the questions it raises, which was fine with me. In life, we rarely get simple answers to the deepest, most meaningful questions. There are a couple places where the characters react in an unrealistic fashion. The script and story are not perfect. I don't think the film redefines the sci-fi genre the way Alien or Blade Runner did, but it comes close.

    The film is a wonder to behold. Beautiful. Ridley Scott and his design team have gone back to much of the feel of the original Alien film though not quite as dark. This is a movie worth lingering over to look at the imagery.

    The cast is good. Idris Elba, as the captain of the Prometheus, is strong. Noomi Rapace, as the scientist/main character, was fine. The real standout was Michael Fassbender as the android David. He is far and away the most compelling character in the film. I wish I could say that Charlize Theron was good, but I think her character is superfluous and wasted. I am not sure why she was in the film other than one reveal that is, frankly, not all that revealing.

    I have said enough. Those of you excited for this film will not be disappointed. But, if you aer at al unsure of whether you can take some terror and gore, stay away. It is probably not for you.

    -Jason "I predict a wave of positive reviews from critics... as well as calls for a sequel" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  2. #2
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    By the way, this will be a very fun movie to discuss with spoilers once some of you have seen it. But, that is for another thread.

    -Jason "should I start the spoiler thread now for folks who do not mind spoilers?" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  3. #3
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    Something I forgot to note-- it is not nearly as much a horror film as Alien was. FWIW.

    -Jason
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  4. #4

    A $200 million movie

    Jason, I know we all agreed that this film probably won't make our top five because of its R rating ... Still ...

    I'm getting incredible buzz. I know that me and my friends don't represent the teen demographic that fuels blockbusters, but nothing else this summer has my group of movie nuts as excited as this film. When you check on Rotten Tomatoes, it's audience anticipation numbers are off the charts (97 percent) -- that's higher than the numbers for The Dark Knight Rises (93 percent).

    Critical reviews -- which I know don't mean that much in the summer blockbuster market -- are uniformly good (85 percent positive at Rotten Tomatoes).

    I guess what I'm asking is if we could be underestimating the potential of this film ... even with a R?

    (Disclaimer: Even if Promethus does blow up and become a top 5 summer movie, it won't help me -- I was already eliminated by Battleship, which won't make it to $150 ... maybe not $100)

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Olympic Fan View Post
    Jason, I know we all agreed that this film probably won't make our top five because of its R rating ... Still ...

    I'm getting incredible buzz. I know that me and my friends don't represent the teen demographic that fuels blockbusters, but nothing else this summer has my group of movie nuts as excited as this film. When you check on Rotten Tomatoes, it's audience anticipation numbers are off the charts (97 percent) -- that's higher than the numbers for The Dark Knight Rises (93 percent).

    Critical reviews -- which I know don't mean that much in the summer blockbuster market -- are uniformly good (85 percent positive at Rotten Tomatoes).

    I guess what I'm asking is if we could be underestimating the potential of this film ... even with a R?

    (Disclaimer: Even if Promethus does blow up and become a top 5 summer movie, it won't help me -- I was already eliminated by Battleship, which won't make it to $150 ... maybe not $100)
    It is not impossible that this film makes big money, not at all. The buzz is fabulous. That said, it is worth noting that my review is far more glowing than most. Even though the RT score is high for this film, a lot of the reviews are somewhat tepid and appear to just barely be giving it a positive rating. What's more, I walked out of it and immediately said, "other than sci-fi fanboys, there is no one I could recommend that to." I think others who see it will feel similarly and, as a result, word of mouth may be just so-so.

    $200 mil is possible, but I would be surprised. It would take a lot of repeat viewing to get there (I am considering seeing it again, so the possibility is there). I expect it to be more like $150-$180 mil, though I could easily be wrong.

    -Jason "Battleship won't make $80 mil, let alone $100" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  6. #6
    I'm so glad this movie is good. I have been looking forward to this one for a while, and I was getting a little worried it would fall short. I do happen to like gory, kinda scary space movies. I have come to trust your judgement on movies, Jason, thank you for doing these reviews.

  7. #7
    Am I going out to be missing out on stuff in the movie if I haven't seen Alien, or are the references pretty minor? (Yeah, I know I need to see that movie anyway, just wondering if I should rush to do it over the next week)

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wander View Post
    Am I going out to be missing out on stuff in the movie if I haven't seen Alien, or are the references pretty minor? (Yeah, I know I need to see that movie anyway, just wondering if I should rush to do it over the next week)
    The movie is easily enjoyable having never seen Alien. That said, I think there are references and moments where someone who has seen Alien will get something out of it that the uninitiated would not.

    -Jason "I think it is time for a spoiler thread on this movie because... it is HERE!" Evans
    Why are you wasting time here when you could be wasting it by listening to the latest episode of the DBR Podcast?

  9. #9
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    Feb 2007
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    Boston, MA
    JE - is it worth seeing in 3D, or no?

    Thanks!

  10. #10
    One reviwer I saw here in DC said it was filmed in 3D, but NOT in IMAX, so it's worth seeing in 3D, but not IMAX. FWIW.

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