RE: strange

RE: strange

Posted by Jazz Inmate (A) on November 12, 2012 at 21:52:59

In Reply to: RE: strange posted by Fretless on November 12, 2012 at 19:54:54:

If we take Prometheus at face value, we get a botched screenplay with nary a trace of intelligence, wonder, discovery or even basic continuity, written by a couple of hacks (Lindelof, in particular) with unbelievably rushed and disjointed pacing, two-dimensional placeholder characters and a few pretty (mostly recycled) set and effect designs.

I'll address this at the end.

The "scientists" showed no hint of their calling because the writers were dumbing-down (assuming they had anywhere else to go) to a juvenile, instant-gratification, generation-video-game audience. Hint: actual scientists employ the rigorous painstaking discipline known as scientific methodology; so "retarded." On the other hand, shoehorning in a smattering of phony Bronze Age spiritual hokum fit this train wreck of a story perfectly, as it was a transparently forced attempt to add the illusion of depth where none existed.

It wasn't a mistake or shortcoming of the screenplay that the scientists were cast as imbeciles, and it wasn't to dumb down the movie. Plenty of dumbed down movies cast scientists as geniuses. Prometheus was a refreshing change. If you think scientists are smart--most of them are not. They're like chefs, but without creativity. More like prep cooks. They're also cut-throat, elbowing each other out of the way for grants in a system of cronyism and elitism that is not conducive to the best researchers or research. We live in a time when the human genome has now been sequenced and uploaded to PubMed Central. We are told this will unlock the key to curing all kinds of horrible diseases and retard aging.

If anything, the message I took away was that blind selfish grovelling to fantasy thunder gods--recall the enraged reaction of the giant gray bodybuilder when asked for a boon--continues to plunge an unenlightened mankind into darkness and ignorance; a failed experiment and time to sterilize the Terran petri dish and start over. IOW, we can take away anything we choose from a story that has nothing to offer in the way of narrative substance.

The story had a beginning, middle and end, and I understand you didn't like any of it, but it wasn't empty or devoid of a narrative. Mankind, as portrayed in the film, is not unenlightened. The movie made a distinction between those who act purely on "scientific methodology" as you say, with no hint of ethics or faith to guide them, vs placing faith above empirical knowledge. Granted, you would rather take away "anything you choose" from what the movie actually points toward, but that doesn't mean there wasn't a narrative substance--it just means you choice to ignore the substance because you refuse to accept the concept that science may not unlock all the secrets after all.

I loved the original "Alien"--that was a study in deliberate pacing and the slow buildup of tension--but the rest of the franchise provided varying degrees of awful. Has Ridley Scott done anything of value beyond "Alien" and "Blade Runner"? If so, it eludes me.

I agree that Alien was a more masterful study in old fashioned suspense, horror and pacing. But Prometheus was no lighweight fare and didn't dial in any of the scenes that erupted in violence. There was very good build-up to the abortion scene in particular. And Prometheus had things that Alien did not--namely a totally masterful performance by Fassbender, who tied in Lawrence of Arabia in a brilliant way. Did you miss the connection? Do you know what LoA says about humanity? Because it's not that mankind is plunged into darkness and ignorance--it's a bit more complicated than that. I also disagree with you that Scott has not done anything of value besides Alien and Blade Runner (ironically, I didn't care for that one but more power to you if it was your cup of tea). I think Black Hawk Down was one of the greatest war/combat movies ever made, and Gladiator was about as close to Shakespeare as Hollywood can get.

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Follow Ups Full Thread

Topic - Prometheus Threedux . . . - mr grits 16:11:59 11/08/12 (44)

Thanks to this post I just ordered it, NT. - Peter Breuninger 16:05:34 11/14/12 (0)

RE: good grief, I've now watched this three times as well - user510 11:53:27 11/10/12 (8)

"Dare we ask why? The movie doesn't chose to answer why." Sorry, you actually have to think about it - Jazz Inmate 20:34:44 11/10/12 (7)

RE: strange - user510 21:32:13 11/10/12 (5)

RE: earth is a military experiment - Jon L5 20:24:21 11/14/12 (1)

RE: that would fit.....(nt) - user510 20:36:58 11/14/12 (0)

RE: strange - Jazz Inmate 22:05:11 11/11/12 (2)

RE: strange - Fretless 19:54:54 11/12/12 (1)

RE: strange - Jazz Inmate 21:52:59 11/12/12 (0)

There you go. Right answer. - free.ranger 21:15:44 11/10/12 (0)

Great looking, incredibly stupid movie. - mbnx01 10:44:20 11/10/12 (2)

Movies are about sequels not necessarily answers. * - mr grits 09:38:00 11/12/12 (0)

RE: Great looking, incredibly stupid movie. - Daryl Zero 18:27:03 11/10/12 (0)

I still can't get over someone performing abdominal surgery on herself - Doug Flynn 22:15:25 11/08/12 (13)

RE: I still can't get over someone performing abdominal surgery on herself - R Browne 13:18:20 11/09/12 (2)

I'm still surprised her 'abortion' wasn't criticized by Mourdock and Akin. * - Enophile 11:37:36 11/10/12 (1)

No taxpayer dollars were used. - R Browne 12:03:18 11/10/12 (0)

Another continuity moment, along with leaving umbilical tissue and maybe a placenta lying inside as leftovers. - Enophile 11:07:21 11/09/12 (6)

Nice family movie. What's next, "SlasherManiac?" nt - tinear 16:34:30 11/09/12 (3)

12 and 15. I can send them over to help you figure out the film, if you like. - Enophile 11:23:55 11/10/12 (2)

A gory abortion scene. Yeah, real family fare. Strange family, yours.... nt - tinear 18:08:42 11/10/12 (1)

I'll put you down with Akin and Mourdock. - Enophile 22:06:11 11/10/12 (0)

It was a self cleaning device. She evin sanitized the squid NT - Jazz Inmate 15:40:36 11/09/12 (1)

She still gots 'parts' in her. * - Enophile 11:24:43 11/10/12 (0)

David complimented her survival instincts......those drugs must have been good. * - mr grits 06:04:48 11/09/12 (0)

The autosurgeon performed the foreign body removal - Jazz Inmate 22:28:45 11/08/12 (1)

by the way, I thought that "abortion" scene was more intense than any scene in the original Alien - Jazz Inmate 22:43:56 11/08/12 (0)

Just watched it again with the kids. There does seem to be a "Jesus" connection Scott is trying to make. - Enophile 20:10:04 11/08/12 (7)

Nope. Liked it better on second AND third viewings. Actually, I just really was amazed by the first - tinear 08:07:03 11/09/12 (2)

Kind of stock? Did you watch the credits . . . - mr grits 10:08:51 11/09/12 (1)

I think he meant the tropes, not the footage. * - Enophile 11:34:55 11/10/12 (0)

RE: Just watched it again with the kids. There does seem to be a "Jesus" connection Scott is trying to make. - Jazz Inmate 22:38:12 11/08/12 (3)

Maybe if you Google germ theory, it will alter your sense of the helmets' utility. - Enophile 08:01:18 11/09/12 (2)

Those two knuckleheads were there to show you how bad we have become . . . - mr grits 10:10:03 11/09/12 (1)

science has become bad...really bad - Jazz Inmate 22:16:34 11/11/12 (0)

I agree with your take...more specifically I think humanity reminded them of their own shortcomings - Jazz Inmate 18:28:27 11/08/12 (5)

I would have to go to Fourdux . . . - mr grits 18:39:47 11/08/12 (4)

"I thought the audacity of Weyland seeking immortality was the offending stroke" - Jazz Inmate 19:28:12 11/08/12 (3)

RE: "I thought the audacity of Weyland seeking immortality was the offending stroke" - mr grits 06:20:37 11/09/12 (2)

I think David was "pleased" (if that applies to a robot) because his maker was finally dying - Jazz Inmate 07:11:50 11/09/12 (1)

Agreed. Harkens back to when Weyland 'insulted' David for his lack of a soul. - Enophile 22:08:02 11/10/12 (0)

There will be a P2, so maybe some of the blanks will be filled in. - free.ranger 16:38:28 11/08/12 (2)

I hope Scott directs P2. If this series goes the way Alien went (rapidly downhill) I will not be pleased NT - Jazz Inmate 19:30:52 11/08/12 (1)

Scott is no Spring chicken, he needs to get'r done. * - mr grits 06:08:44 11/09/12 (0)

Follow Ups

RE: strange - Jazz Inmate 21:52:59 11/12/12 (0)

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