Now I am going to preface my impressions/review with the following:
I had never seen Alien until this past week. I have seen none of the sequels and no next to nothing about the Alien lore, back-stories, and as a result didn't have years and years of hype built up.
I also went to see the movie with two friends who have never seen Alien. I bought the anthology on blu-ray but due to time constraints only managed to watch Alien before Prometheus. Mentioning all this because I am sure it shapes my view of the movie quite differently than others.
I really liked it. That is until I came here and saw the discussion. While we left the theater me and my friends were in awe of the visuals and the cool concepts about man's origins introduced. Seriously some of the set ups, the sets, and design was outstanding. Just so fantastic and epic and at least I felt this sense of amazement that the crew was supposed to feel
But the more I think about it, the more it seems off to me. Not even getting to the story, just the character interactions. Its almost there is a scene or two always missing in between the movie we did get. For example:
-Where is the sense of awe and amazement when they find what they find? Presumably this is mankind's first contact with any sort of alien life form yet all of them seem to be ho hum about it. I don't know I expected more of a moment similar to Jurassic Park where Dr. Neil first discovers the dinosaurs. Instead their reactions bordered on landing in another country on Earth that hasn't been explored yet.
-For scientists they all seem pretty dumb. Let me get this straight. You land on an Alien planet which might have living creatures (engineers) who they don't know if they are hostile or friendly. Yet they just all walk into an obvious non natural structure. And then in addition they refuse to take weapons because "its a scientific journey". WTF?
-The two scientists who get lost, the geologist and biologist. HOW? WHY? They had all this high tech mapping gadgets, they are in constant contact with Prometheus, and not only do they get lost but the crew on the ship has no idea they are lost?
-I don't quite get Shaw's reactions either. Forget that her lover was a moron who ignored a a worm in his eye and continued to risk the whole mission. Why is it that Shaw is able to fight off two scientists, by knocking them out, able to climb into the emergency procedures machine, complete the procedure by herself, and then walk out ALL WITHOUT anyone noticing, coming to stop her, or then when they do notice her...ACT LIKE NOTHING HAPPENED. In that sequence, David clearly is forcing her to go through with the pregnancy, which would have killed her, she clearly realizes he is working for some other agenda, and she fears for her life. Yet now after removing the creature from her stomach, she is not enraged at David? She wishes not even raise the questions to Vickers or Weyland himself?
It just didn't make sense and just seemed really unnatural.
-After they realize what the Engineers are or intend to do, and they need to make a run for it, the ship's captain and crew are way too easily convinced to fly into the Alien ship. Like there isn't even a moment of reflection, hesitation, inquisition, but rather "HOORAH WE GONNA FLY THIS INTO THE SHIP!". I know I am exaggerating a bit but that's how it felt.
-I actually really enjoyed Vickers even though it was painfully obvious she was his daughter. It was also obvious he was on the ship. If her dying was supposed to be satisfactory for the audience it failed to do so. She was the only one who really acted amazed, scared, and human throughout the whole movie. And her death was so so so stupid. She just runs into a straight line even though the shadows clearly show where the ship is landing.
Now those were the things that just bothered me or I found stupid. But maybe its because I don't know if in the time-frame and universe set up, this is the first time humans are finding alien life form or just another life form which may or may not have created life on earth.
Also is it safe to assume the opening scene is on Earth showing how life on Earth began? I couldn't get if it was on purpose involving a self sacrifice or accident. The ship hovering over head was doing what? Making sure the Engineer went through with the sacrifice? How is their DNA identical to ours if the dude contaminates his DNA with the black goo to kick start life?
Also can someone clear up some of the Alien lingo? As I mentioned I have only seen Alien and even that just this past week.
1. What is a Xeno? That is the Alien we see in the first movie correct?
2. I see the planets marked LV-232 and such. Which is what? I don't remember seeing in the movie these labels. The planet Prometheus lands on is which one? One of the 5 in the solar system the cave paints illustrate correct?
3. Its confirmed that the Planet Nostromo lands on in Alien is different than the planet Prometheus is on? When David and Shaw decide to leave and she is recording a message I assumed this was the message which the crew of Nostromo first misinterprets as a distress call, but in actuality is a warning. I thought it made sense since it had the crashed ship and the Engineer/Space Jockey would be in the driver's seat like how its found in Alien. That all went out of the window since he didn't die from a chest buster and actually pursues Shaw to set her straight.
4. I see so many different theories on the black goo, face huggers, and Aliens themselves. All I got from the original movie was that there are eggs which contain face huggers. These face huggers need to seed with another creature to impregnate them with a full grown Alien. How is that ruined with Prometheus? We still had a face hugger (the squid Shaw gives birth to) impregnate another animal (Space Jockey) which then gave birth to an Alien. And why is this Alien relatively full grown compared to the Alien in the first movie which looks no bigger than a cat at birth?
5. Are people just putting together theories and back-stories to make sense of Prometheus or is there some solid foundation from the other movies? What is the Jesus angle? I see some speculating the Engineers at war, worshiping the Alien creature, and many others. Where are you guys getting this from?
All I got from the movie where they show the recorded history is that the Engineers were creating/experimenting and they lost control or the Aliens turned on them. They were all killed except for that one dude who somehow could not be killed even though the face huggers and Aliens seems capable of penetrating most other glass like structures. Also the Alien mural implied to me that they had either had contact or created a full grown Alien to know what it looks like. Nothing about worshiping it. Where did that come from?
6. Also why would the Engineers leave a map or drawing of some military base? How is that an invitation. If they wanted us, humans, to find them why not to their home planet? Why to a military base.
Usually I don't mind open ended movies which let you decide. Inception also left the door open for a lot of theories, but this just seems lazy. This movie is supposed to tie in a lot and answer questions yet it seems to have just posed more, larger, questions with no answers. Its frustrating.
And I apologize way in advance for my comments and questions as I know they must have been discussed over and over but I couldn't read through all 130+ pages of the thread. I started on page 1 got to 3 and realized I have 100 more to go.
