Prometheus 2 begins filming in the fall (1 Viewer)

[Chuck Mayer]

That is true. And that is why I compared Robin Hood, a true lightweight among his filmography, with their entire combined output.If I should compare him to Bryan Singer or Joss Whedon, I can. Or Zack Snyder or Michael Bay or JJ Abrams. The list of quality directors with better CVs than Ridley Scott is pretty short. Especially wrt genre films. I didn't love Prometheus either, but at least it was a spectacular failure. I'll take that over a generic turd like Star Trek Into Darkness. Even though Prometheus was a failure, I am more interested in a sequel to that than I am a Star Wars 7 by JJ Abrams ably assisted by a boardroom of Disney Executives.I don't mean to be short and dismissive on this topic, especially among my friends in this thread, and I have no problem with badmouthing some of his films. But this is Sir Ridley Scott, and we are five pages in on excitement threads for X-Men: Days of Future Past and Godzilla. I'm no movie snob, but this is a movie board, not IGN or SuperHeroHype. Film is a visual medium and Scott is a master with an enviable filmography. It is disconcerting to see him and his work a bit run down at HTF. I'm taking it a little personally, I suppose.

 

[dpippel]

So you're equating criticism of Prometheus with running Scott down? Sorry, but I think that's a bit nonsensical. He has made some WONDERFUL films and a number of bonafide, absolute classics. I think that everyone here recognizes and respects that. However, he's not perfect. No one is. Even vaunted directors like Hitchcock and Kubrick had their missteps. One of the reasons I was so disappointed with Prometheus is because it WAS Ridley Effing Scott behind the wheel. I thought it was sloppy filmmaking. He's better than what he gave us, much better, and I kind of resented him for being lazy (IMO) with a movie as highly anticipated as Prometheus. It was a huge letdown for me.

I'm still holding out hope that he'll make up for it with the sequel, and I think that he can. I'll reserve judgement until I see the film.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

One of the reasons I was so disappointed with Prometheus is because it WAS Ridley Effing Scott behind the wheel. I thought it was sloppy filmmaking.

Agreed.

I have absolutely nothing bad to say about Ridley Scott. He ranks as one of my
favorite directors. I think the two biggest letdowns about Prometheus was that
audiences had such high hopes that Ridley was returning to the genre that gave
him fame and (in the opinion of some) he failed.

Had he done a straightforward Aliens prequel, as many had hoped, I think he
would have succeeded. As another member brought out, there are too many other
things that were shoehorned into this film including mythology that a lot of people
didn't quite get.

 

[Brian Dobbs]

Blame Ridley Scott, but please don't forget Damon Lidelof.

 

[Bryan^H]

Blame Ridley Scott, but please don't forget Damon Lidelof.

I won't. It was Damon that changed the entire plan of the Alien sequel to a disaster filled prequel.
On a lighter note, the sequel for Prometheus has nothing left to ruin. Taking away the mystery of Alien species makes them uninteresting. Uninteresting monsters are non-scary monsters.

 

[FoxyMulder]

I won't. It was Damon that changed the entire plan of the Alien sequel to a disaster filled prequel.

I'll never forget the "memorable" ending to Lost.

As for Prometheus, bought it to watch in 3D last year and have still to view it.

When i read that the spaceship they come across with the huge space jockey inside was not the same as the one featured in Alien i just lost some interest, i mean how can you make a film like that and not tell us the story of how that ship ended up out there, instead they go with a totally different planet but the exact same type of ship and space jockey, hmmm, righttttttttt.

I saw the trailer and hopes were high but after reading about the film i just can't motivate myself to watch it, i know i will end up being disappointed because i have such high hopes for this film being an Alien prequel and apparently it isn't.

 

[Tino]

Count me in as one who loved Prometheus. The 3D was great and I also loved the score. Can't wait for the sequel. And I thought Noomi was great in it. Creepy?? Yikes.

 

[WillG]

I going to defend Scott's filmography a little bit here. Judging the man for only directing TWO all-timers (and we can actually argue that number) seems pretty specious to me. First things first, the Director's Cut of Kingdom of Heaven was an exceptionally mature work. Epic in the David Lean sense, relevant, visually stunning. I consider that one of his best films. Perhaps Gladiator hasn't aged well, but it was a welcome return to old-school Hollywood swords-and-sandals epics, with a ferocious lead performance and modern (post-Braveheart and Saving Private Ryan) versimilitude. It didn't accidentally win Best Picture. American Gangster and Body of Lies may not be Alien or Blade Runner, but they were exquisitely crafted films, with great direction and performances, telling interesting stories. Ridley Scott makes movies, and he moves around the genres almost as much as Spielberg. A Good Year, Hannibal, Matchstick Men, etc. The guy pumps them out, and they are always on the right side of the bell curve for quality direction and visual acumen. I haven't even mentioned Legend, or Black Rain, or Black Hawk Down. They haven't all been great, but I'll even take his Robin Hood over the dogshit being pumped out by Len Wiseman, Brett Ratner, or McG any day of the week. When Michael Mann calls you one of the best shooters in the business, that probably counts for something. I'm not terribly excited about the prospect of another Prometheus, but the fundamental failure of that film was its script. Scott shares in that blame, for certain. I'm not thrilled the guy tapped to fix it is known for Green Lantern, either. But I'll defend Ridley Scott all day, and I'm thrilled he is still pumping out films. Even if it is a sequel to Prometheus.

ThisIf (forgiving a few truly legitmate flops) pretty much the worst thing you can about a filmmaker is visually stunning or interesting, can't be that bad. I can tell you this, pretty much every Ridley Scott mobile I have ever seen has been at the very least, memorable.

 

[Josh Steinberg]

I loved "Prometheus", warts and all. Was it perfect? No. I liked it well enough the first time, but something seemed to be missing - and when I caught it a few days later with a friend, it all clicked into place for me. I wasn't disappointed that it wasn't a direct prequel to Alien, I actually liked that it was set in that world without being dependent on matching up to a certain point in an existing film. Some of the deleted scenes from the Blu-ray probably should have stayed in the film - there were a couple little trims here and there that, to me, made the motivations and behavior of the crew seem less piss-poor than it did originally. (Though probably nothing that would change anyone's mind about the film.) Michael Fassbender was great, and I loved the atmospheric use of 3D in the caves and map room especially.

And as far as great sequences go, the c-section midway through the film - I still watch that with my eyes half hidden in my hands!

 

[Nigel P]

That was an amazing scene. Prometheus for me got worse on a second viewing and the more I thought about it.

 

[Alan Tully]

Was it perfect? No...it was terrible! I saw it & couldn't believe how bad it was. And then a few days later I visited an old friend who had just got into 3D, & what film did he have? Ha, it was even worse the second time. Does Scott even read the scripts these days? Oh well, let them make the second one & good luck to them, as long as I don't have to see it.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

As for him being than guys like Len Weisman or McG, I agree but that's not exactly a ringing endorsement either.

Sure he's better than McG, who isn't?

I so wanted to like Prometheus, but I found it sort of a missed opportunity.
Because of Blade Runner and Thelma and Louise, and to a lesser degree, Alien, which I find hasn't aged quite so well as everyone says, I still view him as a visionary legend, and then there are all his other films, which most other directors would kill for, but I still can't find much enthusiasm for yet another try at Prometheus, and I really have to finish this sentence now ..

 

[Bryan Ri]

As someone who wasn't a huge fan of the Alien franchise, I was pleasantly surprised and pleased with Prometheus. It certainly had clunky moments along the way, but for me it didn't take away from a fun experience.

I really enjoyed the mythology that was built in the first film and I'm looking forward to seeing where the sequel goes.

 

[cineMANIAC]

2 things that bothered me most about Prometheus was the real motivation for going to the alien planet (so a Billionaire could find a way to extend his life through alien technology) and the casting. A bunch of cookie-cutter characters that existed solely for the purpose of being killed off, hence we don't give a rat's behind whether they live or die. In the first two Alien films the characters were just as important as the storyline - we cared about them. Who did I care about in Prometheus? Absolutely no one. Everbody was disposable. How are we supposed to enjoy a movie if we don't like or care for the characters and their plight? And the Guy Pearce subplot was silly to an extreme.

Having said that, I find that I'm enjoying the film more each time I see it. I too was disappointed in it upon first viewing, but I think, and I believe this to be the case for many people, the reason for that is I wanted to see a continuation of the earlier plotlines, not a prequel. With a prequel, one has a preconception that you've "been there, done that" - we've seen it all before so we're spending a good chunk of time looking for connections to the earlier films so we lose that focus. I know I spent a good deal of time trying to find references to Alien so my full attention wasn't with the story unfolding before me. As with dates, first impressions are always the best impressions. If I'm not impressed the first time, chances are I won't be later. You can gain interest if you watch the film again but that shouldn't be the goal of the filmmaker. You want to grab people the first time.

I look forward to a sequel. But I hope Mr. Scott doesn't phone it in next time.

 

[Jari K]

I liked Prometheus. It seems to me that people either love or hate the film, so perhaps Ridley got it at least "half right". Really hyped about the sequel. I'll be first in line to see it.

 

[Mikael Soderholm]

. I'll be first in line to see it.

You're not in the line. You are the line.


(subtle Scott reference here, Ok?)

 

[Sam Posten]

I'm willing to give them rope with which to fix the flaws of the original. I had everything it needed to be a great film except continuity. And that was a result of its bastandized development process and wanting to serve too many fickle demands of a mainstream audience.

This is not a guaranteed disaster, I hold out hope!

 

[Jari K]

The first film certainly wasn't perfect (well, nothing is) and it's true that it wanted to please many viewers (Alien-fans, sci-fi fans, horror fans...). I also have to admit that some of those "horror" sequences could've been better, but as a whole the movie was better than I thought (and I had high hopes).And to me the film suffered the usual "first movie of the planned trilogy" syndrome. Meaning, that they had to cover a lot of ground/mythology/story/etc to get ready for the sequel. Like the rumors say, the sequel should be more like the first Alien films.

 

[Lars Larsen]

I just finished watching Prometheus for the first time. I had really high hopes for this, Being a fan of Ridley Scott and Giger's biomechanical art for many years. And lo and behold, almost all of my expectations were satisfied. What an amazing film. I'm really surprised by the antagonism towards this film! I thought it was fantastic!I'm delighted that there weren't that many alien scenes. To me, it struck a perfect balance between keeping certain parts of the story a mystery but still reward the audience with some revelations. The engineers are mysterious and intrigueing. Being an inquisitive person myself and a sucker for a good mystery, this is more than I could've hoped for. I will agree that the motivation for going, was weak. The whole Peter Weiland story seemed like an odd tag-on, altogether. They should have simplified that part.I regard this as the beginning of a completely new world and mythology with only loose ties with the Alien franchise. This will be a series set completely apart, as I see it. I have absolutely no need for any gap to be bridged with the derelict from Alien. In fact, when you watch the extras it's more or less self-explanatory. But it is really uninteresting and insignificant.I suppose we will go the the engineers' home planet in Prometheus 2. I can't wait!!

 

[Dick]

Purely from a business standpoint -- did PROMETHEUS do well enough to justify a sequel in this day and age of $200-million+ productions?