Customer Reviews

Prometheus (Collector's Edition) (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + Digital Copy)[Region Free]

5 star:		(203)
4 star:		(132)
3 star:		(128)
2 star:		(99)
1 star:		(118)

 

 

This is a great film in it's own right, even Ridley says it's not really a prequel, it's just that the idea for this film came about from elements of the first Alien film. Just watch it for what it is, a great piece of Sci-Fi.
Just a gripe now towards Amazon, Why don't you list the extras on any of your DVD / Blu Ray's? This would help many people in deciding which version of the disc to buy. Now originally I was going to buy the film which just came with a digital copy, this was around £15, or I could go for the copy which also had the 3D version, but not having a 3D TV I thought this would be a waste of time and an extra £5. But it wasn't until I read through a load of reviews where someone said to go for the 3D version as it had a film makers documentary which is 3.5 hours long, this I believe does not come with the other version. So I ordered the 3D version (which also has the normal 2D blu Ray version) which does indeed come with a 3.5 hour documentary, but that's not all, there is over 7 hours of bonus features on this disc, which are as follows:

Deleted scenes including alternate beginning and ending
making of Prometheus in depth documentary
Audio commentaries
The Peter weyland files
Weyland corp archive
Plus a Mobile app
Plus more

So if you like your extras then the 3D version is the way to go

Don't be put off by the silly 1 star reviews on here because although prometheus isn't perfect and has flaws, it's still a magnificently crafted intelligent sci-fi film that challenges you to think. The problem was that the hype damaged this film, if you hype something for that long and that hard, then there will always be a degree of anti-climax, it's happened before and it'll happen again. People went in with ridiculous expectations and that's why there are so many stupid 1 or 2 star reviews - they never took it for what it was! to compare this,as some did on here, to "The phantom menace" is pathetic and childish to say the least.

The main problem with Prometheus is clearly it's unanswered questions, my opinion is that this will play better when the sequel arrives as it's really just act 1 of a 2 or 3 act play, that said there's still lots to enjoy here, namely Michael Fassbenders brilliant performance as David the Android, the exceptional design work,stunning fx and Naomi Rapace who is excellent in only her 2nd Hollywood role.

Fed up of silly robots smashing things up,superheroes and vacuous teen vampire movies? want sci fi but with a brain? then this movie is for you, sure it's not perfect but its miles better than most movies out there at the moment.

I should start off by admitting I've not seen any other Alien franchise films, maybe that had an impact on my 'enjoyment' of Prometheus, but I'm sure there will be other people in the same situation so consider this review for them.
My main complaint throughout the film was that you knew exactly what was about to happen, it was just a matter of how soon, there wasn't any real degree of suspense or tension as it was so obvious what was going to pop out of where and who it was going to kill.
The plot seemed like just more of an excuse to get to the location and situation where the majority of the film was spent, there wasn't much in the way of resolution or any explanation of the ending where suddenly there's an Alien.
It's a shame I watched this film first as it's put me off the whole series, but I will try to make myself watch the rest still as everyone's told me they're a lot better than this and to be fair, they couldn't be much worse.

To put it simply I'm going to review the actual content of the blu ray not the film, there are loads of film sites/magazines you can view if you want a review of the movie i'm going to talk about what seems to get ignored the actual product you are buying!

I will just note, I love the film and think it was way over hyped and this led to people thinking it was going to be the best movie ever so it could never live up to these high standards. Just please ignore all the 1 star reviews, this is certainly not a 1 star movie.

The picture
Prometheus is a good looking film on blu ray, it certainly not the best looking blu ray. Ironcally Alien (A film from the 1970's) looks better on Blu ray. There is some grain but there has been a lot worse in recent years.

The Extras
The Blu ray really shines here. Firslty you get a proper itunes digital copy not a rubbish UV digtial copy. You can also chose to download a Windows Media Player file instead, if you don't use itunes, that will work on msot devices. There is a large handfull of deleted scenes each with a cool little explain of why they were cut and what they add to the film. There is also an alternative beginning and ending. The deleted scenes are separate from the movie and cannot be viewed as part of the film, in say a director's cut format.

There is also a strange feature called the "Weyland files" which gives a deeper view into the "Alien/Promethues Universe". there is also commentaries which are good but really only for Alien/Prometheus super fans, the causal viewer will be bored. Finally there is a really cool dual screen feature.

If you have an ipad you can download a free app on the app store (just search prometheus and you will find it), then you sync the app to you blu ray player (you need a BD live enabled player for this) and then as you watch the movie extra features and facts will come up on your ipad at points during the film. It is an amazing feature that I hope to see more of, I noted in Dutch app store there were dual screen apps for the Avengers and Spider Man, whilst they dont work in the UK hopefully this shows that film companies are going to start using this feature more often. Also note the app at the time of wrtting was only avalaible on iPad but I have been informed that it is now available on other app stores as well.

Verdict
So far this year it has been a disapointing year for Blu ray releases most have been pretty poor, The Avengers and The Hunger Games were a little lacking but Prometheus bucks this trend and gives a truly great bly ray package well worth your money and time.

Good movie but lack of depth on the 3D, at times I thought I was watching the 2D version, not worth spending the extra on the 3D version.

No scares,no suspense,limited action,limited story,which jumps all over the place&the worse acting i've ever seen,apart from Michael Fassbender who did well with what he had to work with&was only saving grace making it at least watchable.The re-done parts from Alien just don't gel well with the new story,What story there is!,more like a 50s sci-fi crossed with a teen slasher move!&falls flat on its face.I loved Alien,really liked Aliens,dumbed down but good,Prometheus made me want to watch Alien 3 again!it was that bad&even with the deleted parts watched on the blue ray it still makes for a very,very poor sci-film never mind an Alien Film,makes you wonder if Ridley Scott has Lost his touch but then again when was the last time Scott did a good film?apart from Alien&Blade runner.

The Director, in his wisdom, cut out the only sequence of suspense in the film, namely when Rapace's hiding character takes on the Engineer with an axe after he has entered the escape pod near the end of the film. As for the rest of Prometheus, it was very mediocre, and dragged in places, with some mildly interesting ideas. I thought that Ridley Scott had said he was going to scare the bejesus out of the audience?

Let me start by saying that Prometheus is a bit mess of themes and plot points not helped by some poor editing choices (this should have been Terry Rawling's gig), but it's an admirable mess that attempts to open the Alien series up to a much bigger sci-fi canvas. The series has been stuck in the formula of attempting to ape the action and pacing of James Cameron's Aliens since Alien Resurrection "graced" our cinema screens in '97 and any potential expansion of the universe since has been merely hinted at rather than properly explored.

When making Alien, Ridley Scott and writer Dan O' Bannon originally intended for the universe to be far wider in cinematic scope. Unfortunately a constrictive budget held them back from exploration beyond the bare essential. This forced Scott and crew to cut back, even bringing the then unfinished fossilised Space Jockey set in to question with worried studio heads (a battle Scott fortunatly won). Paul WS Anderson's later Alien vs Predator may have shamelessly ripped off a few of these lost story elements (resulting in a begrudging story credit for Dan O'Bannon) but they were wasted on poor direction and a narrative more interested in WWF style alien on alien wrestling. With Prometheus Scott has finally managed to take the series back to the places he originally intended to explore, resulting in a film that, much like 2001, tackles the relationship between men and their makers amongst many other things (like who the Space Jockey was, why was he transporting those eggs and what they were originally intended for). And now the door has been left swinging in the wind, wide open for any kind of imaginative or ghastly sci-fi tale or landscape.

Where Prometheus fails is in the single mindedness of it's main characters (not to mention the stupidity that some display in serving the plot). The narrative is also somewhat bogged down with attempts to provide moments between the obvious cannon fodder background characters when it should be affording its leads with depth. Despite this Prometheus succeeds in providing the series with its most interesting character since Ripley bowed out in Alien 3. Micheal Fassbender's David is a revelation. One part Bishop, two parts Ash and a mystery throughout. Both an enigma and a pleasure to watch. Unfortunately like many characters in the film, the editing betrays him and we're left with a couple of half developed but nonetheless interesting sub-plots (like the love triangle between himself, Shaw and Holloway). The film reeks of the feeling that much like Kingdom of Heaven, there's a great film bubbling under the surface of a merely good one.

Because of these half developed sub-plots, Prometheus feels as if half a film. Not only does it ask more questions than it answers (which isn't necessarily a bad thing) it ends as if part one of an ongoing tale rather than as a self contained narrative. All setup, primed and ready to pay off in later instalments to the franchise. The parting shot also translates as a poorly judged fan service, squandering potential for a significant beastie in the execution. The primary problem being that Scott and the writing staff had built the creature up to be the film's big bad, hinting at the kind of devastation it rained down on the race of Engineers 2000 years before. Unfortunately they only provide the creature with a scant few seconds to shine. It's another halfway developed sub-plot waiting to be expanded in an inevitable sequel. And yet despite these misgivings Prometheus manages to entertain and engage throughout.

Refreshingly the film doesn't pander to audiences by over explaining each and every plot point. And though the film does provide a few answers to key questions fans have about the Space Jockey characters and their race it does well not to destroy the mysticism surrounding them and their culture. Not to mention that the production design is top notch, rivalling the aesthetic excitement and intrigue of sci-fi films twice Prometheus' budget. Scott is truly a wizard of aesthetic pleasure. The entire look, feel and atmosphere is exactly what you would want from an Alien film. Prometheus is flawed but pure sci-fi and demands a second viewing. It harkens to a time when sci-fi films explored big themes and dared to delve beyond popcorn visuals. Overall, Prometheus is a solid sci-fi tale that offers further promising and exciting places to explore in the Alien universe. Now, I can't remember the last time I felt that about a film related to the Alien series.

I saw the movie a few days ago.The prevailing feeling at the end was disbelief.For,I could not bring myself to accept tht this is a Ridley Scott movie.I could not believe that this great film Director,who has not just created several masterpieces,but also,among them,two "definitive" works in Sci-Fi moviemaking,"Alien" and "Blade Runner",is responsible for this appallingly poor film direction.One hardly knows where to start.The 'paper' characters who lack depth,the confusion,the lack of "nerve",the constantly incorrect"focusing",or,simply,the "fright"scenes that are quite boring,as they lack even an inkling of originality?
What makes things worse is that the means,the "director's tools",are all there.The script ,and the idea behind it,are quite sound.The budget is ,obviously,high.The experience of the director beyond question.
Then ,what on earth has gone so terribly wrong ? How can all these pre-existing excellent conditions produce something that can only be compared to some boring b-movies or poor T.V. productions ?
I have no idea.It is as if a master watchmaker,with all thw tools of the trade at his disposal,has suddenly forgotten how to build a working watch !!!
A pity.
I can just hope that the old master (age 75) has not lost touch with his art,as is the case with many other great directors, whose last works were significantly inferior to their earlier ones.

This film could have been so much better. I get the feeling Scott ran out of enthusiasm long before it was completed.
The script is not fully developed and the reactions of the characters to major events is frankly baffling. Something major happens, such as a gruesome death, everybody witnesses it and nobody carries the trauma with them. Either they are ultra cool or just badly written.
The story lurches from one set piece episode to another, and once again we are treated to a scientist explaining a whole alien history based on meagre clues as in Alien versus Predator.
Great looking film and truly spectacular. Worth a watch but will not achieve classic status.