The Alien Franchise

Yes. Prometheus was weak in story. It's almost like they finished the sets and costumes then decided to write a script :no:

I just think that Lindelof went a little far trying to "LOST" up the Spaihts script with mystery. Storywise, the two stupid scientists aside, I really like it. I've watched PROMETHEUS 6 times and it just gets better and better (kind of like RESURRECTION). I like the overall mission to find our creators, the sub-plot where Weyland (talking through dream-link) tells the android David to "Try harder," so David purposely exposes Dr. Holloway to the black goo, not knowing that Holloway is going to impregnate Dr. Shaw. Weyland and David always knew more than the other mission crew, so no secret there. The other variable was that David comes to truly admire the Blue guys and seemingly understands the motives for the cargo of "death" in the alien ship. Death for humans, but evolution for what would come.

I can also accept that the planet is the Blue people's military installation, while their home world, "Paradise," is supposedly the subject of PROMETHEUS 2. People wanted this to link perfectly to ALIEN, but it was meant to be more than one movie. I don't know if it will explain the egg ship found in ALIEN, but there is plenty yet to discover. Oh, and I love when the Blue giant goes amok!
 
*Spoilers*

I've watched PROMETHEUS 6 times and it just gets better and better (kind of like RESURRECTION).

Perhaps I should give it another look. Maybe it will grow on me :)

Although there are a few things that are really driving me insane and I'm dying to understand. I could go on and on about how ridiculous I thought the holograms, sudden hate for humans, poisoning, inability to run sideways, and many other scenes were. But what bothered me is not what the film did, but what the film did not do.

I would have liked to have seen some more info/explanation on the evolution of humans. It doesn't make sense to me. Did this story take place during, before, or after dinosaurs/other creatures from that time period. The film seems to ignore not only it's predecessors, but the basics of evolution.

The second thing is the engineer's hate for the humans. It would have been nice to have watched the progression of humans through the eyes of the engineers. Seeing death, poverty, war, sickness, corruption, and pollution, and squandering the gift of life that they had given to us. But we don't really explore that topic, which annoys me. It would have made more sense and would have provided some deep social commentary on the flaws and imperfections of our world, and the problems with our world's current state. But... no. They just get mad and start killing people.

Perhaps some more exploration of David and other androids would have been nice as well. It would have been neat to have seen what David was "thinking", and maybe even some signs of emotion. I was reading up on why David poisoned the guy with the black goo. Someone had said that humans have a desire to create and destroy. But that would mean that David would have developed emotion, which is a plot hole since androids cannot develop emotion. But, maybe, if we would have seen emotion and thoughts developing within David, that element of the film would have made more sense. It could have also made for an interesting subplot.

Also, I might be alone here, but I liked the film's slow, unwinding, unnerving tone at the beginning. Those long, bleak environment shots near the beginning of the film. If the film had kept that slow, strange tone, I think I would enjoyed the film far more. Instead of getting action packed and over the top, it stayed a bit more subtle and had the creepy sense of dread that the original film carried. But of course, while maintaining that sense of the situation being something gigantic and powerful. If themes had been explored more, but other elements being left a mystery, it might have made for a more ominous and thought provoking experience.

I want to see a sequel. Not that it has to be the way I described it, but I'd like to see what Scott and others would come out with after off of the backlash, criticism, and occasional hate from viewers.
 
In recent years the internet has played a major part in promoting a movie before it is released other than just a teaser and full trailer. Viral marketing has been incorporated in a big way and I think that in the case of Prometheus it's not just another way to advertise the film - what is revealed in the viral videos may be a key to some unanswered questions or confusing elements in the film.

This is the video of Weyland making his keynote speech in the year 2023:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kxh8tA6Cj0

In this is perhaps a clue to why the Engineers decided to destroy us? The story of Prometheus - are the 'gods' punishing us because we have taken a forbidden technology and turned it to our own nefarious uses?

I think the official answer to this will eventually be revealed but for now it might have been something left unexplained on purpose by Ridley.

This is the video of David:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BkV2aFXzYY

Within this is a clue to whether or not David can express and feel emotion. It's right at the end when he says:

"...Technological, intellectual, physical...emotional.

So there's more food for thought. No out right statements answering some of the questions but interesting to ponder.
 
In recent years the internet has played a major part in promoting a movie before it is released other than just a teaser and full trailer. Viral marketing has been incorporated in a big way and I think that in the case of Prometheus it's not just another way to advertise the film - what is revealed in the viral videos may be a key to some unanswered questions or confusing elements in the film.

Agreed. Although I don't think that a film's promotional ads should have to explain a film.

This is the video of Weyland making his keynote speech in the year 2023:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kxh8tA6Cj0

I remember seeing the David video around the time it was released. I had not seen this one though. Thanks for sharing.

In this is perhaps a clue to why the Engineers decided to destroy us? The story of Prometheus - are the 'gods' punishing us because we have taken a forbidden technology and turned it to our own nefarious uses?

That's one of the aspects that I would've really like to have seen explored. It's an interesting concept, but I think they could have touched upon it more.

I think the official answer to this will eventually be revealed but for now it might have been something left unexplained on purpose by Ridley.

This is the video of David:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BkV2aFXzYY

Within this is a clue to whether or not David can express and feel emotion. It's right at the end when he says:

"...Technological, intellectual, physical...emotional.

So there's more food for thought. No out right statements answering some of the questions but interesting to ponder.

Agreed.

I really want a sequel. The film left me hungry for more. Sequel, PLEASE! :)
 
richy, you and I need to get a beer or two sometime. This is a fact.

As far as the "it must be a chick thing" line, that's the essense of if you get Whedon's writing or not. Compare the "what happens when a toad gets struck by lightning" line (X-Men - where Halle Berry doesn't get it) do the "do you want to see my Gandhi impression?" (Buffy S3E1 - where SMG definitely DOES get it). It's a dry humor sort of thing, you get it or you don't.

Interesting gender lines drawn...my better half loves Resurrection, but doesn't really care for the rest. Or the Predator movies, but a mild enjoyment of the first AvP, because it delves into the culture of the Predators more. As a guy, I enjoy them all, but an interesting observation.
 
Alien Resurrection
Aliens
Alien
Alien 3

I loved the alien/human hybrid concept. The perfect weapon against the aliens would be the one human who gave her life to destroy them genetically engineered to have all of their strengths and consciousness of their greatest nemesis.

James Cameron couldn't even top that one. But, his Aliens is still entertaining.
 
I left out the AvP films on purpose ;)

There have been some really good points made in this thread about Alien 3 and Alien: Resurrection and even for someone like myself who doesn't really like those ones much, I am happy to see that there's no arguments on here and everyone's opinion is respected :)

Does anyone think that the Alien franchise could work as a series?

There's the potential for many episodes revolving around the little things that don't get much mention in the films, for example does The Company (as it's known in the first Alien) activate the distress signal in order to make it seem an unforseen circumstance as a cover for when the 'rescue' mission goes wrong?

I think that is the case but is this really true?

I think a series could be used to really flesh out details that are only hinted at in the films.
 
Oh my gosh, Scoopicman, that's right! Duh! :lol:



It's just dawned on me that nobody here has even mentioned AvP and AvP:R.... Says something about the value we all place on those films....



CRACKER: I don't question the genetics; I can happily believe that the creature at the end of Prometheus could eveolve into the Xenomorph. What I do question is the logic of the story and how it sets up (or, more precisely, completely ignores the facts established in) Alien. Also, you have to take into account that the Xenomorph itself wasn't engineered, it was born accidentally. I find it almost impossible to believe that the engineers created the black-liquid (which is the weapon, not the Xenomorph), not only to kill their enemies, but to also infect a human with some form of disease, that could cause a female sexual partner to gestate a "squid", which would then be able to impregnate an engineer with a Xenomorph (which would then have its own entirely new reproductive cycle). It's all just too far fetched for my liking. Even in the relms of science fiction, that's just nonsensical.

I'd love to believe that the alien shown is actually the very Queen that laid the eggs seen in Alien. Had Prometheus taken place on LV426, and had the engineer died while sat in his control chair, everything would've been set up nicely for Alien. But it didn't.

If Prometheus was its own stand-alone movie it might have been great, but I find it just too difficult to disconnect itfrom Alien.

Like Cracker said, I won't try to turn this into that other thread. You should check the Prometheus thread out sometime, if you missed it. Just a few, quick comments.

The Alien series, or franchise, having some continuity problems is par for the course. The various writers and directors of the separate films definately had some different ideas about xenomorph biology and reproduction. First off, James Cameron made a fundamental alteration by coming up with the alien queen laying the eggs and by bestowing social insect like behavior on the xenomorphs. That was very different from what the creators of the original Alien had in mind, as far as I can tell.

So, I don't think we should expect Scott to conform to what those later filmmakers did with the storyline. I don't get the impression that suits him.


You know, I have never seen the AvP films. :blush:



*Spoilers*

The second thing is the engineer's hate for the humans. It would have been nice to have watched the progression of humans through the eyes of the engineers. Seeing death, poverty, war, sickness, corruption, and pollution, and squandering the gift of life that they had given to us. But we don't really explore that topic, which annoys me. It would have made more sense and would have provided some deep social commentary on the flaws and imperfections of our world, and the problems with our world's current state. But... no. They just get mad and start killing people.

Of course I appreciate and respect that those are your feelings and what you want out of the films. So please don't take this to be me knocking you're opinion or feelings on the matter. :)

Just my opinion, I hope that's not what they're up to. If Scott and Paglen go the route of, 'The Engineers are morally indignant about bad human behaviour so they're going to exterminate us,' then they're going to lose me as a fan, I'm sure. I loathe that sort of thing. I loathed The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) (nothing but an Earth liberation wet dream) and The Box for that reason. We the audience are supposed to find it so edifying and cautionary, yet there's something fundamentally flawed with the idea of a supposedly morally superior entity judging humanity to be inadequate, then itself committing murder, torture, genocide, or intentional specicide of a clearly sentient species.

Well, it's just not my cup of tea, that's all. But of course to each their own, which is lovely.

Although, they used that to some extent in The Abyss, and I've always been a fan of The Abyss. But, a major difference there is that the aliens in that film threaten extermination only because they are so put upon by humanity to do so, a defensive action, really, not as part of some kind of morality police execution squad.

richy, you and I need to get a beer or two sometime. This is a fact.

As far as the "it must be a chick thing" line, that's the essense of if you get Whedon's writing or not. Compare the "what happens when a toad gets struck by lightning" line (X-Men - where Halle Berry doesn't get it) do the "do you want to see my Gandhi impression?" (Buffy S3E1 - where SMG definitely DOES get it). It's a dry humor sort of thing, you get it or you don't.

Interesting gender lines drawn...my better half loves Resurrection, but doesn't really care for the rest. Or the Predator movies, but a mild enjoyment of the first AvP, because it delves into the culture of the Predators more. As a guy, I enjoy them all, but an interesting observation.

That is a fact. =)

That's really cool and interesting that she loves Resurrection.

And long live Joss Whedon!
 
Of course I appreciate and respect that those are your feelings and what you want out of the films. So please don't take this to be me knocking you're opinion or feelings on the matter. :)

I like discussing film, and there's not really any reason to discuss the topic if we are not able to have our own opinions and views, but of course... that's just an opinion ;)

Just my opinion, I hope that's not what they're up to. If Scott and Paglen go the route of, 'The Engineers are morally indignant about bad human behaviour so they're going to exterminate us,' then they're going to lose me as a fan, I'm sure. I loathe that sort of thing. I loathed The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008) (nothing but an Earth liberation wet dream) and The Box for that reason. We the audience are supposed to find it so edifying and cautionary, yet there's something fundamentally flawed with the idea of a supposedly morally superior entity judging humanity to be inadequate, then itself committing murder, torture, genocide, or intentional specicide of a clearly sentient species.

I hated The Box and I never finished Day the Earth Stood Still remake.

If there's something fundamentally flawed about showing a supposedly superior entity judging us, then itself repeating what we have have made them angry at us for, would it make any difference if they explored the topic deeper in the film or left it up to the interpretation of the audience? Regardless of if the topic was touched upon more in the future, that concept of our fictional creator's seemingly justified hypocrisy would still be there, but not as straightforward. When I think more about the film, I become less sure about what I think of it. Sometimes it seems like a deep, interesting film that is exploring topics not often seen in science fiction, and other times a messy film that isn't sure what it is. So what is the message behind the film and the motives behind the character's decisions? The sense of mystery from the original film, and even it's sequels made some sense but kept that distant, ominous quality that kept us one on the edge of our seats.

And long live Joss Whedon!

:woohoo:
 
NOTE: If the following link comes up with some kind of anti-virus message warning you not to access this page, you can view the content of the article by clicking onto page 3 of this thread at the bottom of the screen. Apologies to those that see a warning message, it didn't appear on my screen but even so don't go any further into the link if you get that warning.

http://www.shocktillyoudrop.com/new...ebooted-alien-predator-and-prometheus-comics/
 
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Oops. Looks like an interesting site, PS. But me antivirus says this about that site:

This is a suspicious site. There is a higher than average probability that you will be exposed to malicious links or payloads.

They might be wrong 'bout that, though. I suppose.

=(
 
^Solution found for those that have this problem :)

Source: www.shocktillyoudrop.com (maybe this might fix it too?)

Reboot is a very popular term in entertainment these days. Whether it be films, television, or even comics, many companies are going back to the drawing board in an effort to get more people in on their stories. Dark Horse is the latest to try their hand at the reboot game, but they’re doing it with a set of characters and creators that is super exciting. Next year will see the relaunch of a line of comics based on the Aliens, Predators, AVP, and Prometheus franchises, and the catch? They’re all interconnected.

io9 dropped the first details on the new books, which will feature Aliens by Chris Roberson and Patric Reynolds, Predators by Joshua Williamson, Prometheus by Paul Tobin, and Aliens vs. Predator by Chris Sebela, hit the jump to find out more!

“Everything in the original movies is “canon” as far as I’m concerned,” Roberson said of his Aliens series. “We won’t be directly referencing anything that happened with Ripley and company, but nothing that we’ll be doing will contradict or conflict with anything we’ve seen before, either.”

Roberson says that his series will be more in tune with the horror aspects of the original film.

“One thing that [editor] Scott Allie and I discussed when I was first brought onto the project was his desire to get away from the more militaristic tone of the franchise from the second film onwards, and push back closer to the “horror” vibe of the original film. So we’re taking a similar approach here. These aren’t soldiers trained for combat, but regular people whose lives are thrown into chaos when they encounter the unknown.”

Writer Joshua Williamson, currently penning the amazing series Ghosted, will take on the duties for the Predators comic and he says all three movies are canon.

“If you look at how the continuity works in the original films they each work alone, but still acknowledge the ones before it. That’s the same attitude I’ve had with my Predator story. Listen, I’m a continuity junkie, to toss anything would be sacrilege, but I don’t want it to overpower what I’m trying to do here.”

Williamson also says that his series will use the Predators as both the protagonists and the antagonists.

“I don’t want to give too much away but we have a Predator who os an older Predator past his prime and [looking for] one last great hunt. It’s our version of Moby Dick, with a Predator obsessed with hunting the impossible. A few humans get in his way and a few… well, you’ll need to read to find out.”

Paul Tobin will also be using original characters for his Prometheus comic series, but he has the advantage of having the less established property.

“We’re definitely focusing on original characters. I think the Prometheus movie opened a wealth of questions about the nature of the Engineers, and the aliens, and the universe as a whole. It’s interesting how some people watch the movie with a feeling of, “Oh, well, THAT answered some questions!” and others have a different reaction, seeing the work as a springboard for even further mysteries to be answered, for more to be explored.”

With the Engineers of Prometheus being the least well known of the group, Tobin will have a lot of room to explore with them, and he wants to see how they handle certain things.

“Just what KIND of presence the Engineers will have… that I can’t reveal at this time. But they’re too enigmatic a race to stay away from, and the way that the various species interact… THAT’S very fascinating to me. How do humans see Engineers? How do Predators see Engineers? Where do we clash? Find common ground? When we first started having meetings to work out the overall story structure, these were some of the questions we were asking each other, so we knew that the questions needed to be addressed in the story.”

Writer Chris Sebela is taking a different approach altogether with his new Aliens vs. Predator series, especailly from the previous AVP comics.

“AvP, at its core, is a revenge story. It just happens that it’s a revenge story wrapped up in a brutal, nonstop monster movie, but a monster movie where you’re never sure who to root for. There’ll be lots of ultra violence, lots of bloodshed, lots of terror.”

Sebela also says that AvP might be the craziest of all the new comics.

“Right now nothing is off the table as far as how big or crazy we’re going to get on any of these books, but if you’re looking for the most Alien and Predator interaction bang for your buck, then AvP is going to be a very wise investment.”

He also confirmed that Prometheus elements aren’t off the table for AvP.

“Yeah, there will be Prometheus-adjacent things in AvP, but, wah wah, I can’t tell you what. Prometheus is the warm, beating heart of all these books, everything spins out from the Prometheus book that Paul is writing.”

We won’t be getting these comics for a few more months, currently a TBA 2014 release date on the lot of them, but this information is certainly enough to get us excited. What do you think of these announcements? Also check out full versions of the concept art by Patric Reynolds and Juan Ferreya below!
 
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