ILC’s Take:I don’t know what to make of this film. It is Guillermo Del Toro so it certainly has some degree of goodwill going for it. But it may not be for me.
Thoughts? Share comments below.
Quick Reaction to “Prometheus”
I will save the “good stuff” for my upcoming LAMBcast. But I thought I would take a moment to reflect on some of what I saw on Tuesday evening.
Things I liked about Prometheus:
- The marketing: I know some people were a bit overwhelmed by the viral marketing campaign. In fact there were even times when I thought that it may be too much. But after watching the film I must admit that it really did not give too much away but instead provided some good context for the proceedings on the screen.
- The acting: especially the thespian triumvirate of Theron, Fassbender and Elba. Oh yeah and Pearce, too
- The surprisingly immersive 3D experience. Prometheus one of the few films that I did not mind employing the
gimmickuse of technology. - The set design: Director Ridley Scott outdid himself with the set pieces on this film it was in a word – beautiful.
The things I did not like about the film:
- Plot details: I feel like there was too much stuff crammed into the film; a few plot details could have fallen by the wayside for the sake of a clearer narrative.
- An ending seemingly designed to hint at taking the story further (likely a studio version) because I cannot imagine Scott would think of the Alien ‘progenitor’ all by himself.
- Not enough Rafe Spall 🙂
Overall, despite some flaws, I enjoyed the film.
The Mighty Thor
As something of a purist when it comes to screen adaptations of novels, comics, etc., I amazingly do not find myself too overcome with upset regarding the casting of Idris Elba in the Kenneth Branagh’s big screen version of “Thor.” My reasons are pretty basic and may not occur to many people that are not fully aware of the history of Mr. Branagh’s “creative casting.”
The example that immediately comes to my mind is kne of my favorite Shakespearean screen adaptations, “Much Ado About Nothing” in which Denzel Washington is cast as Prince John. Another example of Branagh’s naturally diverse casting choices is in the HBO adaptation of ” As You Like It,” in which David Oyelowo and Adrian Lester as featured performers. Furthermore, he has even shifted the setting of the play in this adaptation to turn-of-the-century Japan.
One final example that springs to mind in a film I have not seen in it’s entirety -Love’s Labours Lost”. This relatively young cast featured Adrian Lester (again) and Alicia Silverstone. One can argue that even his selection at various times of American actors in British productions is equally dubious. If anything, these casting decisions symbolize the non-tradiontional (NOT necessarily PC) process of combining star power with talent as Mr. Branagh sees it.
Film after all is the director’s domain; s/he is the creative force of its universe. And in the case of Kenneth Branagh, I would recommend that we wait until we see the finished profit before making any judgements.
