My take: Prometheus (2012)

HD Goofnut · 10-20-2012, 09:48 PM

Title: Prometheus (2012)
BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc / 2 Disc Set
Video: 1080p / AVC
Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, and Ukrainian
Run time: 124 minutes
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Rating: R
Region Coding: Region Free

Noomi Rapace as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw
Michael Fassbender as David
Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers
Idris Elba as Captain Janek
Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland
Logan Marshall-Green as Dr. Charlie Holloway
Sean Harris as Fifield
Rafe Spall as Millburn
Emun Elliott as Chance
Benedict Wong as Ravel
Kate Dickie as Ford
Directed by Ridley Scott

In 1979 Ridley Scott brought us Alien, which was the first sci-fi/horror film to be as successful as it was. Now, over 30 years later Scott has pulled us back into this same world with Prometheus. Even though the film is technically a prequel to Alien it explores many other facets that were barely touched on in 1979. There was always that burning wonder of who the space jockey in the flight chair was and more importantly the purpose of his mission. Finally, we are given some answers with Prometheus, but in reality all they do is create more questions.

Set in 2089 we are introduced to Doctors Shaw and Holloway who have stumbled upon a lot of archeological similarities in recent years. All over the world the two have found cave paintings dating back thousands of years that show human beings worshiping drawings of much larger human beings. As eluded to in the prologue of the film we soon discover that these beings are known as Engineers. The scientists have discovered a tiny piece of the puzzle of intelligent life on Earth and how it began.

Fast forward four years to 2093 and we learn that the two scientists along with 14 other crew members and one android named David are on board the research vessel Prometheus, which of course entirely funded by Peter Weyland himself. The ship is en route to LV-223 since the two have discovered an alien link to the world and the cave paintings on Earth. However, when the small group arrives on the world things are slightly more hostile than they imagined. Shaw and Holloway are willing to do whatever it takes to get some answers that have direct affect on humanity, but just how far are they willing to go and is the rest of the crew on the same page?

Prometheus is certainly a well made film by one of film's most veteran directors, but it does have a few faults. Some lazy writing and poor character development make this inferior to some of Scott's earlier work, but it still packs quite a punch. Chances are that you will want this in your collection if you enjoyed Alien. Due to violence and profanity this one is not for children of any age.

As you would expect Prometheus is visual eye candy from start to finish. Framed in Scott's preferred 2.39:1 ratio everything about this transfer just screams perfection. Colors are well balanced and saturated and flesh tones are accurate. Most of the film contains many dimly lit scenes, but there is never any problems with black crush or lost detail. There is also a fine layer of film grain, which is hardly even noticeable. Prometheus and The Avengers definitely get my vote for best transfer of 2012 thus far. My own screen captures from Prometheus can be found below.

Prometheus blasts (pun intended) its way onto Blu-ray with an equally perfect DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. This is also to be expected since the film was recorded in Dolby 7.1 Surround. Dialogue is always clear and concise in the center channel and is easily audible even during the more intense sequences. The fronts and surrounds seem to be engaged almost constantly, but at the right moments they are never overbearing. If you have a powerful sub be ready for some serious oomph there are shots that will have your walls shaking. This mix is pure bliss for the ears without a doubt.

It should be noted that this edition of Prometheus is missing an additional Blu-ray Disc that is found only in the 3D set. It contains a rather extensive 3.5 hour documentary concerning the making of the film. In this edition the film itself as well as the rest of the extras are on a single BD-50. The main features are two feature length audio commentaries: The first is with Scott and the second is with writer John Spaihts and executive producer Damon Lindelof. Both are great commentaries, but it's always tough to beat Scott's as he is always interested in getting as much information to the viewer as possible. Next up is a collection of over 30 minutes in deleted scenes. Some should have definitely been cut, but I honestly feel that a couple should have been a part of the final cut. Finally, we are given a feature entitled The Peter Weyland Files, which consists of four mildly entertaining promotional videos. There is also a DVD included of the film, which also contains a Digital Copy.

Movie: 8/10
PQ: 10/10
AQ: 10/10
Supplements: 6/10
Final Word: A Must Own

dsskid · 10-23-2012, 05:10 PM

As usual, excellent review. Thank you HD

HD Goofnut · 10-23-2012, 06:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dsskid

As usual, excellent review. Thank you HD

No problem at all.

DoctorCAD · 10-23-2012, 06:42 PM

I saw it on Sunday.
Good video quality and the sound effects are fantastic in dts master HD.

But why would you reach out and try to pet an alien worm?

HD Goofnut · 10-23-2012, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoctorCAD

I saw it on Sunday.
Good video quality and the sound effects are fantastic in dts master HD.

But why would you reach out and try to pet an alien worm?

Millburn's character was definitely clueless.

quad4.0 · 10-24-2012, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DoctorCAD

I saw it on Sunday.
Good video quality and the sound effects are fantastic in dts master HD.

But why would you reach out and try to pet an alien worm?

Every horror film has a moron that does stuff you know will screw him up.

DoctorCAD · 10-24-2012, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by quad4.0

Every horror film has a moron that does stuff you know will screw him up.

Every group of friends does also!

elwaylite · 10-25-2012, 09:17 AM

Hey folks, anyone that has watched this on Blu, if you can please give me some scenes for an LFE test. I had some issues with my setup last weekend when i watched, and Id like to test a few scenes to see if they are better. Nothing in the movie really stood out to me as strong, and thats how I figured something was up.

Thanks.

HD Goofnut · 10-25-2012, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwaylite

Hey folks, anyone that has watched this on Blu, if you can please give me some scenes for an LFE test. I had some issues with my setup last weekend when i watched, and Id like to test a few scenes to see if they are better. Nothing in the movie really stood out to me as strong, and thats how I figured something was up.

Thanks.

Try the scene where we see Prometheus for the first time where it does the flyby.

elwaylite · 10-25-2012, 10:56 AM

10-4, thanks. I remember that, and the landing where I was expecting this big rumble after the engines went by, but did not get that.

I also expected more thump during the shootout in the landing bay, with those energy guns or whatever they were.

HD Goofnut · 10-25-2012, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwaylite

10-4, thanks. I remember that, and the landing where I was expecting this big rumble after the engines went by, but did not get that.

I also expected more thump during the shootout in the landing bay, with those energy guns or whatever they were.

Is there possibly something wrong with your sub?

elwaylite · 10-25-2012, 01:17 PM

Nope, I hooked up a new AVR yesterday and reran Audyssey, everything is sounding like it should. The old AVR was just calibrated in Manual EQ by a person I had come in to my home, thats what Im getting to the bottom of. Either I dont like a manual calibration, it's not as good as Audyssey since the control is limited, or my hearing went bad last week.

My Marantz was MultiEQ 6 point, and sounded great. The Marantz was manually calibrated, and I almost immediately noticed an issue (better center but lacking elsewhere) and its been a problem since last Friday. Yesterday I hooked up the new Onkyo 809, ran Audyssey MultiEQ XT, and everything sounds great again.

**ImRizzo** · 10-25-2012, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwaylite

Nope, I hooked up a new AVR yesterday and reran Audyssey, everything is sounding like it should. The old AVR was just calibrated in Manual EQ by a person I had come in to my home, thats what Im getting to the bottom of. Either I dont like a manual calibration, it's not as good as Audyssey since the control is limited, or my hearing went bad last week.

My Marantz was MultiEQ 6 point, and sounded great. The Marantz was manually calibrated, and I almost immediately noticed an issue (better center but lacking elsewhere) and its been a problem since last Friday. Yesterday I hooked up the new Onkyo 809, ran Audyssey MultiEQ XT, and everything sounds great again.

It's time to move up to Denon 3313CI, you won't be unhappy or disappointed.

elwaylite · 10-25-2012, 02:01 PM

I looked hard at the 819, wanting to try Onkyo because of the way their amps hold up as you add speakers, and it has Audyssey XT32, but it's still pricey. This 809's amp has gotten great reviews, and I think Audyssey XT did a good job just listening last night. I've had Denon for awhile, so it was an interesting change, and I dont hear any harshness to the sound.

If Im still happy next week, ill prob sell the Marantz and keep this 809, its got a good bit more power than the Marantz does. All probably overkill with my speakers, but I like to listen to movies loud, so more power wont hurt

**ImRizzo** · 10-25-2012, 02:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by elwaylite

I looked hard at the 819, wanting to try Onkyo because of the way their amps hold up as you add speakers, and it has Audyssey XT32, but it's still pricey. This 809's amp has gotten great reviews, and I think Audyssey XT did a good job just listening last night. I've had Denon for awhile, so it was an interesting change, and I dont hear any harshness to the sound.

If Im still happy next week, ill prob sell the Marantz and keep this 809, its got a good bit more power than the Marantz does. All probably overkill with my speakers, but I like to listen to movies loud, so more power wont hurt

If it wasn't for overkill, this wouldn't be any funny !

10-20-2012, 09:48 PM	#1
HD Goofnut Official HDF BD Reviewer Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mississippi, U.S.A. Your resident Dune, Star Wars, and war film expert Posts: 9,556	My take: Prometheus (2012) Title: Prometheus (2012) BD-50 Dual-Layer Disc / 2 Disc Set Video: 1080p / AVC Audio: DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Latvian, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Russian, Swedish, and Ukrainian Run time: 124 minutes Studio: 20th Century Fox Rating: R Region Coding: Region Free Noomi Rapace as Dr. Elizabeth Shaw Michael Fassbender as David Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers Idris Elba as Captain Janek Guy Pearce as Peter Weyland Logan Marshall-Green as Dr. Charlie Holloway Sean Harris as Fifield Rafe Spall as Millburn Emun Elliott as Chance Benedict Wong as Ravel Kate Dickie as Ford Directed by Ridley Scott In 1979 Ridley Scott brought us Alien, which was the first sci-fi/horror film to be as successful as it was. Now, over 30 years later Scott has pulled us back into this same world with Prometheus. Even though the film is technically a prequel to Alien it explores many other facets that were barely touched on in 1979. There was always that burning wonder of who the space jockey in the flight chair was and more importantly the purpose of his mission. Finally, we are given some answers with Prometheus, but in reality all they do is create more questions. Set in 2089 we are introduced to Doctors Shaw and Holloway who have stumbled upon a lot of archeological similarities in recent years. All over the world the two have found cave paintings dating back thousands of years that show human beings worshiping drawings of much larger human beings. As eluded to in the prologue of the film we soon discover that these beings are known as Engineers. The scientists have discovered a tiny piece of the puzzle of intelligent life on Earth and how it began. Fast forward four years to 2093 and we learn that the two scientists along with 14 other crew members and one android named David are on board the research vessel Prometheus, which of course entirely funded by Peter Weyland himself. The ship is en route to LV-223 since the two have discovered an alien link to the world and the cave paintings on Earth. However, when the small group arrives on the world things are slightly more hostile than they imagined. Shaw and Holloway are willing to do whatever it takes to get some answers that have direct affect on humanity, but just how far are they willing to go and is the rest of the crew on the same page? Prometheus is certainly a well made film by one of film's most veteran directors, but it does have a few faults. Some lazy writing and poor character development make this inferior to some of Scott's earlier work, but it still packs quite a punch. Chances are that you will want this in your collection if you enjoyed Alien. Due to violence and profanity this one is not for children of any age. As you would expect Prometheus is visual eye candy from start to finish. Framed in Scott's preferred 2.39:1 ratio everything about this transfer just screams perfection. Colors are well balanced and saturated and flesh tones are accurate. Most of the film contains many dimly lit scenes, but there is never any problems with black crush or lost detail. There is also a fine layer of film grain, which is hardly even noticeable. Prometheus and The Avengers definitely get my vote for best transfer of 2012 thus far. My own screen captures from Prometheus can be found below. Prometheus blasts (pun intended) its way onto Blu-ray with an equally perfect DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 track. This is also to be expected since the film was recorded in Dolby 7.1 Surround. Dialogue is always clear and concise in the center channel and is easily audible even during the more intense sequences. The fronts and surrounds seem to be engaged almost constantly, but at the right moments they are never overbearing. If you have a powerful sub be ready for some serious oomph there are shots that will have your walls shaking. This mix is pure bliss for the ears without a doubt. It should be noted that this edition of Prometheus is missing an additional Blu-ray Disc that is found only in the 3D set. It contains a rather extensive 3.5 hour documentary concerning the making of the film. In this edition the film itself as well as the rest of the extras are on a single BD-50. The main features are two feature length audio commentaries: The first is with Scott and the second is with writer John Spaihts and executive producer Damon Lindelof. Both are great commentaries, but it's always tough to beat Scott's as he is always interested in getting as much information to the viewer as possible. Next up is a collection of over 30 minutes in deleted scenes. Some should have definitely been cut, but I honestly feel that a couple should have been a part of the final cut. Finally, we are given a feature entitled The Peter Weyland Files, which consists of four mildly entertaining promotional videos. There is also a DVD included of the film, which also contains a Digital Copy. Movie: 8/10 PQ: 10/10 AQ: 10/10 Supplements: 6/10 Final Word: A Must Own GLOW and ckone180 like this. __________________ BenQ MP512ST, Panasonic TC-L55ET5 55" 360Hz LED/3D, Sharp LC-46SB57UN 46" 120 Hz LCD, Sanyo DP46848 46" 60Hz LCD, HP 21.5" 60Hz LCD Onkyo TX-NR709 7.1/Onkyo SKS-HT540 ASUS BD Drive, LG BH200, Sony Optiarc Blu-ray Burner, Sony BDP-590, Vizio VBR220 My Motion Picture Collection Latest BD Review: *Jack Reacher*

10-23-2012, 05:10 PM	#2
dsskid ISF Calibrator Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Long Island, NY Age: 49 Posts: 4,946	As usual, excellent review. Thank you HD __________________ Displays are like 100% cotton t-shirts. Always buy a size larger than you think you'll need, because they tend to shrink over time. Professional reviews of displays are an excellent tool, but the final decision should come from using your own eyes. Living Room - Panasonic TH58PZ700U, Panasonic DMP-BDT215, Denon AVR-1911 Man-Cave - Pioneer Kuro Elite Pro-111FD, Pioneer Kuro BDP-320, Denon AVR-591BA, PS3 RIP L2W, PFC5 & Kosty

10-23-2012, 06:42 PM	#4
DoctorCAD Direct TV Fresh Meat Join Date: Feb 2007 Posts: 2,198	I saw it on Sunday. Good video quality and the sound effects are fantastic in dts master HD. But why would you reach out and try to pet an alien worm? __________________ This post is not to be construed as a slam on plasma TV's nor an endorsement of any other TV technology.

10-25-2012, 09:17 AM	#8
elwaylite You know who you are... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Lower Alabama Posts: 1,260	Hey folks, anyone that has watched this on Blu, if you can please give me some scenes for an LFE test. I had some issues with my setup last weekend when i watched, and Id like to test a few scenes to see if they are better. Nothing in the movie really stood out to me as strong, and thats how I figured something was up. Thanks. __________________ Video: TC-P65GT30 / BDP-103 Audio: TX-NR809 / RF-82 II (2) / RC-62 II / VTF-15H HDTV: Dish / Hopper & Joey

10-25-2012, 10:56 AM	#10
elwaylite You know who you are... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Lower Alabama Posts: 1,260	10-4, thanks. I remember that, and the landing where I was expecting this big rumble after the engines went by, but did not get that. I also expected more thump during the shootout in the landing bay, with those energy guns or whatever they were. __________________ Video: TC-P65GT30 / BDP-103 Audio: TX-NR809 / RF-82 II (2) / RC-62 II / VTF-15H HDTV: Dish / Hopper & Joey

10-25-2012, 01:17 PM	#12
elwaylite You know who you are... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Lower Alabama Posts: 1,260	Nope, I hooked up a new AVR yesterday and reran Audyssey, everything is sounding like it should. The old AVR was just calibrated in Manual EQ by a person I had come in to my home, thats what Im getting to the bottom of. Either I dont like a manual calibration, it's not as good as Audyssey since the control is limited, or my hearing went bad last week. My Marantz was MultiEQ 6 point, and sounded great. The Marantz was manually calibrated, and I almost immediately noticed an issue (better center but lacking elsewhere) and its been a problem since last Friday. Yesterday I hooked up the new Onkyo 809, ran Audyssey MultiEQ XT, and everything sounds great again. __________________ Video: TC-P65GT30 / BDP-103 Audio: TX-NR809 / RF-82 II (2) / RC-62 II / VTF-15H HDTV: Dish / Hopper & Joey

10-25-2012, 02:01 PM	#14
elwaylite You know who you are... Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Lower Alabama Posts: 1,260	I looked hard at the 819, wanting to try Onkyo because of the way their amps hold up as you add speakers, and it has Audyssey XT32, but it's still pricey. This 809's amp has gotten great reviews, and I think Audyssey XT did a good job just listening last night. I've had Denon for awhile, so it was an interesting change, and I dont hear any harshness to the sound. If Im still happy next week, ill prob sell the Marantz and keep this 809, its got a good bit more power than the Marantz does. All probably overkill with my speakers, but I like to listen to movies loud, so more power wont hurt __________________ Video: TC-P65GT30 / BDP-103 Audio: TX-NR809 / RF-82 II (2) / RC-62 II / VTF-15H HDTV: Dish / Hopper & Joey

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