Prometheus - Dark Signs Collector`s Edition - Blu-Ray

Film: If there is a director who has left a lasting mark on modern science fiction cinema, then that is undoubtedly Ridley Scott. With Blade Runner and of course Alien, he has directed two classics of the genre, which to this day are among the best genre representatives of all time. And so it's little wonder that the news that Scott would be returning not only to science fiction films, but also to the Alien universe he created, has caused great delight and even greater expectations among fans. But those expectations should definitely be scaled back. Because neither is Prometheus - Dark Signs the hoped for Alien prequel, nor has the old master succeeded in a new genre milestone. But that doesn't mean, of course, that his latest excursion into the particularly dark depths of space hasn't nonetheless become quite a great piece of entertainment cinema.

After two researchers, Shaw (Noomi Rapace) and Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green), mysteriously find matching drawings at various locations on Earth, they become convinced that they are clues to extraterrestrial visitors that could explain the origin of human life. Commissioned by major corporation Weyland Industries, Shaw and Holloway, with a team led by the hypothermic Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), travel in the spaceship Prometheus on an expedition into deep space. But the two-year journey leads them to a place that could provide them with the answers they'd hoped for not only to the beginning of humanity, but also to its end...

To reiterate: Prometheus - Dark Signs is NOT a direct prequel to Alien. The film is set in the same universe, there are some obvious parallels between the two films, a few obvious references, and then the last 30 seconds could still pass for a bit of a prequel to Scott's 1979 classic. But that aside, his latest foray into the world of science fiction film should be seen as a standalone work that isn't crushed by the constant comparisons to Alien. Because the film simply can't stand up to those. For that, the somewhat overloaded story is simply too bumpy and holey implemented. In addition, the very big aha effect is missing, which would make a good a great genre representative.

Whoever manages to break away from the high expectations and can resist the overpowering urge to invoke the comparisons with Alien, will realize that Prometheus - Dark Signs has become a very good, visually appealing and in its own way very effective sci-fi horror, which can convince with some strong images, decent moments of suspense and occasional shock effects. Admittedly, the story about the search for the origin of our being remains too superficial to offer any really interesting philosophical or religious discussion ideas. And also some of the actors remain relatively pale. Only Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender as the android David, Idris Elba (Luther) as the extremely cool captain of the Prometheus and Charlize Theron as the hypothermic expedition leader leave something like an impression, although even here the feeling remains that their characters could have used more depth.

For these reasons, Prometheus - Dark Signs is far from a new milestone in film history. Still, despite its flaws, the film is a testament to the great talent of its director. Scott conjures up some great moments on screen, sometimes coming across as extremely bombastic, sometimes revealing their greatness in small details. The interplay of fascinating sets with elaborate designs and spectacular CGI effects effectively pulls the viewer into the action, the neat build-up of tension, the sound design and last but not least the soundtrack by Marc Streitenfeld make sure that you stay riveted until the finale. It may be that the film is a bit disappointing compared to Scott's other genre masterpieces. But let's be honest: a weak sci-fi thriller by Ridley Scott is still better than most of the other representatives this genre has produced in the recent past.

About Prometheus - Dark Signs was discussed among fans as controversial as hardly any other film in recent times. And again and again it became clear that the very viewers were disappointed by the film, who expected a new Alien here, a new revolution, by which a whole genre is redefined. And this exaggerated expectation, which unfortunately was also supported by marketing and coverage, is simply not fair to the film. Viewers who might like the film in its own right are thus deprived of the opportunity to recognize and appreciate the strong aspects of the film that exist in spades. Certainly, even without the false expectations, there are plenty of reasons why not all viewers will like the film. But the fact that it's being outright dissed in part by fans of the subject matter and the Alien films in particular is something Scott simply doesn't deserve.

Long story short: Prometheus - Dark Signs isn't as deep in terms of content as the film would like to be. It's not as revolutionary as some fans would like it to be. And it has to struggle with some weaknesses dramaturgically. But all in all, Ridley Scott succeeded in making a very good science fiction thriller that looks great, is entertainingly staged and has some scenes to offer that will stay in your memory for a long time. This is finest entertainment cinema, which might only be a small footnote in film history, but definitely deserves a top place in contemporary genre cinema. And that is exactly why I give it a: absolutely recommendable!!

The Collector`s Edition of the film consists of 4 discs: a Blu-Ray with the main film in 2D and some extras, a bonus disc, a disc with the film in 3D, and a DVD with the main film and a digital copy. The DVD and the 1-disc Blu-Ray (2D) are also available separately.

Picture + Sound: Only the 2D version was tested. This leaves a more than convincing impression. The image sharpness is on a very high level. Even in darker scenes, even small details are very well recognizable. In addition, the completely trouble-free visual implementation convinces with a good image depth and an atmospheric color scheme. The sound is in no way inferior. The numerous surround effects are excellently implemented and provide a good spatiality even in quieter scenes. Rich bass and the good tuning of voices and film music allow only one conclusion: very good!

Extras: In terms of bonus material, the Collector`s Edition is absolutely exemplary. Better it hardly goes. It starts on the film disc with two interesting audio commentaries. The first one was narrated by director Ridley Scott. Even if his narrations sometimes seem a bit dry, he has a lot of interesting things to tell about the making of the project and the actual shooting. Slightly less interesting is the commentary by writers Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof, which is also good and goes into a little more depth about the development of the story.

In addition to the commentaries, the first Blu-ray has just under 37 minutes of cut and extended scenes to offer, with optional audio commentary from various members of the film's team, such as editor Pietro Scalia. The scenes include an extended opening sequence, which I personally like better than the shorter version in the film. In addition, there are quite a few scenes that serve character development purposes, as well as an extended ending that doesn't really add a new twist to the film.

Finally, viewers can browse through the Peter Weyland files. Here there are four more video clips (approx. 19 min.) to discover, including a promotional film with David and an appearance by the younger Peter Weyland.

Continue with the additional material on the bonus disc, which is only included in this Collector`s Edition. And it really packs a punch. Because the centerpiece of the extras is a nine-part making of, which is a full 221 minutes long. In just under four hours, it goes into great detail about the development of the story, the design, first drafts, casting, costumes, sets, shooting at Pinewood Studios, creature design, stunts, visual effects and post-production. Interviews, plenty of footage from rehearsals, meetings, and the shoot, as well as numerous photos make this documentary one of the best making ofs of the year.

If you think all the information has been processed in just under four hours, you are mistaken. Because the Making of can still be played as an extended version. When a certain symbol appears, 23 Making of clips can be switched on, which can also be viewed separately and which offer another 71 minutes of additional behind-the-scenes material. So the viewer is offered a total of 5 hours of making of. Great!

To this more than comprehensive documentary comes a similarly extensive production archive, which has plenty of image galleries, test footage, trailers, TV spots, promo materials and artwork galleries to offer. This really leaves nothing to be desired!

Conclusion: Prometheus - Dark Signs is a very good science fiction thriller that suffers too much from the high expectations of all Alien fans, as it simply cannot live up to them. On its own, however, the film has enough strengths to offer the best genre entertainment. Even if you don't have the possibility to watch the 3D version in your home cinema, it's worth to get the Collector's Edition, because besides the main movie in excellent picture and sound quality, it also has a lot of great extras to offer. Absolutely recommendable!!

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp