The sci-fi movie Quentin Tarantino called “dumb”
As a champion of cinema and the countless subgenres contained within its vast landscape, Quentin Tarantino has expressed his admiration for countless sci-fi movies. From widely acclaimed cinematic masterpieces to lesser-known B-movies, Tarantino has highlighted some real gems that are practically invaluable for fans of the genre. However, there’s one specific Ridley Scott project that he once dismissed as “dumb”.
Titled Prometheus, the 2012 sci-fi horror movie revolves around the perilous expedition of the eponymous spaceship, which attempts to uncover the mysteries of humanity’s origin and the truth about human mortality. Contextualising the famous Greek myth of Prometheus, who stole fire from the gods within a modern setting, Scott’s work evaluates our changing relationship with our supposed creators as our civilisation embraces unimaginable technological advancements.
While the production quality of the $120million project and the set design received praise from fans and critics alike, Prometheus was riddled with narrative issues that detracted from the entire experience. Despite its massive success at the global box office, Scott’s movie was criticised for the uninspired screenplay that failed to match the vision of the images it conjured. More than anything, audiences were disappointed by the wasted potential of the central idea.
During an appearance on a talk show, Tarantino had positive things to say about the cinematic experience as well: “I loved it, and I was disappointed at the same time… On the one hand, I was a little disappointed about it. On the other hand, it was actually kind of cool to see such a ‘big deal, serious’ science fiction epic by a director like Ridley Scott. There were parts of it I actually did like, and overall, the experience was really cool…”
However, he was equally irked by the narrative inconsistencies that punctured the sci-fi framework and negated the intended effects. Tarantino added: “There was also a lot of dumb stuff in it, though… When it got to the point where they are on another planet and then a space cobra literally shows up, opens up its hood, and the guy who is in charge of alien creatures goes, ‘Hey, little fella! How you doing?’… It was a space cobra!”
While some other sci-fi directors, such as James Cameron, applauded Scott’s effort, it was clear that the rich philosophical foundation of Prometheus deserved a better movie to express its complex trajectories. Despite the criticism, Scott returned to sci-fi in 2015 with The Martian, which became one of the most acclaimed works of the decade.
Watch the interview segment below.
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