Quote from: SiL on Apr 04, 2014, 10:31:47 AM
They do. You're arguing there are no systems in place. The film plainly shows there are, and that Dallas' personal feelings and the Company itself work against these systems from being used, let alone effective.
I wasn't "arguing there are no systems in place"??? I was stating that they were not equipped, in terms of processes and people, to go investigating alien life signs on remote worlds. I think the film, albeit indirectly, supports this in that all the crew end up dead. It's like arguing that the Titantic was equipped to deal with hitting an ice berg.
Quote from: SiL on Apr 04, 2014, 10:31:47 AM
Saying their quarantine procedure should take into account the arbitrary gestation period of an organism no-one knows anything about is illogical. 24 hours is usually a pretty good length of time to see if someone's going to get worse from something.
Again you seem to be purposely misquoting. I didn't state any such thing... I alluded to the notion that describing a locked door on an airlock as being a 'quarantine process' was an overly generous description... and that perhaps a ship expected to check out alien life (it was in their contract remember) should have had a more robust and mature process for dealing with any dangerous life forms or infections.
Quote from: SiL on Apr 04, 2014, 10:31:47 AM
And yet when I watch the movie, it runs away without even trying to fight anyone. They're not stupid.
It runs away of its own volition. Who knows what it would have done if cornered.
Quote from: SiL on Apr 04, 2014, 10:31:47 AM
Except Dallas and Milburn aren't at all similar. Context is important. Dallas spends the movie acting like a captain and makes a mistake (Which was wisely ignored by the person currently in charge of the ship) that he ends up paying for. The film justifies his actions. Prometheus doesn't justify Milburn's.
Completely disagree. Dallas is a shit captain.
1) He accepts a mission to a hostile environment not even questioning why they should be taking part in it or asking himself if they are capable.
2) He puts an away team in place consisting of both the captain and 2nd officer.
3) He should have returned to the Nostromo as soon as he lost communications with the Nostromo when approaching the derelict... Never proceed without comms.
4) He contravenes the supposed 'quarantine processes' and puts the entire crew in jeopardy. Everyone dies because of him not taking command and not following procedure that a child could follow.
5) He sends himself, the most senior officer, into the vent alone (when it would have easily taken two... which would have been at least a little safer) to trap the alien. Dallas was an idiot...
I think you are actually conflating 'tone' with character behaviour. I think Dallas is at least equally as stupid, but his stupidity is presented within the cointext of a darker, much scary/serious film. The tone of Prometheus is much more directed to under 18's and is not really a 'horror' film - IMHO.
Quote from: SiL on Apr 04, 2014, 10:31:47 AM
Yes. Immediately after Dallas agrees to let Ash keep the face hugger.
I asked if it was "specific dialogue" from the film because I knew the part about Ripley was from the script... and even with script exerts, I don't think there's anything to establish why the company would chose the option of planting Ash on a tug ship rather than sending a dedicated crew/ship.
Quote from: SiL on Apr 04, 2014, 10:31:47 AM
I said WY isn't; I clarified above that I meant WY isn't the sole operator of the station. It's a joint operation, not a wholly corporate one.
The point stands... I don't care if Weyland owns 40% and Burger King the rest, someone (be it solely or in partnership) had dibs over the planets and its resources... one assumes someone couldn't just roll up and plant a flag when it had been terraformed... hence in the SE where Lydecker asks "if the claim will be honoured".