'Prometheus' (Photo: 20th Century Fox)
7. "Prometheus." Helmed by Ridley Scott, stocked with talent and swathed in mystery, the sci-fi thriller would win hands down in stealth marketing. Would this magnificent offering be a precursor to "Alien"? More importantly, would it be a return to Scott's youthful, audacious grit, when he directed not just "Alien," but also "Blade Runner"? According to Yahoo! Searches, "Prometheus" tied with "Dark Knight" for its heavy male appeal (71% male, 29% female), but this crowd of fanboys tended to be more grown-up fanmen (ages 30-54). When the thriller finally landed, critics and audiences were similarly split over extolling its undeniable grandeur and decrying its implausible plot; even Total Film fans grudgingly ranked it No. 23 on its list of "50 Most Disappointing Movies of All Time." Ultimately, the movie translated into respectable but hardly zealous attendance, making just a little more than "Safe House" and less than "21 Jump Street."
