The Vatican's official newspaper has criticized Ridley Scott's "Prometheus" saying that it is "a bad idea to defy the gods."
L'Osservatore Romano attacked "Prometheus," stating the film "mishandles the delicate questions raised by… the battle eternal between good and evil in yet another attempt to [steal] the secret of immortality," according to Yahoo! Movies UK.
The newspaper adds that it is "a bad idea to defy the gods" and suggests that "the journey of Prometheus should instead symbolize the search for the supernatural."
In Greek Mythology, Prometheus is the figure credited with creating man from clay. The film lends its title from this story.
The film's synopsis reads (via IMDb):
A team of explorers discover a clue to the origins of mankind on Earth, leading them on a journey to the darkest corners of the universe. There, they must fight a terrifying battle to save the future of the human race.
As the Hollywood Reporter notes, "Prometheus" is not Scott's only film to draw criticism from the Vatican. Scott's 1982 film "Blade Runner" turned heads at the Vatican for its interpretation of a post-apocalyptic future, according to THR.
Back in 2010, the Vatican also criticized James Cameron's "Avatar." A review in the L'Osservatore Romano took issue with the film's central theme of man versus nature.
L'Osservatore said the film "gets bogged down by a spiritualism linked to the worship of nature," according to the Associated Press. Vatican Radio also mentioned that the movie "cleverly winks at all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium." Adding, "Nature is no longer a creation to defend, but a divinity to worship."
"Prometheus" opened in the United States in June. The film has since grossed more than $398 million worldwide, according to IMDb's Box Office Mojo.
THR reported that the film has performed relatively well in the Italy box office, taking in €1 million ($1.3 million) last weekend.