Ridley Scott’sPrometheusis a fairly controversial entry in theAliencanon, but it’s actually one of the director’s most underrated films when viewed through a certain lens.Prometheustakes place many years before thefirstAlienmovie,following a group of human astronauts as they journey to the far reaches of the universein search of the mysterious race that’s seemingly responsible for the creation of humanity.Prometheusretcons the originalAlienmoviein several ways, but it was always viewed as a fairly loose prequel.
You’d be forgiven for not realizing thatPrometheusis a prequel at all - the iconic xenomorphs barely make an appearance at all, and the film is much more centered around sci-fi than horror.Prometheusis a very different kind of film, rejecting the atmospheric terror of Ridley Scott’s original movie and replacing it with something much richer and more philosophical. This fact has been raised countless times as a critique of the film, though it’s also been used inPrometheus’ defense.
Prometheus Is Way Better If You Completely Forget It’s An Alien Movie
The Film Works Better Outside The Alien Universe
In many ways,Prometheus’biggest downfall was that it was marketed as a prequel to theAlienmovies. It’s a fairly misleading way to describe the movie because, while there are certainly connections,Prometheuscould easily stand alone as an original sci-fi property. The story has almost nothing in common withAlien, it just happens to take place in the same universe.The Engineers are original characters, and none of the specific locations appeared in Scott’s original film - despite a few namedrops, everything is completely different.
It’s Official: We’re Never Getting An Answer To Prometheus' Biggest Unresolved Mystery
Prometheus set out to answer some major questions posed by the original Alien movie, but it’s increasingly clear that they’ll remain mysterious.
Therefore,Prometheusworks much better when viewed separately from the rest of theAlienmovies. Those who go into the film expecting another action-packed showcase of horror and rich sci-fi lore will almost certainly be disappointed;the film makes no attempts to be similar toAlien, it merely uses this universe as a springboard for telling an entirely new and different story.Prometheusis an underrated and misunderstood movie, it just suffered from trying to insert itself into a universe where it didn’t necessarily belong.
Prometheus' Biggest Problem Is Its Impact On Alien Canon
Without This Restriction, Prometheus Could’ve Been Truly Amazing
Prequels can be some of the hardest stories to write, because they’re always constrained by the information that already exists. There are rules in place that the writer needs to adhere to to ensure that everything adds up, and that can often result in frustrating plot holes or nonsensical ideas. This is exactly the problem withPrometheus- by placing this story in the world ofAlien,Ridley Scott unnecessarily complicates mattersand retroactively changes a movie that has a very potent and vocal fanbase.
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Alien vs Predator (2004)
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80% Critics / 85% Audiences
The Engineers are fascinating creatures with lots of potential, but they were met with immense criticism simply because they changedAliencanon. If this had been an original project, it’s hard to imagine that audiences would have taken such issue with the story.Prometheusis a gripping tale of purpose, religion, and faiththat uses sci-fi elements merely to enhance the narrative rather than define it.FromPrometheus’ opening scene, it’s clear that this movie is going to be very different from the otherAliensequels - and that’s not necessarily what audiences wanted.
Should Prometheus Have Been The Start Of A Totally New Movie Franchise?
There’s Enough Material For A Whole New Series
to avoid this problem, Ridley Scott could have easily written out any references to the previousAlienfilms and madePrometheusinto a brand new franchise of its own. While it may not have attracted the same appeal from long-term fans of the series, it wouldn’t have run the risk of upsetting those fans when it changed the canon so drastically.Scott would’ve had much more creative freedom with the story, as he wouldn’t have been constrained to the in-universe rules that he’d already established many decades prior.
But the main problem with these prequels is that neither film feels fully cohesive with the other, and there are clearly ideas that were adopted and dropped between the projects.
Interestingly, Scott seemed to listen to the criticism that he received forPrometheusand applied it toAlien: Covenant, which is more of a typicalAlienfilm in many regards. But the main problem with these prequels is that neither film feels fully cohesive with the other, and there are clearly ideas that were adopted and dropped between the projects. It’s easy to imagine that Scott could’ve pulled together a clearer vision for these movies if he’d not been so busy making them adhere to theAlientimeline.
Prometheus
Cast
Prometheus, released in 2012, is a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. It follows a team of explorers as they uncover clues about humanity’s origins, embarking on a perilous interstellar expedition where they confront formidable challenges to secure the future of mankind.
