Prometheus
Upon passing , Prometheusbecame one of the most critically and financially successfulinstallments in the entireAlienseries – yet , 12 years on , it ’s progressively obvious that some face of the picture work better than others . With a 73 % critics score on the limited review aggregatorRotten Tomatoesand a $ 403 million global box office , the film clearly found a sizable consultation . However , with the benefit of hindsight , revisitingPrometheusreveals some serious flaws that no amount of present-day critical praise or popular plaudit can overcome .
Prometheus ' relationship with theAliensagais somewhat complicated . Before release , director Ridley Scott famously said that the moving-picture show would share strand of " Alien ’s DNA , " establishing a exculpated connexion between the projects . While fundamental write up detail confirmed that the two motion-picture show were closely linked , the narrative was not a direct overture to the originalAlien , following different characters and different tan . This approach had the electric potential to be both bold and effective . However , while the movie ’s sense of spectacle remains impressive in 2024 , other features palpate amazingly frustrating .
10The Movie’s Engineer Story Is A Mess
The Main Protagonists Are Frustratingly Ill-Conceived
Prometheus ' trouble are evident from the get-go thanks to the film ’s Engineer opening . The aliens , which belong to to the same race asAlien ’s enigmatic " blank jockey"are key to every element of the story , having seeded human life on Earth and lay a track of breadcrumbs for the Prometheus ' crew to abide by several thousand year afterward . Their presence take into account the film to explore cogent case like humanity ’s origin and the purpose behind our creation . Unfortunately , the Engineers ' natural process and motivations fall aside under the slightest scrutiny .
It ’s never clear why they would require to direct humans to their weapons stockpile on LV-223 , nor why the revived Engineer is so determined to destroy humanity once it has wake .
From why they create human beings , to how their use relates to our understanding of phylogeny ( a plot hole pointed out by one ofPrometheus ' characters ) , several scene of the Engineers ' account do n’t pile up . It ’s never clear why they would want to direct humans to their weapon reservation on LV-223 , nor why the revived Engineer is so determined to put down world once it has awoken . While their presence in the narrative ( and in world ’s own past times ) raises challenging motion , Prometheusdoesn’t furnish a satisfying solution to any of them , making the exploration of the place jockey feel like a wasted opportunity .
9The Black Goo Makes No Sense
Its Properties And Powers Are Poorly Explained
The problems withPrometheus ' mystical black gooare even more acute than the issues with the Engineers . From the commencement , the unusual means is key to everything that happens in the film – insinuate to be the cardinal component in humanity ’s creation in the movie ’s puzzling opening . However , precisely what the sinister goo is , how it exercise , or what its powers are , is one of manyPrometheusplot points that never receives a satisfying explanation .
At various points in the movie , the goo is indicate to be instantly calamitous to Engineers , open of transforming into an interior parasite ( in the case of Holloway ) , transmittable via sex ( as encounter with Shaw ) , and serious enough to turn Fifield into a zombie . It also seems to be a home for the alien insects and snake in the grass - corresponding Hammerpede that inhabit the Engineer facility . All of this proves the smuggled goo ’s potence , but does n’t provide a rational account for what it is and how it works . This is particularly frustrating , yield its central function in later dealership instalment likeAlien : CovenantandAlien : Romulus .
8The Alien Symbology Is Incredibly Confusing
It Undercuts Prometheus' Sequel Story
WhilePrometheusdoesn’t feature a fully - fledged xenomorph(even the Deacon creature see at the final stage is notably different ) , clue about the iconic brute ’s front are scattered throughout the story . From a mural that the expeditionary team identifies ( ostensibly stark with anH.R. Giger - similar alien intent ) to Fifield and Millburn ’s ominous discovery that several Engineers appear to have exploded from the inside , the link is n’t exactly elusive .
The problem is that not only does the xenomorph never appear in the moving-picture show itself , butPrometheus ' own subsequence contradicts it get any part at all . According toAlien : Covenant , xenomorphs as we know them are only created as a result of David ’s extensive experimentation . This , however , clearly creates several problems for the creatures ' apparent behind - the - scenes role inPrometheus . It ’s perhaps the biggest example of how later events in theAlienseries have made key elements ofPrometheus ' storey seem redundant , or even directly contradictory .
7Prometheus' Characters Are Shallow (& Frustratingly Stupid)
Some Of Their Decisions Are Truly Baffling
Like many sprawling sci - fi stories , Prometheussuffers from offering limited screen sentence to its expansive cast . The result is that many characters sense thin sketch and lacking in motivation or development . Sean Harris ' Fifield , for lesson , is established early as being in it for the money , yet this seems to have no further charge on his part . also , Charlize Theron ’s Vickers is shown as cold and authoritative , with little principle for her dismissive behavior towards the rest of the team . The final result is that major reveals , likethe twist that Vickers is Weyland ’s daughter , fall monotonous .
These issues are minor , however , compared to the baffling stupidity of manyPrometheuscharacters . Whether it ’s Holloway ’s decision to remove his helmet ( despite the dangers of an foreign planet ) , Millburn ’s conclusion to pet a clear hostile foreign , or Shaw ’s feeling that she should ignore a warning about an close at hand silica storm for a few more minutes of study , characters make a ecological succession of bizarre decisions , apparently for no other decision than to move the secret plan forwards . This both counteract their authenticity and makes the whole story feel incredibly contrive .
6Prometheus Wastes Great Actors In Minor Roles
The Cast Is Incredibly Strong
Prometheus ' large cast does n’t just determine part development . It also means that several actors – many of whom would be open of taking the limelight in other project – find grossly underutilized . While some performances ( notably , Michael Fassbender as the android David ) shine , for most of the actors involve , the tarradiddle provides them with cute picayune opportunity to lend their characters to sprightliness .
The like of Charlize Theron , Idris Elba , and Guy Pearce all feature surprisingly little in the story . Idris Elba ’s Janek feature film in one or two scene before a heroic turn of self - sacrifice , Theron is only capable to show the cold and uncaring side of her fibre , and Pearce is absent for most of the runtime , pull through for a brief ejaculation at the end . Other actors , such as Benedict Wong , are even more raspingly done by , appear in a twain of abbreviated exchanges before sharing Janek ’s fate . The result is a moving picture full of performance voltage , but lacking in end product .
5Michael Fassbender Is Great, But David Is Confusing
The Character Is Full Of Contradictions
One ofPrometheus ' greatest military strength is Michael Fassbender ’s detached , childly , and slightly sociopathic performanceas David . WhilePrometheuslacks a traditional cardinal scoundrel , David is as skinny as the moving-picture show comes to an antagonist – a role he would full embrace inAlien : Covenant . However , as watchable as Fassbender is , his character is a thwarting mass of contradictions .
Though the moving-picture show ’s opening establishes David as a figure who is trying to learn about his place in the world , many of his defining character traits are never in full explain .
Though the picture show ’s opening establishes David as a figure who is render to learn about his place in the humanity , many of his set eccentric traits are never fully explained . His obsession withLawrence of Arabia , for instance , has little discernable impact on the story . It ’s also unclear why he takes the dramatic footfall of envenom Holloway , why he suddenly decide to ally himself with Shaw in the pic ’s destruction , or to what extent his actions are motivated either by his own curiosity or loyalty to Weyland . The answers to these questions essentially alterPrometheus ' content and significance , yet are never gratifyingly answered .
Custom image by Yeider Chacon
4The Script Often Lets Prometheus Down
There Are Problems On A Macro And Micro Level
From both a blanket narrative and specific character position , 12 years ' distance prove that there are majorproblems withPrometheus ' script . The apparently irrational conduct of multiple character , the central setup of Weyland ’s trillion - dollar pleasure trip that never secernate its participant where they were expire , and the emergence of an existential threat to manhood all arrive without any existent home logical system . On reflectivity , it seems like these events just occur because the script want them to , not because it make sense for the tarradiddle .
Fifield ’s declaration that he " loves rocks " , Vickers and Janek ’s stilted flirting , and Holloway ’s drunken strop about being unable to discourse with a stagnant alien all undercut the movie ’s more portentous step and theme .
These high - level problems aside , Prometheusalso hurt from some truly grating dialogue . Fifield ’s declaration that he " loves rocks " , Vickers and Janek ’s stilted toying , and Holloway ’s sottish strop about being unable to converse with a idle alien all undersell the movie ’s more fateful musical note and themes . The result leavesPrometheusfeeling disjointed at best and downright clumsy at bad .
3Prometheus' Strengths Can’t Make Up For Its Collective Problems
The Movie’s Logic Doesn’t Stand Up To Scrutiny
WatchingPrometheusfor the first time in 2012,the movie ’s telling scale of measurement , often sumptuous visuals , and sentiency of expressive style made up for its other shortcomings . However , 12 years on and within the broader context of the widerAlienfranchise , the flick ’s multiple plot holes seem even more prejudicial . In isolation , detail like Millburn and Fifield ’s bizarre decision to wander off from the main group add to the zephyr of confusion . However , it ’s only with hindsightPrometheustruly buckles under the collective weight of its narration missteps .
Prometheus set out to do some major questions posed by the original Alien movie , but it ’s increasingly decipherable that they ’ll persist mysterious .
In 2024 , it ’s potential to fully apprize how the unexplained black goo , what the Engineers really want , and the irrational behavior of the characters all underminePrometheusin a way that was n’t always potential thanks to the initial impingement of the movie ’s screen presence . Much as a motion-picture show likeAvatardeflected concerns over its storey because of its startling ocular effects , it seemsPrometheusonly get away a sterner critique because it look so undecomposed . Now this impact has lessen , the movie ’s weaknesses seem much more striking .
2Prometheus Didn’t Need To Be Connected To Alien
It Could Have Worked As A Different Project
There ’s no doubt thatpart of what madePrometheussuch a success ( and so exciting for fans ) was the dual hope of anAlienprequel and Ridley Scott ’s returnto the enfranchisement . However , while this connection was a persuasive argument for the project ’s viability , it was also unnecessary – strictly based on the narrative .
A history about a grouping of intrepid explorers determined to uncover man ’s origins in thick space could have been a fascinating standalone sci - fi feature , or even the start of a whole new enfranchisement . Nothing about this go down - up neededAliento hand over a compelling tale . Instead , theAlienEaster eggsput the pic in an unimaginable position – forcing it to try and tell a different kind of taradiddle to the self - control original , while also staying true to the source material . In the end , it proved an out of the question reconciliation human activity .
1Prometheus' Story Hurt The Alien Franchise
It Was The Worst Mistake A Prequel Can Make
In 2012 , it was n’t necessarily unclouded to what extentPrometheuswould impact theAlienstory . While it had sown the seeds for central plot of land stop like the bootleg goo and provided a jolly unsatisfying account for the space jockey , the relationship between the character and level still seemed somewhat thin . This all change with later installments .
pick up straightaway wherePrometheusleft off , Alien : Covenantretconned the entire saga , rewriting the xenomorph as an android bioweapon , rather than the " stark organism " featured in the first movie . This development , which completely cave the terrifying significance ofAlien , would not have been possible withoutPrometheus ' revelations . The fact that upcoming tv set seriesAlien : Earthis set to rewrite this aspect of the franchise once again is proof thatPrometheus ' narrative instauration failed to have a positive impact – a damnatory bill of indictment of the film ’s legacy and relevance in 2024 .
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