Prometheus: 10 Reasons It’s Not As Bad As Fans Think

Ever since its release in June 2012, fan outrage has been part of the legacy of a little film known as Prometheus. Serving as a prequel to Alien, director Ridley Scott’s return to the franchise he started was met with controversy due to what some fans felt was a wishy-washy relationship to the rest of the series.

While Damon Lindelof’s rewrite does deserve a bit of scrutiny, the movie is actually not as bad as many think, In fact, many fans feel it is likely the third-best Alien film. Though the script has some major flaws, the movie has a lot going on under the hood.

10 Jon Spaihts’ Original Script

One of the elements of Prometheus that caused controversy with fans was that it went back and forth as to whether or not it’s an Alien movie. This wasn’t the case in Jon Spaihts’ original script, which was a straight-up prequel to the original Alien movie.

The script, which was titled Alien: Engineers, followed many of the beats of the final product, except that it was properly set in the Alien universe. However, when Damon Lindelof stepped in to rewrite Spaihts’ script, the decision was made to distance itself from Alien.

9 The First Trailer

People tend to forget about a movie’s trailer once the final product is released to the public, but Prometheus‘ initial trailer may be better than the final film. Using clever editing, the trailer has a tension that isn’t present in the movie itself.

What really sells the movie here is the music, which makes use of the horrifying wailing from the original movie’s trailer, and probably terrified anyone that saw the trailer in theatres. All in all, many fans felt that the trailer for Prometheus is as good, if not better than the movie itself.

8 Fascinating Concepts

Something intriguing that Prometheus delves into is the genesis of mankind and how it relates to life beyond the stars. The idea of humans and Xenomorphs coming from the same source is fascinating, with the movie raising some very interesting ideas.

The film does fall somewhat flat in terms of delivering on these themes, mainly because it doesn’t seem to have any answers to the questions it raises. Regardless, the themes of Prometheus give it an intriguing element, even if this is a somewhat shallow perk.

7 Xenomorph Origins

Not only did fans meet The Engineer in Prometheus, an early version of The Space Jockey from Alien, but they also see the predecessor of the titular alien. The film begins the genesis of the Xenomorph fans know and love, with early versions of the different stages being featured in the movie.

As the film goes on, an early version of the Facehugger is shown attacking the characters Fifield and Millburn. A tense scene with an early version of the Chestburster is a highlight of the film and a version of the fully-grown Xenomorph known as “The Deacon” appears at the end.

6 Breathtaking Visuals

No matter what anyone thinks about the movie’s story, they cannot deny that Prometheus is a treat to the eyes. The film features stunning work from every department, with the film’s big budget put to good use.

From Arthur Max’s production design, Janty Yates costume design, Dariusz Wolski’s cinematography, and Neal Scanlan and Connor O’ Sullivan’s practical effects firing on all cylinders, even the CGI, something that always hampers horror films, is stunning to look at.

5 Ridley Scott’s Direction

The fact that the movie looks great is also something that Ridley Scott should be thanked for, as he widely considered one of the best visual directors in the industry. The news of Ridley Scott’s return got many fans excited and he does a spectacular job in the director’s chair.

Scott delivers on his reputation for solid visuals, whilst also eliciting strong performances from the movie’s cast. Scott would return to direct Alien: Covenant, but his work isn’t quite as impressive in that film.

4 The Surgery Scene

A major issue with Prometheus is that it isn’t really scary, but there is one mind-blowing scene that lives up to the scares Alien managed to illicit. When Shaw is impregnated with an early version of a Chestburster, she straps herself into a surgery table to remove the alien fetus.

It’s a visceral and disturbing scene that will have audiences on the edge of their seat. It calls back to the classic scene in the original Alien when the Chestburster violently emerges out of Kane’s chest.

3 Noomi Rapace As Shaw

While Prometheus has a strong cast, including Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, and Guy Pearce, many felt that their characters aren’t very interesting. The same cannot be said about Noomi Rapace’s Shaw, though, who many fans feel is one of the best characters in the Alien franchise.

Shaw has similar traits to Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley, but has particular traits that separate her from her more famous counterpart. Her belief in God gives her a unique arc in the movie, contrasting with Marshall-Green’s Holloway, who is an atheist.

2 Michael Fassbender As David

That many fans felt Michael Fassbender’s performance as the android David was one of the best parts of Prometheus shouldn’t be a surprise. His portrayal of the character is often brought up as a highlight of the movie.

David is a challenging character on paper, as the character is an artificial being that develops human traits, something that is really difficult to make natural. Fassbender makes it seem effortless and Prometheus is a testament to the actor’s talent.

1 Possibly The Best Film Since Aliens

Prometheus a bit of a letdown for fans of the franchise, but objectively it’s still a good movie, and other movies in the Alien franchise are received far more negatively by fans and critics in terms of their overall quality.

Alien 3 made the mistake of killing off beloved characters, Alien: Resurrection was said to be too cartoonish, the Alien Vs Predator films were thought to be too slow by some, and Alien: Covenant took the concepts left on the table in Prometheus and got rid of them. Could it be that the best film since Aliens came out 26 years later? For some fans, that’s how things have lined up.

About The Author

Seth Rector
(172 Articles Published)

Ever since he was a young lad, Seth Rector has had a love for all things that reek of geek. Movies, tv shows, comic books, and video games are what he considers his wheelhouse. A writer at heart, Seth says he’s over the moon now that he can write about what he loves. When he isn’t writing for Screen Rant, he is putting his film degree from Lights Film School to good use by working on future film projects.

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