How the Movie "Prometheus" Relates to the Movie "Alien"

The movie “Prometheus” marks director Ridley Scott’s first entry into the science fiction genre since the early 1980s. His last sci-fi film, “Blade Runner”, was released in the summer of 1982. Not only is he returning to a genre he once left an inarguable mark on, he is also returning to a franchise he created – the world of the “Alien” films. According to pre-release and promotional material, determining how “Prometheus” fits in with the other films in the franchise including “Aliens”, “Alien 3” and “Alien: Resurrection” is a bit more complicated than calling it a simple “prequel.”

The film that would eventually be called “Prometheus” started life very much as a literal prequel to “Alien”. In cinematic terminology, the word “prequel” means that a particular film takes place chronologically before a film that has already been released. Ridley Scott himself even identified “Prometheus” as such in promotional material included with the “Alien Anthology” Blu-ray boxed set, released in late 2010.

Though “Prometheus” started out very much tied to the previous film, things got a bit more complicated when writer Damon Lindelof became involved in the project. Lindelof, who many genre fans will know as one of the driving forces behind the hit television series “Lost”, rewrote an existing script and turned the film into something else entirely. His draft is the one that was used when production began.

The finished film “Prometheus” is still very much a part of the larger “Alien” universe – however, it has now just become one small part. Chronologically, the film still takes place an undetermined amount of time prior to the events depicted in “Alien”. However, the story of “Prometheus” no longer concerns itself with simply answering questions that were posed by that previous movie. Instead, it tackles larger questions like “Why are we here?” and “How did humanity come to be?”

Tonally, “Prometheus” shares a lot with “Alien.” The looks of the two films are very much in sync, with both being dark, gothic takes on similar material. Both films are also a blend of science fiction and horror, with thrilling elements thrown into the mix.

A staple of the “Alien” franchise since its creation has been the sinister Weyland Yutani Corporation. This is the organization that the characters in the first film worked for, and the entity that was behind the crew of the Nostromo checking out a mysterious distress call. “Prometheus” features the corporation in its infancy, when it was called Weyland Industries and before it ever merged with the Yutani Corporation.

“Prometheus” also features a character that was present in the film “Alien.” In “Alien”, a corpse of a large, hulking creature dubbed the “Space Jockey” by Ridley Scott himself makes an appearance early on inside a derelict ship. The film “Prometheus” also features creatures from this race, still very much alive.

When you sit down in the theater (or at home, to enjoy the eventual DVD and Blu-ray release), it is best if you go into “Prometheus” not expecting a literal prequel to “Alien” but instead an entirely new story. Though the story is set in the same world and features similar themes and production design, expecting to see pretty much the same thing again will only lead to disappointment.

Movie Review: "Prometheus" (2012)

“Prometheus” is a science fiction thriller film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof. It tells a completely new story despite being set in the universe created by Ridley Scott in 1979 in the film “Alien.” It stars Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron and Noomie Rapace as the crew of a spaceship investigating the origin of man. A lot has been trumpeted about “Prometheus” being heralded as Ridley Scott’s return to the genre he left an incredible mark on. With the film officially in release, the question of whether or not it is actually any good is sure to be on a lot of people’s minds.

It is difficult to talk about the plot of “Prometheus” without spoiling potential surprises. Simply put, the film is about the crew of a space ship in the process of investigating the origin of life as we know it. They seek to find answers to the age-old questions “Who are we?” and “Why are we here?” Throughout the course of the film, it looks like they very much have the opportunity to get some concrete answers. Those answers come at a terrible (and often bloody) price.

The question that viewers should refrain from asking while viewing “Prometheus” is, “Is this better than “Alien”? Despite the similarities in plot, tone and characterization, they are largely separate films and should be treated as such. “Prometheus” is more than strong enough to stand on its own, and it asks thematic questions more powerful than the original “Alien” ever attempted.

But such comparisons are likely unavoidable, so similarities between the two may warrant further consideration by some. Of all the aspects of the original “Alien” that are unquestionably successful, “characterization” and “story” are not among these elements. The story of “Alien” is relatively straightforward – the crew of a deep space mining vessel is attacked and systematically eliminated by a creature of unknown and terrifying origin. In this regard, “Prometheus” is very similar. However, the aforementioned thematic leaps by “Prometheus” make it the clear victor over the two.

The characters of “Alien” were also relatively straightforward. The only thing that made them shine, and shine they did, was the performances by actors like Sigourney Weaver and Ian Holm. On the page, the characters that populate the ship of the Nostromo are relatively bland.

The main strength of “Prometheus” is in its sense of mood. The film is incredibly tense at times, and downright horrifying in others. Does it offer thrills and scares on par with the original “Alien”? That’s something that will come down to the individual viewer, though if a person likes to be scared and keeps to the edge of their seat during these types of films they certainly won’t be disappointed.

If “Prometheus” has any failings, it’s the strength of the characters themselves. On one hand, “Prometheus” contains excellent performances from some world class actors. This is particularly true of Michael Fassbender’s David, an android who has more in common with a five-year-old child than with anyone else on the crew of the ship “Prometheus.” Some of the background players on the ship, however, are virtually indistinguishable from one another when it comes to characterization and dialog. Viewers may have a hard time caring for them in the first half of the film, which could potentially leave them unaffected as the crew starts getting picked off in the latter half.

Is Ridley Scott’s “Prometheus” a good film? Yes. It is without a doubt one of the most satisfying spectacles of the summer, if not of the entire year. It is also one of those rare films that are more than worth the additional prices required to see it in 3D. It was filmed with 3D in mind, unlike many other films that were post-converted.

However, it is unlikely to stand the test of time the way Sir Ridley’s previous efforts have.