Despite the fact that the prequel to the Alien series, which was helmed by Prometheus, initially faced a couple of significant issues that diminished enjoyment for some viewers, these problems have since been addressed within the continuity of the series. The quality of the Alien movies has fluctuated over time, and when Ridley Scott, the original director of Alien, re-entered the franchise in 2012, it had reached a low ebb. Critics and fans had grown disenchanted with the original Alien timeline, which spanned from the 1979 release of Alien to the 1997 release of Alien: Resurrection. However, subsequent installments in the series have addressed these concerns and rekindled interest among fans.
The original Alien (1979) and its sequel Aliens (1986) received positive acclaim, but the follow-ups – Alien 3 (1992) and Alien: Resurrection (1997) – were generally criticized and divisive. The Alien vs Predator series didn’t fare well either; Alien vs Predator (2004) received bad reviews, while Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007) managed to be even worse. In this context, the mixed reactions towards Prometheus (2012) were actually a positive development for the franchise in terms of reception over the past few decades. However, despite these mixed reviews, many issues in Prometheus were quickly pointed out by both fans and critics alike.
Prometheus Had 2 Major Problems That Made The Movie Difficult To Enjoy
Prometheus’ Cast Made Inexplicable Choices and Its Lore Was Impenetrably Dense
In simpler terms, the movie Prometheus, which was intended to be a prequel for the Alien series, failed to live up to expectations due to two main issues. Firstly, the characters portrayed as highly-skilled scientists, engineers, and archaeologists, acted in ways that were dangerously careless, making decisions that any casual observer might consider reckless and thoughtless. Secondly, by delving deeper into the Engineers and the Black Goo, Prometheus added layers of complexity to the Xenomorph life cycle that had previously been simpler in other Alien films.
| Movie | Box Office | Rotten Tomatoes |
|---|---|---|
| Alien (1979) | $204 million | 93% Critics / 94% Audiences |
| Aliens (1986) | $183 million | 94% Critics / 94% Audiences |
| Alien 3 (1992) | $159 million | 44% Critics / 46% Audiences |
| Alien Resurrection (1997) | $161 million | 55% Critics / 39% Audiences |
| Alien vs Predator (2004) | $177 million | 22% Critics / 39% Audiences |
| Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) | $130 million | 12% Critics / 30% Audiences |
| Prometheus (2012) | $403 million | 73% Critics / 68% Audiences |
| Alien: Covenant (2017) | $240 million | 65% Critics / 55% Audiences |
| Alien: Romulus (2024) | N/A | 82% Critics / 88% Audiences |
Despite Michael Fassbender’s character David in Prometheus being intriguing, it was hard to understand his intentions regarding the Black Goo and its connection to the Xenomorph. It wasn’t evident whether the Xenomorphs predated the story of Prometheus and he was attempting to replicate their DNA, or if they hadn’t been created yet, and he was planning to manufacture them as a biological weapon. Additionally, it remained unclear how the Black Goo factored into the creation of a Xenomorph, and what connection, if any, existed between Xenomorphs and the Engineers.
Thankfully, bothersome problems presented in the 2017 sequel of Prometheus, Alien: Covenant, were effectively addressed and resolved in the 2024 sequel Alien: Romulus. Unlike its predecessor, which failed to provide a coherent explanation of the Xenomorph life cycle, director Fede Alvarez’s Alien: Romulus provided clearer exposition that clarified matters. The biggest mystery from Prometheus was resolved in Alien: Romulus when it confirmed that David had been modifying an existing alien’s DNA instead of creating the first Xenomorph. Moreover, the questionable decisions made by the characters in Alien: Romulus were much more easily understood and forgiven.
Alien: Romulus’ Young Cast Avoided Prometheus’ “Dumb Characters” Mistake
Alien: Romulus’ Inexperienced Heroes Had Every Reason To Screw Up
In contrast to the cast of Prometheus, who were more seasoned and less vulnerable, the characters in Alien: Romulus were significantly younger and struggling colonists from a Weyland-Yutani mining planet. Their naivety, evident in their questionable decisions, made their plight terrifyingly relatable yet sympathetic, rather than frustrating.
In a refreshing approach to addressing the problematic characters in ‘Prometheus’, the creators of ‘Alien: Romulus’ didn’t enhance their intelligence or strategic thinking skills, instead they made them less skilled and more vulnerable. The young colonists found themselves consistently outwitted by the Xenomorphs and the ship’s surviving android Rook. This was a challenging aspect to watch, yet it felt authentic because these characters had minimal knowledge of life beyond their harsh home world. Their destinies were heartbreaking, yet convincing, as they were deeply rooted in their character development.
Alien: Romulus Made The Xenomorph Lifecycle Less Confusing Than Prometheus
Rook Helpfully Outlined The Xenomorph’s Mysterious Life Cycle
In a straightforward manner, the complex life cycle of the Xenomorph, as seen in the movie ‘Prometheus’, was clarified. The character played by Ian Holm in ‘Alien’ was reintroduced in ‘Alien: Romulus’ to provide an explanatory speech and trigger a video showing how Weyland-Yutani was exploiting Xenomorph DNA. It was revealed that the company aimed to create super-resilient workers using the Black Goo, enabling them to withstand the hardships of space travel, thus allowing them to save costs and increase profits.
Consequently, this development led to the birth of the dreadful half-human, half-Xenomorph creature in Alien: Romulus, commonly known as the Offspring. This creature’s emergence shed light on the failures of the experiments, and moreover, offered a plausible explanation for why David conducted his peculiar Neomorph experiments in Alien: Covenant. It appears that David was following orders from Weyland-Yutani, implying that Alien: Romulus provides a logical explanation for David’s strange actions in both Prometheus and Alien: Covenant. Similar to Rook, David was ready to coldly sacrifice countless human lives in pursuit of the ideal organism.
Alien: Romulus Makes Prometheus A Better Movie In Retrospect
Prometheus’s Story Makes Much More Sense After Alien: Romulus
In the future, when we watch “Alien: Earth” in 2025, it will enhance the narrative of “Prometheus” within the Alien series as a whole, with its events becoming more crucial in hindsight. However, it was actually “Alien: Romulus” that provided a much-needed explanation for the plot and solidified its position within the franchise. By shedding light on Weyland-Yutani’s involvement in David’s experiments, “Alien: Romulus” helped establish a more defined timeline placement for “Prometheus” within the Alien saga. Originally, “Alien: Romulus” was set 30 years before “Alien,” but the connections between the two stories were somewhat vague at first.
| Alien Movies & TV Shows In Timeline Order | |
|---|---|
| Title | Year Set |
| Alien: Earth (2025) | 2092 |
| Prometheus (2012) | 2093 |
| Alien: Covenant (2017) | 2104 |
| Alien (1979) | 2122 |
| Alien: Romulus (2024) | 2142 |
| Aliens (1986) | 2179 |
| Alien 3 (1992) | 2180 |
| Alien Resurrection (1997) | 2379 |
In essence, the film Prometheus could have set up the opening scene of Alien, but it left viewers puzzled about the connection between the characters from the prequel and the heroes in the initial movie, as well as how its events affected the broader series. The movie Alien: Covenant (previously named Romulus) addressed this confusion by revealing why Weyland-Yutani had such extensive knowledge about the Xenomorph by the time of Aliens. This was much like how Prometheus introduced the distress signal that the Nostromo responds to in the original movie. In doing so, it completed a satisfying narrative loop for the Alien series.
With Prometheus’ role in the Alien franchise now established, future installments can move forward without frequently revisiting its prequels. It would be engaging to conclude Fassbender’s David character arc in a subsequent film, and his role is no longer shrouded in confusion. Similarly, the under-prepared protagonists of Alien: Romulus provide an excellent template for future adventures. Movies within the Alien franchise can avoid the unnecessary complexity found in Prometheus, focusing instead on the terrifying monster movie elements that made the series popular, while still preserving a sense of mystery.
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2025-04-22 22:00