While Prometheus It is not as bad as some of its detractors claim, it is one part of Ridley Scott’s Alien Prequel that I still resent. Although the whole Alien Series is pretty convoluted, 2012s Prometheus was one of the first movies in the franchise to blatantly over-complicate things. I still remember how surprised I was when, less than a decade after the arrival of 2004 Alien vs. PredatorRidley Scott’s prequel introduced a new version of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation’s origin story, complete with a new CEO and founder. Lance Henriksen’s Charles Weyland was replaced by Guy Pearce’s Peter Weyland.
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This change was improved over a decade later when Alien: Romulus‘ finally tied the franchise together, neatly fusing the additional knowledge of Scott’s prequel to the original franchise timeline. Viewers will likely learn more about the early years of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation in the upcoming FX Alien TV show Alien: EarthHowever Alien: Romulus Already managed to streamline some of the many recons found in Prometheus and the 2017 sequel to the prequel, Alien: Covenant. However, even Fede Alvarez’s straightforward reboot can’t undo my least favorite part of Prometheuss needlessly convoluted story, a pointless plot detail that I can’t forgive even 12 years later.
Prometheus made the Black Goo integral to alien mythology
Ridley Scott’s prequel centered on the story of the Engineers
I really wish Prometheus Didn’t make the Black Gu so important in the Alien MythSince Scott’s prequel and the subsequent movies in the series were able to justify its existence. the “Black good“is first seen in Prometheus‘ Enigmatic opening sequence, in which an engineer consumes the liquid before disintegrating and dying almost instantly. Like so many moments in PrometheusThis scene looks great and explains almost nothing. In an experimental short film, it would be a bold, striking image for viewers to ruminate on. in the Alien Prequel, it’s a non-sequel that proceeds to go exactly nowhere.
The Black Goo was never properly explained by the alien movies
Prometheus and Alien: Covenant left the Gu a mystery
Thanks to David’s Creepy Prometheus poisoning plot, viewers learn that the goo is as deadly to humans as it is to engineers. the “Black good“, as players of Alien: The Roleplaying Game Can demonstrate, is a powerful bioweapon developed by the engineers. Also known as “Prometheus Fire“, the goo is being used by the advanced alien race to wipe out entire planets. This is all fascinating information, but none of it is clear in Prometheus Or Alien: Covenant. While viewers don’t need everything to be spoon-fed, The Alien Movies don’t thrive on ambiguity. The horror franchise works thanks to its simplicity.
Prometheus’ black goo made alien canon unnecessarily complicated
Scott’s Alien prequels left the franchise’s lore convoluted
Alien Is not Tarkovsky StalkerSo say that Prometheus Leaving the goo unexplained to challenge viewers feels like a cop-out when the movie was a major mainstream Hollywood blockbuster. I always assumed that the black goo explanation was cut for pacing or run time, and that would normally be fine if it weren’t for its impact on the series more broadly. The biological specifications of Alien: RomulusThe film’s most stupid death is never explained in detail, but the film’s story is punchy and effective enough for viewers to forgive the oversight. PrometheusIn contrast, Admirer is passionate and pointedly philosophical.
Ironically, the prequel never really justifies the xenomorph’s existence.
The opening scene of Prometheus is eventually revealed to be a sci-fi retelling of the Prometheus myth. The Disintegrating Engineer, an outcast and renegade, grants humanity its existence by sacrificing its body and providing it with the building blocks of human DNA. The Engineers develop xenomorphs to destroy humanity So they can maintain intergalactic dominance, but it irreversibly complicates the franchise’s mythology. Since the black goo is capable of wiping out entire planets, it would make much more sense for the engineers to use this bio weapon when eliminating humanity. Ironically, the prequel never really justifies the xenomorph’s existence.
It was an easier way to create a Xenomorph Origin Story
Prometheus may have explained the discovery of the Xenomorph
what makes Prometheus‘ Xenomorph backstory so frustrating is the fact that Aliens prequel did not need to explain where the xenomorph came from. Scott’s prequel leaves a lot unexplained, from the nature of the black goo to the origins of the Engineers themselves. The origins of the Xenomorph could have been another compelling mystery that was left intentionally unsolved, and it could have even made the monsters scary. Replay Alien Franchise history never felt compelled to explain the origins of the Xenomorph and, to this day, Alien And its first sequel Aliens remain the most acclaimed outings of the franchise due to this simplicity.
The reason I can not stand Prometheus‘Black Goo’ subplot is that it demands further explanation and exposition. I don’t want a string of Alien Follow-ups that only exist to explain the story of the earlier movies, but that’s what the lore of Prometheus Set yourself up. I can’t imagine many viewers are clamoring to know where the Xenomorph originally came from before PrometheusBut it’s hard to watch the prequel without wondering what the significance of the inexplicable black goo is. Instead of explaining things, Scott’s prequel only made the franchise’s backstory more complicated and necessitated more spinoffs.
Alien’s Black Goo mystery means Ridley Scott’s Covenant follow-up has yet to happen
Alien: Romulus links his canon to Scott’s prequels
Alien: Earth Showrunner Noah Hawley admitted that he didn’t care for the revelations about the origins of the xenomorph seen in Scott’s prequels. Interviewed by KRCWs The businessHawley admitted that the idea of the xenomorph as a recently invented bioweapon was not “Useful” to the story he wanted to tell. This means that AlienDavid’s prequel storyline needs a follow up more than ever since Alien: Earth Obviously will not explore the black goo and its origins further. The show’s investigation of Weyland-Yutani might have justified the plot focus, but Hawley understandably wasn’t interested in the storyline.
The black goo is something of a dead end for these Alien Franchise, but a future project still has to explain its existence. The Alien Movies can’t simply ignore the Engineers because they occupy an awkward place in the franchise’s mythology.And the only thing that can make Prometheus‘ Subplot more frustrating would be subsequent movies ignoring it entirely. The Alien series can’t forget about the goo any more than the franchise can drop the Xenomorph itself, but it makes me wish that 2012’s prequel Prometheus never mentioned the existence of the mixed substance in the first place.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter