Ridley Scott’sAlienprequel movies,PrometheusandAlien: Covenant, have been met with the exact same response as George Lucas’Star Warsprequel trilogy (for better and for worse). In 2012, some 15 years afterthe disappointment ofAlien Resurrection, Scott returned to the iconic horror franchise he started to direct a new installment. But the excitement over that comeback quickly turned to skepticism when the movie was revealed to be a prequel filling in the missing origin story of the xenomorphs. WhenPrometheushit theaters, it was a critical and commercial success, but the fans’ response was more polarized.
Scott followed upPrometheuswith a second prequel,Alien: Covenant, in 2017. While this one went back to the original film’s haunted-house horror roots in an attempt to course-correct afterPrometheus, it continued to make controversial changes to the established franchise lore and, therefore, continued to divide the fan base.This mixed response to theAlienprequels was eerily similar to the reaction to a different high-profile sci-fi blockbuster prequel: theStar Warsprequel trilogy. All the complaints levied at theAlienprequels were the exact samecomplaints levied at theStar Warsprequels, and point to a larger issue.
Alien’s Prequels Were Met With The Same Criticisms As Star Wars' Prequel Trilogy
The Complaints Are All The Same: Overexplaining The Lore, Too Much CGI, Not Really “Feeling” Like The Familiar Franchise
The biggest criticisms aimed at theAlienprequels were the same exact criticisms met by theStar Warsprequels.They were both criticized for overexplaining the loreof the franchise.Star Warswas lambasted for taking the ethereal, otherworldly, fantastical concept of the Force and applying real-world medical logic to it.The Phantom Menacerevealed thatevery Force user has a certain number of midichloriansin their bloodstream. The higher their midichlorian count, the more powerful they are with the Force.Prometheuswas similarly criticized for using a black goo to explain why the xenomorphs are nature’s perfect killers.
The Phantom Menacehas a 59% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, whilePrometheushas 68%.
TheStar Warsprequels were criticized for using too much CGI. Where the original trilogy used cutting-edge practical effects to bring alien worlds to life on-screen, the prequel trilogy just used primitive, early-days CGI to gloss over everything.PrometheusandCovenantdid the same thing.H.R. Giger’s practical monstrositieswere replaced with weightless CG entities. BoththeAlienandStar Warsprequels were criticized for not really “feeling” like their respective franchises. TheStar Warsprequels lacked the original trilogy’s grimy, used-future aesthetic and theAlienprequels lacked the original films’ horror edge in favor of big-budget sci-fi bombast.
Opinion On Prometheus Has Gradually Improved (Just Like With The Star Wars Prequels)
The Alien & Star Wars Prequels Have Both Been Reevaluated
The criticisms aren’t the only similarities between theAlienandStar Warsprequels; they’ve both been reevaluated in the years since their initial release, too. WhiletheStar Warsprequels were originally criticized for all the government bureaucracy, the trilogy has since been lauded as a poignant sci-fi allegory for how a democracy falls into the hands of a dictator. The initial discourse revolved around everything wrong with the movies — overused CGI, cringeworthy romantic dialogue, Jar Jar Binks — butthey’ve since been praised for the things they got right, likeEwan McGregor’s Obi-Wan performanceand John Williams’ music.
Prometheus Was Always An Underrated Alien Movie & I’m Delighted It’s Finally Getting Its Due
Prometheus has always been one of the Alien franchise’s most underrated entries, and I’m glad it’s finally getting the appreciation it deserves.
PrometheusandCovenanthave similarly been reappraised in the years since their release, with more attention paid to their positive attributes. They both have stunning visuals, thought-provoking themes, and an incredible performance byMichael Fassbender as cold-hearted android David.Prometheushas some unforgettable body horror sequences (namely Shaw’s gruesome self-abortion) and a fascinating Biblical allegory that would’ve been more warmly received if it wasn’t tied to theAlienfranchise.Covenanthas some terrifying jump scares, a great new take on the Ripley archetype in Katherine Waterston’s Daniels, and a jaw-dropping final twist.
The Alien/Star Wars Prequel Parallel Makes A Great Point About Sci-Fi Franchises
Filmmakers Keep Making Sci-Fi Prequels To Explain Things That Don’t Need Explaining
The parallels between the criticisms of theAlienandStar Warsprequels point to a larger issue in blockbuster filmmaking and the sci-fi genre.When Scott madePrometheus, he was more interested in making a Biblical sci-fi epic about the origins of humanity, but it would’ve been much harder to get it funded as an original storythan a reboot of theAlienfranchise. Directors keep making prequels to explain things that don’t need to be explained because thestudios are always looking for ways to expand their I.P.s., and at a certain point, the storytelling stops being organic.
Audiences pick up on the things they don’t like about a movie straight away. It’s only later on when they revisit them that they realize there are positive elements they overlooked the first time.
The criticisms and later reevaluations of theAlienandStar Warsprequels also point out the ugliness of early knee-jerk reactions. Audiences pick up on the things they don’t like about a movie straight away. It’s only later on when they revisit them that they realize there are positive elements they overlooked the first time. It shows that when audiences go into a new entry in their favorite franchise, likePrometheusorAlien: Covenant, they’re looking for an excuse to not like it, and they only realize their initial reaction was too harsh years later.
Prometheus
Cast
Prometheus, released in 2012, is a science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott. It follows a team of explorers as they uncover clues about humanity’s origins, embarking on a perilous interstellar expedition where they confront formidable challenges to secure the future of mankind.
Alien: Covenant
Alien: Covenant, directed by Ridley Scott, follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant as they discover an uncharted planet. Initially seeming like a paradise, the planet soon reveals dark secrets. Katherine Waterston, Michael Fassbender, and Billy Crudup lead the cast in this science fiction horror film, which serves as a direct sequel to Prometheus and continues to explore the origins of the Alien species.
