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Prometheus fails to live up to high expectations
Unlike your Die Hards or your Terminators — film franchises that stick to tried-and-true genre templates — the Alien series succeeds because it constantly reinvents its freaky, H.R. Giger-designed packaging.
Ridley Scott’s 1979 original was a straight-up horror; James Cameron’s sequel was a war movie that just happened to take place in outer space; David Fincher’s directorial debut was a psychological thriller cum religious allegory; and Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s sex-spiked take was, well, just plain weird.
Yet throughout each film there are constants, namely a strong heroine, a crafty android and at least one drool-dribbling xenomorph. Prometheus, Scott’s return to the franchise, features at least two of these three elements, though whether he takes the series in a successful new direction is up for debate. (Illustration by Andrew Barr)
How to spot The Thing
So you’re going about your business being a scientist when one of your colleagues brings back a big chunk of ice with a frozen alien in it. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the alien thaws out and can perfectly mimic anything in comes in contact with. The creature then proceeds to eat and replace all your friends. Bummer. But how can you tell who is human and keep this monster from taking over the world?
