My in-depth review of Ridley Scott's Prometheus goes up shortly after 6:00 am this morning. In the meantime, here's the Alien movie matrix I featured last week, now updated to include Prometheus. As any reading of the chart confirms, Prometheus is definitely an Alien film in its DNA. It conforms widely to the character and story elements of the long-standing franchise.
Title
|
Alien
(1979)
|
Aliens
(1986)
|
Alien3
(1992)
|
Alien
Resurrection (1997)
|
Prometheus
(2012)
|
Android
|
Ash
|
Bishop
|
Bishop
|
Call
|
David
|
Company Man
|
Ash
|
Burke
|
85,
Bishop
|
No
|
Meredith
Vickers
Weyland |
Comic Relief
|
Parker,
Brett
|
Hudson
|
Morse,
85
|
Perez
|
Chance
and Ravel.
Frifeld
and Millburn.
|
In awe of the alien
|
Ash
|
Bishop
|
Golic
|
Gediman
|
David
|
Joseph Conrad
|
Nostromo
Narcissus
|
Sulaco
|
Sulaco
|
No
|
No
|
Pregnancy/Gestation
|
Kane
|
Colonists
|
Ripley.
Dog.
|
Alien
Queen
Purvis
|
Shaw
Engineer |
Self-Sacrifice
|
No
|
Gorman
Vasquez
|
Dillon
Ripley
|
Christie
Purvis
|
Janek
Chance
and Ravel
Holloway
|
Failed Mission
|
Dallas
in the
vents
trying to
flush
out alien
|
First
engagement
with
aliens in
sub-level
3
|
Prisoners
attempt
to
entrap alien
|
Military
attempts
to
breed and control
aliens
as bio weapon.
|
Weyland’s
quest
for
immortality
|
Ship/Facility Destroyed
|
Nostromo
|
LV-426
Colony
|
Evacuation
pod
|
Auriga
|
Prometheus,
alien ship.
|
New Alien Life Form
|
Space
jockey
Egg
Facehugger
Chestburster
Adult
alien
|
Queen
Alien
|
Dog
Alien
|
Newborn
|
Worm-snakes,
Frifield-Zombie,
Gestating
proto-facehugger,
Engineers,
Final
Xenomorph
|
Surprise Death/Attack
|
Kane
chest-bursted
|
Bishop
by Queen
on
Sulaco
|
Andrews
through
Cafeteria
ceiling
|
No
|
David
and Weyland at the hands of the Engineer.
|
I've been thinking back on this, but doesn't Parker sacrifice himself, sort of? When Lambert is cornered by the xenomorph, late in the film, recall he's telling her to "Move!" He's not threatened at that moment and could run as the alien is targeting the other crew member. Parker then attempts to intervene, which of course costs him. Even as his demise is imminent, he's screaming for her to run, IIRC. Of course she doesn't as she's deer-in-the-headlights material by this point. But, he tried, perhaps knowing it wouldn't work in an effort to save Lambert. Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteHi Michael,
DeleteGood point about the original Alien (1979). I'm not sure if it's self sacrifice, or in Parker's mindset at the moment, he's going to kill the alien and save Lambert (and yet survive). I think it's a point worth mentioning, certainly. He certainly dies, but I don't think he sacrifices himself. I don't know, I should watch that moment again, and I'm glad you directed me back to it.
best,
John