Ridley Scott’s Prometheus is an extremely polarizing movie that’s caused many different reactions among fans of the franchise, but one of the main criticisms that’s often thrown at the film is that it lacks the grimy aesthetic that made Alien so beloved. Everything in Prometheus is much more polished and saturated, with the technology reaching new heights and the spaceships appearing much more expensive. This seemingly makes no sense, as Prometheus is set many years before the original Alien – which remains one of Ridley Scott’s best movies.
This glaring disparity is difficult for some fans to get over, and initially seems like a major plot hole. However, while there certainly are some plot holes in the Alien franchise, this isn’t one at all. There’s a clear in-universe reason for this change, linking the aesthetics of both movies to the social messages that they’re trying to convey. The clinical visuals of Prometheus are there for a reason, and the franchise’s commentary on classism and social status wouldn’t be as powerful without them.
Prometheus Is About A High-Class Mission Aboard An Expensive Ship
The Clientele In Prometheus Are Simply Richer
The in-universe reason behind everything looking more refined and high-tech in Prometheus, compared with previous entries in the franchise, is that it focuses on a wealthier sector of the company. The journey to LV-223 is a high-class mission that’s described as one of Weyland-Yutani’s highest priorities, whereas most of the ᴀssignments in the Alien franchise are low-class missions with generic workers. The clientele of this trip are extremely wealthy, with intricate knowledge of science and technology – so they earned a more high-tech ship and more comfortable lodgings.
Prometheus is one of Ridley Scott’s best prequels, not only because of how effectively it builds upon the existing lore of the franchise, but also due to its exploration of a totally different side of the Alien coin. The working-class missions have been explored many times before, but Prometheus is the first example of Weyland-Yutani managing high-profile guests. Naturally, their environment is going to be completely different. In fact, the excessive wealth of Prometheus’ ship indirectly comments on how mistreated and undervalued the employees were in Alien, which is one of the film’s main themes.
Most Alien Movies Follow Blue-Collar Workers In Cheap Ships & Stations
Ripley Isn’t A High-Profile Employee
Prometheus is a completely different kind of Alien movie, so it’s not surprising that its visual style is also unfamiliar. The previous movies are allegories of corporate greed; they explore how Ripley and her colleagues are exploited and manipulated by Weyland-Yutani to make the most profit. Their surroundings are a perfect way of displaying this visually, as they’ve been given the most basic and rudimentary vessel to escort them to such a dangerous location. The contrast between Alien and Prometheus’ ships is a comment on how the company views these two groups.
Even if Ridley Scott had the technology to make Alien as high-tech as the prequels that would follow, it wouldn’t have made narrative sense.
Much of Ripley’s journey in Alien focuses on how she’s viewed as inferior to her employees because of her lack of wealth. It’s a direct criticism of America’s classist and capitalist society in the late ‘70s, and Alien’s ending is made even more powerful as a result. Even if Ridley Scott had the technology to make Alien as high-tech as the prequels that would follow, it wouldn’t have made narrative sense.
Prometheus’s Technology Gap Also Has To Do With When It Was Made
The Prequels Were Made Over 30 Years After The Original
As previously alluded to, the obvious answer for the disparity between the ships in Alien and Prometheus relates to the time periods in which these movies were made. Alien was released in 1979, and studios didn’t have the kind of money to spend on big sci-fi blockbusters that is considered normal today. And even if they did, there would have been no incentive to splash out so much cash on a movie like Alien. The only reason Prometheus had a large budget was because of Ridley Scott’s previous success and the box office draw of the Alien franchise.
Even if Prometheus hadn’t centered around wealthier clients, and Ridley Scott had attempted to capture the same crumbling, washed-out interiors as the Nostromo, it’s inevitable that it would have looked crisper and cleaner. A modern film will always look and feel modern compared to one from the 1970s, no matter how revolutionary and boundary-pushing the production of Alien was.
