Future-tech with a retro 80s feel, a lone astronaut in a field of ominous containers, and a gradually assembling title all confirm for us that Ridley Scott’s Prometheus (2012) is a spiritual successor to Alien (1979). Conceived as a straight prequel it has now been officially detached from the franchise, which has a rather less spotless reputation than the original film. The fifth entry in the series, this will also be its third prequel if we count the two horrendous Alien vs Predator films – which, this separation tells us, we absolutely should not.
In 2010 Scott released a remake of his popular and critical success Gladiator (2000), giving its protagonist the name ‘Robin Hood’ and a slightly sillier accent. This was an attempt to draw on the enthusiasm of the first film’s audience, without making the whole thing look too much like a cheap cash-in. He may be trying the same trick this time the difference being that, judging from my own reaction to the above trailer, the swine seems to be pulling it off.
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