With all the discussion about the things that might have been improved in the film recently - I thought we could try and put our money where our mouths are. What would you do to improve it? What would you change?
keeping the basic building blocks of the film, see what you come up with, or just comment on parts that could be done better. I'll start with a quickly written version of how I thought the plot might have played to be more pleasing - of course this is entirely subjective. It's like a wish list for the tone that I was hoping for.
Prometheus in Space
David on Prometheus – obviously synthetic. Make him seem spooky to create unease. He does not have a hidden agenda – too cliché now. But he acts quirky and robotic. Main point as a character is to explain things about the engineers.
Crew woken – keep crew simple, cut Weyland subplot – he exists only as backstory and motivation for Vickers.
Shaw – character who believes there is a greater power in the universe, that the creation of life is by design and not chance. Not a traditional Christian god, as such, though she keeps a cross in memory of her father who taught her about faith. She also can’t have children.
Holloway – archaeologist who loves Shaw. No need to overcomplicate him with an opposing POV to hers on creation and faith. He believes in her, plain and simple. Would do anything for her but knows he can’t fulfil her.
Fifield – geologist, wuss and bully. Believes in pay check, not much else. No need to change him that much. Remove the pot smoking – not really professional for a trillion dollar mission to find the answers to human existence.
Milburn – biologist who believes fully in science. Finds it hard to make friends. No need to change him that much either.
Vickers – Queen bitch of Prometheus. Knows it is expensive mission. Wants to succeed because it was her father’s dream to discover intelligent life. Driven for a result.
Ford – crew doctor. Mostly in it for pay check. Religious but doesn’t really want to meet her maker before she is dead.
Janek, Chance and Ravel – as is. Flight crew. No scientific or religious affiliations of note, there to fly ship and assist Vickers with mission security.
No hidden characters. No need. No extra random security guys either – flight crew can fill that role.
Crew on Prometheus – character development and tension building.
Different characters should occupy a clear space in science vs religion and logic vs faith arguments.
There should be a lot of discussion about where humans come from and what the engineers have to do with us. Use the logic of Spaiths script, whereby the engineer visitations were to advance us and not seed us. Have the question of how they advance us hang in the air as a question.
Land on planet – do not name planet. Never name planet.
First exploration – find worms, engineer bodies and headless engineer. They do not open their helmets at any time, even though they note the atmosphere is breathable.
Dead engineers scare the willies out of science driven characters like Fifield and Milburn – because they are obviously humanoid. It throws their whole core beliefs about human life evolving on Earth.
Revitalise engineer head – note it is infected. David theorises that the engineers create by sacrificing their own bodies. He believes this is done with the goo. Sometimes in order to create, you must first destroy. He also believes the engineers were planning a revisitation to Earth but something went wrong – though is not certain what.
Vickers tells David they have to return with something more than gods that made a mistake and he should explore the temple more. David explores and finds hibernating engineer. He returns to ship and after discussion Vickers agrees to wake engineer. David says he will offer the engineer an ampule, to show that they understand their technology a little.
Second exploration – wake engineer. Engineer is full 10ft tall. Observes humans wordlessly. Fifield pisses his pants and runs off, Milburn follows him. Shaw stands in adoration, Holloway is smiling because Shaw looks fulfilled. Ford and Vickers obviously nervous. David holding ampule. Holloway opens helmet, saying to Shaw, “Our creators should be able to see us.”
Engineer is oblivious to crew, walks to David, rips off his head and takes ampule. Engineer then drinks goo. Sacrifice engineer effects used here. Engineer body breaks down and tiny molecules are released. This should be the equivalent of the chestbuster – if the mystery and awe of the engineer is built up enough, seeing a god destroy itself mid-point in the film should be shocking.
Ford and Vickers run. Shaw starts crying. Holloway tries to comfort Shaw and get her to leave, during which he swallows engineer molecules.
Fifield and Milburn lost. Encounter big worm affected by Engineer molecules. Fifield acts like a total wuss, Milburn tries to be reassuring. Big worm jumps Milburn and scene can play out similar to normal, instead smashing Fifield helmet and engineer molecules being swallowed.
Back on Prometheus Shaw is still upset. Holloway tries to comfort her – at least we know how they create life or something. Holloway notes he feels different, refreshed, or reborn since the experience. Shaw all sad, cannot create life. Holloway says she is his life, or something similar and they make love.
Vickers telling Janek they have to leave, something is wrong. Janek says they can’t go without Fifield and Milburn. Is getting life signs from Fifield but not Milburn. Storm comes in and they agree to retrieve Fifield next morning.
In morning Holloway sees something in eye and knows he is changing. Shaw wakes and feels sick, goes to see Ford. Shaw is pregnant and foetus gestating at rapid rate. Wants it removed, something is wrong. Ford contacts Vickers.
Vickers says to put Shaw in hibernation; her baby may be the only thing they have gained from the ill-fated trip. She is going to get Fifield with Janek and then they are leaving.
Vickers, Janek, Chance and Ravel find Fifield changed – similar to big head proto-morph Fifield design. Fifield kills Chance & Ravel. Janek try to shoot Fifield but he moves too fast – so they run back to ship – we are leaving. Fifield lopes after them.
Shaw escapes Ford, runs to medpod. Births cuddles. Is rightly disgusted and wants to kill cuddles. Locks cuddles in medpod and is about to destroy it when Holloway enters. Holloway has become a proto morph also and Shaw runs away.
Vickers and Janek meet Shaw and Ford on Prometheus. Shaw explains that Holloway has changed and is in the medpod room with the thing that came out of her. Vickers determines to destroy them both and leave. Ford goes with Vickers, Janek and Shaw go to prepare ship for launch.
Fifield gets aboard Prometheus.
On entering medpod room Vickers and Ford cannot see Holloway but can see cuddles is laying something. They go to torch cuddles and Holloway attacks, killing Ford and knocking Vickers out.
Fifield finds Janek and Shaw in flight deck. Janek fights with Fifield, using some kind of weapon. Shaw runs off in fear. Fifield gets over Janek and Janek stabs him, though blood that is turning acidic drips onto Janek and kills him.
Holloway finds Shaw. He is barely human now. He drags Shaw to medpod room. In medpod room Shaw can see that cuddles has grown and made egg sacks from Ford’s body. One of the egg sacks is open. Vickers lies on the floor, a facehugger looking thing curled up dead next to her and a hole in her chest. As Holloway holds Shaw, an egg sack opens in front of her and David’s words echo in her head – sometimes in order to create, you must first destroy.
