Prometheus has been released and it's, well, disappointing. Visually stunning, but the story makes no sense. Too many of the characters are supposed to be intelligent but do really stupid things. Some of the characters apparently know the plot of the Alien movies that haven't happened yet.
We can't reshoot, but it is still possible to patch up the DVD and Blu-Ray release with a few pickup shots and a redone effect. These are the short scenes or changes I'd add to make a new version of Prometheus.
Problem: How does Janek know what he knows? Why would Weyland make the trip just from what Shaw and Holloway have told him?
After the rock painting discovery, before the ship in flight.
Prometheus is in orbit around the Earth. Vickers and Janek stand on the
bridge. They're looking down at a computer screen which we can't see.
Janek is intent, Vickers has seen it before.
Janek: Where'd this come from?
Vickers: Eurospace flyby in the fifties. Before we bought them.
Janek: Gonna tell the scientists?
Vickers: Everyone loves that cave painting story.
Problem: Taking off helmets on a planet with alien life would be really, really, stupid.
Prometheus entering the atmosphere, crew reporting composition of atmosphere.
Revel: ... No methane or other life byproducts. Not even bacteria floating in the
air. Dead as a graveyard.
Problem: There's no reason for the holograms and nobody is interested.
Just after the holograms run through the corridors and they follow, just before "David, please tell me you can read this"..
Holloway: What did you do?
David: It's a recording system. Logs all recent movement.
Holloway: What, they recorded everything that happened?
David: Standard corporate policy.
Problem: Fifield and Millburn have to be stupid not to ask for help when they get lost. Everyone else has to forget that they could look at their cameras when they run late.
Chamber when Fifield and Millburn leave.
As Fifield and Millburn pass through the door, there's a blue flash. Sparks
arc around their helmet cameras.
Fifield: What was that?
Cut to Prometheus. Janek looks at the screens, sees that Fifield and Millburn
are now blank.
Janek: What happened? Fifield? Doctor Shaw?
Cut back to chamber.
Fifield: We're here. My cam is dead.
Millburn: Mine too. EMP pulse.
David: There is something secret in here. No recordings allowed out.
Holloway: Not so trusting after all.
David: I'll switch it off.
He walks to the door, studies the controls on this side, presses a button.
Cut to outside the door.
Millburn: How are we going to find our way back?
Fifield: Out the door, look for the bloody great spaceship! Let's go.
From now on, bridge screens show camera views for Fifield and Millburn as blank, with their names still overlaid.
Problem: There is no reason for David to infect Holloway.
David investigating the black goo.
David has a plate with a steak and potato on it. He uses his finger to put more goo
onto the food. On the steak, it spreads out and soaks in, disappearing. The steak changes
back to raw meat, but the potato is unchanged. David looks at the goo on his own
unchanged finger thoughtfully, rubbing it against his thumb.
David: Tissue complexity.
Problem: If you're on an alien planet and there's weird stuff in your eyes, you tell someone!
Holloway discovers infection.
Holloway looks in the mirror and sees a black tendril in his eye. His face freezes. Blinks once, slowly, both eyes synchronised. Looks down at his hand, curling and uncurling each finger in turn.
He snaps out of it. Looks puzzled for a moment, then shakes his head and turns away.
Problem: Poking strange life forms is really, really, stupid.
Immediately after Fifield and Millburn see the snake thing, when Millburn first reaches towards it.
Fifield: What the HELL are you doing?
Millburn: Multicellular! It's an animal! All we've ever found away from Earth
is pond scum. This is worth a fortune!
Problem: Shaw and Vickers need to talk.
After Vickers has flamed Holloway.
Vickers walks over to Shaw. She looks up.
Shaw (screaming): You didn't have to...we could have...
Vickers: We're in space, Doctor Shaw. Charlie knew the rules.
Shaw (slightly calmer): We need to bring the body inside. We need to know what...
what happened to him.
Vickers: No we don't. As you requested, full quarantine protocols.
Problem: The reason that the surgical pod gives is silly. (And hey, it's an abortion, not a caesarian. Catholics can say the word. The audience won't burn the cinema down.)
The medical pod scene.
Medical pod: This is a geriatric and cryogenic maintenance module. The
operation you requested is not available.
Problem: Shaw just ripped a monster out of her stomach and nobody cares?
Just after Shaw leaves medical pod.
She discovers Weyland and attendants. Staggers into the room. David gets up
and puts a coat on her.
David: What has happened, Doctor Shaw?
Shaw: The creature...I...
Weyland: David! I don't have time. This is an order: My trip takes priority.
Take care of her afterwards.
Problem: Vickers getting crushed is dumb.
Just before Vickers dies.
Shaw and Vickers watch as the alien ship falls out of the sky. It crashes down but not vertically and rolls a little on the rounded edge like a dropped saucepan lid. Shaw and Vickers run. The ship rolls a bit more. From viewpoint just in front of Shaw we see the extended front "arm" swing sideways over her head. It crushes Vickers.
Don't like my ideas? Post your own!