Comments (Page 197)

Well, Origae-6 is far, far away and David is out of mutagen. On the other hand, he has a couple of facehugger embryos. I wonder if they need an egg to mature in? What can David do with them in the lab on the Covenant? Will he make a xeno-army out of the 2000 colonists? Will Daniels and Tennessee be alive?

I picture Origae-6 as a paradise with sun and moons and flora but only small, harmless variants of fauna (and lakes where Daniels could have built here cabin). If David decides to build his army there, it will become barren and dark.

hox I never noticed that detail. At face value it looks a lot like a Neomorph with tentacles.

Certainly....

The Outer Part of the Ampoules have a like Texture, the Lower Part of the Center Piece that Connects the Ampoules likewise gas a kind of Organic Mesh looking Texture.

Interesting is so does WALTERS construction.

"However his most interesting comment is when he begins talking about the name of the film."

I thought that was a Interesting part of the Commentary as it indicates that the Prometheus Moniker was not Part of the Process of the to a great Degree until a Certain Point.

Its only Mention in the Earlier Drafts being in Spaights just ONCE... so the Stealing of Technology Theme did-not seem too Prevalent in the Drafts. But none the less we can see they kind of was a Promethean Tale but not really more Prominent than other Mythos/Religions connections.  So i think as they set out to Shoot the Movie, the Promethean Theme became more Prominent in their Intentions.

@Michelle

Thats a Nice Summary and Good Points

It was Interesting to WHY they changed what would have been more a Juggernaught to the Disc/Pebble Shape, as it indicated maybe prior that the Juggernaught would Function a Seeding Function, but they could also have Multiple Uses.   While they never mentioned this, having TWO different Styles that Reflect a Creation Event, and another a Destruction Event maybe featured into another reason for that Change, we can only Speculate.

The Stolen Technology Aspect is something that can be Considered, certainly Wayne Haag had made a Conclusion that he felt those Engineers had STOLEN their Technology and so its a case of WHERE and from WHO?

The Plot is always something thats Changing and Evolving right from the Conception of Alien 01 The Master Narrative to what little Background they have intended with Alien Covenant.

By that i think its interesting to Speculate about these Hall of Heads, Superior Beings, Apostles and Hierarchy. 

It seems Unlikely we would cover such Depth about our Engineers, which had so much Potential with Prometheus, its likely that any sequel to AC would only introduce us to those Angry Military Types from LV-223 who Stumble Upon and Fall Foul to Davids Creation....

So we may get NO further Insight into the Engineers apart from as much Detail about them as the Hybrid Predator was in The Predator...

There Potentially was Layers to the Creator/Creation Cake that it looks like we would not be seeing... it very much seems like " the monster and the mad robot" and only how this leads to LV-426 that could be all that they are interested in NOW...

Which is a Real Shame.

Regarding the Choice to keep a Lot of Mystery, i think it was the RIGHT WAY to go, if we had the Elders Scene and Dialog, it would mean we get the Revelation that these Elders as Frail as they are, were the Last of their Generation and they had to result to other means to Procreate their other Generations.

Leaving it out.... then we have that Mystery about IF there is and WHO there is, as far as above those Engineers.  Keeping the Mystery also gives us something to TALK about, allows them to Gauge our Reaction and allows more Freedom to go and either STICK with the Background they had at the Time of Shooting and Prior, or they can Change it and Expand on that Mystery.

Those Mysteries also act as something to get us to want to go and see a Sequel for Answers..

BigDave

Sep-17-2019 8:32 AM

I promised to listen to the commentary which covers the prologue of the movie on my return home.

Jon and Damon make references to their original ideas which they acknowledge have been amended but the message is simple and all three are in agreement. This scene involves the seeding of life on a planet which at that stage had basic plant life e.g. lichens. Ridley is the one that emphasises it may not necessarily be earth. He was the one that chose the disc shaped craft and placed the event millions of years ago. 

However his most interesting comment is when he begins talking about the name of the film. He poses the question then, if they made us who made them.

It is as clear as day we were made by Promethean Engineers but who made them. It is then very easy by intelligent deduction to work out that the Promethean Engineers stole the technology, a point that Ridley made in an IV given at the films launch which I shared on this forum a year ago. 

Right at the top of the commentary he is introducing a hierarchy and suggesting that the Gods that made us were Promethean.

For those reading who would say you should not have to read associated material. Damon counters this by indicating that there is more to be gained by diving in and having to think for oneself. Also to keep the Engineers mysterious at this stage made sense in their view. 

What the film was intending to do was make people hungry for the answers, what they got was no answer but the monster and the mad robot.

I do not intend to go through every section of the movie to make my point that if you look at the visual symbolism and themes and then dismiss what it cannot mean you are left with a clear idea of what it does mean. 

Mankind were made by dark angels who stole creative knowledge and the latter perished for their troubles. The rites of this mythos are bound up with intervention by sacrifice and hosting. The dark angels carried out experiments which lead to their own vision including a minor tributary the creature that emerged from Kane. 

What is missing from the film is what their makers thought of them and how does this notion of sacrifice and hosting work in a non Promethean set up where the use of creative knowledge is sanctioned within the rules of the mythos. 

Thats me done. 

I was a little flippant in describing it as a 'little fella', but he definitely looks grown. Obviously the purpose is to act as a handle to lift out the vials, but it's intriguing that it has this creature-like aspect.

Might be a relic of the ceiling Facehugger parasite design that was developed for Jon Sphaits LV-426 script.

Although, the handle does look somewhat similar to the top of the temple on Planet 4

I think thats Open to Interpretation.

It does kind of look like one of Carlos Huante's Concepts for the Prequels.

But again it is likely just something that HOLDS the Four Ampoules in Place so they do-not touch each other.

There Certainly is some Mechanism that is Affected by Certain Factors that Activates the Internal Components of the URNS....  something would happen that would MELT those Components and Cause the Creation of the Black Goo.

We NEVER really got a Comprehensive Explanation about the URNS and their Contents and HOW they are Activated, so we could only Speculate.

The Missing Component we dont see in the image you shared is the Slime/Goo that encases those Ampoules.

Here is a Image i made a Long While back which has the Concept Work, with other Images from the Movie and that Dubious Weyland File.

@hox

Indeed the Opening Scene would appear to Indicate that this Primordial World had some Basic Life at the Very Least, which was a point i was raising Earlier in the Topic.  Damien Lindeloff indicated the Sacrificial Scene was the Start of LIFE as we KNOW it... so that could be taken as Life as we have today which is Complex Life, and not Micro-Organisms which have been Present for about 3.5 Billion Years.

My Interpretation of the Scene points me to speculate what that Scene was doing was the Catalyst for how Basic Microbial Life had Evolved into Complex Organisms.   The World had Basic Life, but we dont really know HOW this Basic Life had got on this World, it could be that this is also a Result of the Engineers Interference on Worlds, even as far as Possible Terra-forming of said Worlds prior.

The Overall Point being raised by the Commentary being that without the Engineers Interactions on Worlds where they USE the Sacrificial Rituals then there would be NO real Life as we know it, and Certainly NO Mankind.

The Effects we see with the Sacrificial Goo is that this Substance begins to infect every Molecular Cell of the Engineer, it Tears them apart, Breaks them down.. Hence we see DNA Strands become Infected and Turn Black and then they Tear/Break Apart.

It would be like looking at the Engineer being Made out of say Billions of Pieces of LEGO, so like he was a Massive Statue made from Billions of Pieces and what we are seeing is this LEGO STATUE is being Broken down back into Individual LEGO Pieces. 

This is WHERE it gets a bit Ambiguous...

Visually we see these Pieces enter the Water and begin to Rebuild, we see the DNA Strands start to Re-form... but we have to ASSUME this does not lead us to a Engineer being Re-Built.

From this we are then taken to showing Cells Splitting and Replicating...  so we would take this as the Engineers Building Blocks are Broken down and then these are then Reforming into the Basic Building Blocks of Life.

This is the ONE way to look at the Scene.... a way which would NOT Contradict the Fact the World had Basic Forms of Life by Virtue of the Green Algae we at least see on the World.

The other WAY is that by Virtue of this Green Algae, it is LIKELY that other Micro-Biological Life exists in the Water.  When taking into Account the Scene from Spaights Drafts, and then when we encounter those Scarabs again and what they do then, and compare that with the Sacrificial Goo and Black Goo effects, especially in Context to Lindeloffs Drafts.

Then it seems to indicate the GOO would break down a Organism and Form a Mutagen that Contains the Organisms DNA/Genomes and then this Mutagen would INFECT other Organic Matter and Infect/Pass on the DNA/Traits of the Organism the GOO had Broken down/Consumed.

So we could Speculate that this indicated the Sacrificial Scene showed the GOO was the Catalyst to Merge the Engineers DNA with Basic Life to Kick Start the Process of Complex Life Evolution.

So its a Evolutionary/Hybrid Tool/Pathogen.

so we are LEFT with TWO possible Explanations.

1) It is a Event that via the Engineers Building Blocks (Molecular Structure) that the Basic Building Blocks of LIFE had Formed from.

2) It is a Event where the Broken Down Building Blocks of the Engineer become a Pathogen that Passes on his DNA to Evolve Basic Life that is on a World... a Catalyst of Evolution.

I think which it is, is NOT so important to the Purpose as far as showing the Sacrificial Scene in Relation to HOW we came about.

Its only looking at the Effects of the Urns where taking a Certain Look at how the Sacrificial Goo worked that Complicates things, where as the other View makes Further Sense.

Let's remove Shaw and David from Prometheus.

A young Peter Weyland (12ish?early twenties?) finds the cave painting(on family holiday or something...father/mother archaeologist? )....This fuels his life long fascination with creation and the search for ET....later in life, having the capital to do so, he returns to the cave painting mystery(Having dedicated a small part of Weyland corp to research it).....

With help from MUTHUR,  Peter forces open the door...wakes the Engineer(Walter advises against)

'.....Unable to reach the door controls, Weyland told Walter to "get on his hands and knees" so he could stand on his back...'

Walter complied. He resisted the urge to 'bark'. He'd spent plenty of time with Weyland's young daughters, playing many pretend creatures.

'What is the sequence Walter!?'

I’d make a couple of observations about the opening scenes.

1. The planet appears to be largely barren of life, but some of the warmer/greener hills and valleys strongly hint at the presence of chlorophyll. Something like moss or grass. Yeah, I’ve visited Iceland! So, a planet featuring life at an early stage of development. We can speculate where that basic life came from originally, but there’s something for the Engineers to work with.

2. The black goo that interferes with the Engineer’s DNA is not elemental. By this I mean it is not composed of what we could call chemical matter with its 94 naturally occurring elements. Or indeed any synthetic element. How do we know this? Because the goo is much smaller than atomic matter, specifically the nucleobases shown in the engineered DNA strands. It is to atomic matter as a snowflake is to a mountain. In other words something that is way beyond the Standard Model of particle physics. That’s fine: scientists are currently grappling with known but unseen stuff called Dark Matter, so we know there’s much more going on in this universe than we’re aware of.

So i watched The Predator......

And.... well i am kind of Speechless ;)

PLOT: I think had Potential... The Effects were decent, its just the whole Writing Process, Silliness and Execution....

I thought The Last Jedi took Force Awakens and Messed up all that came before.....   i felt Alien Covenant also did that to ALIEN...

But then comes along The Predator... and well No Comment!

I am not sure it would WARRANT a 2nd Viewing... but then i said the same about AVPR, and i watched that 4 Times Now.... but i doubt EVER AGAIN!

Compared to the 1987 Movie... what a Joke!

"More like: Weyland did it...Humanity did it"

MonsterZero thats kind of Right, if we go further back then the Engineers did it, if they Never Created us then NONE of this mess would have happened.

So thats one of the Big Themes, the Hubris of Sub-Creation and Consequences ;)

@Michelle

Indeed the "never wanted to meet God" was in connection to the removal of the Elders Scene, it can be Interpreted in many ways as he never gave a real explanation.   They felt that the Elders Scene and especially the Dialog would have GIVEN away too much and so they decided to keep some Mystery... so we can assume such things are open to be Explored in a Sequel.

I think the Comment by Dr Shaw "so who created them" was there to Indicate the Engineers are not the Highest Chain in the Creation Plot, there are other Layers before them it seemed.

Ridley Scott had said that they (David and Shaw) would be off to the Planet of the Engineers to meet these beings who are not Gods in the Traditional Sense.... so who knows how they would have explored it, the Elders appeared to be just OLDER versions of the Engineers.. was RS disappointed in their look, they seemed to be more Frail and less Godlike than the other Engineers.

I feel a lot is open to Interpretation, RS had referred to the Engineers as Dark Angels, the Fallen Angels, but WHO? the LV-223 Engineers, the Sacrificial Engineer, the WHOLE of the Engineers?

so it depends on how you interpret that, with Prometheus it is touching on  the Chariots of the Gods, where our Mythos and Religions came from Interaction with the Engineers, and so its like suggesting there could be Multiple Layers to the Hierarchy..  Most Mythos and Religion have a CAST system, a Hierarchy, where there are a GOD or GODS at the Top... it appears the Engineers are likely NOT at that Top Layer. 

I think it depends how LITERAL we also look into things, but the point i am raising is the Fallen Angels are a Rebellious Sub-Creation of GOD, likewise Prometheus was a Treacherous Sub-Creation too.

I think we can kind of unlock more into Ridley Scotts thinking when in 2015 after the announcement of Alien: Paradise Lost he had said that if the Engineers are the Forerunners of Mankind, then what made it possible for Worlds to be able to Support Life in the First Place.... where is the BIG GUY?

What i draw from that though is a Indication that the Reason that their are Worlds that are able to Support Life is NOTHING that is by Pure Accident, and so its a Planned and Designed Outcome that is likely Carried out by something/someone that is above our Engineers in that Hierarchy.

My Interpretation prior to 2014 was maybe wondering could the LV-223 Engineers have more in Common with David than us?  The LV-223 Engineers at least... and so i wondered if they Rebelled against their Creator and this is WHY they are considered Fallen Angels?

When we Flash Forwards to Alien Covenant, we had Ridley Scott claim those Planet 4 Engineers are the Originals.... so what did that make those LV-223 guys?

so maybe when Ridley Scott said he did not want to meet GOD, he could have indicated that those LV-223 Engineers and maybe Sacrificial Engineers are themselves a Sub-Created Species and we would indeed be off to discover as Dr Shaw had said "who made them" who may have been revealed to be similar to the Engineers anyway?

Its difficult to know for sure, unless we ever see any of the Earlier Drafts by Paglen and Green that dated prior to 2015.

This reply is just how i saw things though, regarding the NOT having to meet God, which i saw and also based on other comments that the Engineers are merely just the same Layer as the Angels would be in the Biblical Accounts... or either 2nd Generation Titans  or Olympians in Greek Mythos or Igigi in the Ancient Mesopotamian accounts.

I certainly think that you make GREAT points about a Creation that has no LOVE... like Frankenstein.

We see that really David was created like this... we could wonder if those LV-223 Engineers were Created like that too.

Was we Created the same?  Was their NO Care or Love in our Creation? What a Revelation that would be for Dr Shaw..... or if she discovered we was Created for a Good Purpose and our Creators had more Care for us than say how Weyland had for David....

If those Watchers on LV-223 was not created in such a way and similar to David, then they could be Jealous of of Creation, just as Lucifer was of Adam...

LV-223 Engineers Tasked to Donate their Superior DNA to Create us, for their Creators who IF they had a Fond Outlook on Mankind could make those LV-223 kind Jealous, maybe they would try and Control and Corrupt us? Try to present themselves as our Gods....?

So yes there could have been Interested ways to have expanded the Engineers History, either by that way above or similar.

Or revelation that Mankind are just insignificant Creation that was created with No Love involved...

If you meant Love as in a Creation from a Natural Coming together of a Male/Female to Produce a Off-Spring than that also is a Interesting thing to cover.

If we looked at the Planet 4 Engineers as a Original Species who can Procreate with each other, and the LV-223 Engineers were a Sub-Creation who CANT procreate, but they are to Watch Over Mankind... and they could ask WHY is it that Mankind can Procreate like their Creators, and yet they CANT!

They could find that Frustrating and maybe see themselves treated like 2nd Class Citizens like David is... especially as they seemed more Enhanced and Superior to those Planet 4 Engineers and Mankind.

For such a Sterile Sub-Creation (if we assume thats what they are) then maybe they could HOLD being Created in the Image of the Planet 4 Engineers a bit of a Mockery, maybe they got infected with something that would then allow them to GIVE BIRTH and Create Life where they could NOT....(just as Dr Shaw did via the Black Goo) those Engineers on LV-223 could see this as some Miracle, in that they can indeed GIVE BIRTH and to a New Species they may see as being Superior to their Creators, and so they Worshiped this and intended to Evolve/Corrupt all of their Masters Creations with this Horrific New Form.

Thats kind of how i Interpret what the LV-223 Engineers were and connections to the Fresco etc.

@ali81

Indeed the Prequels went through various stages of Evolution before we got to Shooting of Prometheus.

The Initial Intention was some kind of Prequel that appeared to be a Direct Prequel, but there was Flaws, the Time-Line was wrong but this was down to Spaights not being Familiar with WHEN the Movie ALIEN was set, as it had NO Time-Line, its only from ALIENS that we can get a 2122 Time-Line due to the Acknowledgement that Ripley was Floating in Space for 57 years.

I am not sure that Idea would have led to Sequels that would lead to ALIEN, it seems that it Indicated the Ending of the Movie well the Crashing of the Juggernaught would be what led to the Derelict, but that a Sequel would STEER AWAY from ALIEN.

If we had Alien Engineers as a Direct Prequel to Alien, even if the Time-Line was FIXED to be say 2072-2092, there would have been Conflicts with the Franchise, the Wreckage of the Magellan, the Life-Boat, Pyramids and the Signal that came from the Pyramids and NOT the Derelict.

So it needed some Tidy up, and so thats when Lindeloff came in, only the ALIEN elements and clues to the Derelict where TONED DOWN maybe too much.  None the less the indication was to give some Clues to a Connection but to also keep it Ambiguous to keep some Mystery thus leaving the Derelict as a ANCIENT MYSTERY.

Prometheus became a Stand Alone as in its Events would NOT directly tie into ALIEN as far as the Derelict.   It was left open ended so that if there was NO Sequel it would not cause any real Conflict, but it was set up to Warrant a Sequel that would have STEERED AWAY from ALIEN.

Fox took On-board complaints about Prometheus and they assumed the Biggest Problem was Fans wanted to see Xenomorphs and have a Sequel that would Directly lead to ALIEN and the Derelict.... and thus ALIEN COVENANT was born....

Which i felt was a Unnecessary way forwards.

@BigDave

"I don't want to meet God in the first movie."

This assumes you wish to meet God in the second movie.

Given he offers this thought during the Waterfall Incident it becomes important to establish a narrative possibility from the ritual on display.

The transmission of God, of God entering the world is through sacrifice.  

When Elizabeth considers the fresco's the reproduction mechanism she discovers is through hosting.

When Charlie considers the mural the transmission mechanism of the Deacon's characteristic is through sacrifice.

Like Frankenstein it denies the onlooker sexual reproduction.

We arrive at the end of the movie with a question about sexual knowledge and reproduction and we are sat there with a barren woman who has given birth to a chaotic accident and an android incapable of reproduction.

When we arrive wherever we arrive we need to learn why there is a denial of sexual reproduction in what we know so far. Haven't our makers figured out sexual reproduction unless that is to look at it the wrong way round.

So the Engineers may not be conceived through the mechanism of a loving relationship but rather like Frankensteins Monster and David out of creative knowledge. They are created out of a void whereas mankind is created out of chaos (to paraphrase and borrow from Mary Shelley).

So an extension of the film can deal with.

1) Are the creatures of the Moon Promethean.

2) If they are they were destroyed (which ever way self or third party.)

3) Why did they leave and wish to sub create what was wrong in Paradise? 

4) Who made them and what is their relationship with their creators. 

If we get those answers its extremely likely mankind is a footnote in this movement and the result of error in the plan and thats when we start to look at Elizabeth who is displaying a good deal of Miltonic Adam and Frankenstein's Monster and has had an annunciation of sorts and is now looking a lot like Pandora.

So with all that heavyweight theology weighing down the two characters how can you avoid sitting around for two hundred pages or 2 hours and not just rocking up and talking the meaning of life. There has to be a point to their journey which they are not aware of.

Probably if you take the view that creative knowledge is destructive (which it has been) and sexual knowledge is denied (which appears to be) then you can put Elizabeth through the ringer show her her personal Paradise but also her more general hell and see how she makes out with the robot that made her pregnant who she chooses to Fix with a typical female viewpoint "I can make him the man I want him to be", you know the redemption chick.Oh no not more hubris !

Except David was also created for all the wrong reasons and as others have worked out Weyland's understanding of Prometheus is a little flawed. So maybe David and Elizabeth don't fall in love they fall out of love with all around them.       

' the android did it.'

??

More like: Weyland did it...Humanity did it.

If not for Peter Weyland, David would be a assembly robot on Mars building spaceships or rovers.

David the caretaker opened the box...Woke the devil...planted the seed.

David(humanity) is Prometheus. 

we have to look at the comments made by RS in the lead up to the production and making of the film and the basis of the problems, at least for me, become very apparent.

initially RS STATED he was making a full alien prequel movie that was intended to be the first in a hopeful trilogy. even if he was not going to continue with later films for say, the film bombed, he at least had the intent of leaving the door wide open for someone else at a later date to continue on. as the pre-production of the film progressed he realised there was a more important question (at least to him) that had not been asked in any of the other alien movies. thusly, who was the pilot of the derelict and what was the connection to the xeno/eggs? he then STATES he is making a stand alone movie with the intent of a trilogy that would eventually tie into the original. unfortunately for him, so many people cant look past his original statement in that this is meant to directly tie into alien from the offset. the man himself has stated he has doubts on a god creating all things but never claims one doesn't exist. so hes looking into a possibility as to the creation of ourselves. remember, god 'apparently' created man in his image so that ties into why the engineers look so much like us. its only our evolution on a different planet that separates us. its safe to assume that these creators would be vastly more evolved than ourselves in terms of thinking and tech to even consider they could create us unnaturally.

RS makes an astonishingly good jump off point in Prometheus but it has divided so many due to some bad casting and a film that needed another 30 mins at least of screen time which would have greatly helped in character building and holes to be filled. remember alien takes over 45 mins to even get to the good stuff and is still regarded a masterpiece which shows people will accept a slow pace to begin with if done for the right reasons and in the right way. something Prometheus sorely lacks. the point of Prometheus is not in any way to give answers. its the origin of the question. I hate how people shit on it due only to the argument 'not enough aliens' or 'it raised more questions than gave answers'. listen to what RS said. its a stand alone movie with the hopes of a trilogy to tie into alien at the end. the first movie isn't supposed to grant answers, that's the job of the sequels. for the not enough aliens problem, we get a giant facehugger, a deacon and an alien humanoid whose whole history would have scientists drooling at the mouth. the greatest discovery in the history of mankind. what else do u want? is the film itself flawed? yes. but imo that's nothing to do with the film itself and more choices in casting and the film not being long enough. the biggest casting problem for me was Theron. wasted wasted wasted wasted. she should have been Shaw or Daniels. I have no issues at all with the plot of the film and love how after watching it I had so many different ideas and thoughts on where they could go. were the engineers split into factions due to civil unrest/war? did they serve a higher power? did they discover the original xeno/deacon and experiment? WHAT WAS THE WHOLE STORY REGARDING THE DERELICT?

unfortunately for me, they made Alien Covenant.....

F**K all those questions. the android did it.

well F**K YOU very much for trashing it all. I for one will never have a third viewing of AC and I curse them for it. I was looking forward to that movie sooooo much more than iv ever wanted to see a movie. even the trailers were awesome but the film was garbage and now I don't even care if they ever make a sequel. for me the franchise ends at Prometheus

Regarding the Prometheus Link...

This is something that could play in a number of ways, certainly as it did with Frankenstein.  Its a Question of HOW really Literal are we talking?

It seems the NAME had came a while after the Majority of the Plot was in Place, so maybe it may-not bare too much of a Connection.

The Broad Strokes i guess should be to Consider that Prometheus was a kind of God, who had played a Role in the Creation of Mankind, and the Teaching of Knowledge to Mankind..... Until he had Given/Taught Mankind something the other Gods had NOT wanted us to Have/Know.....

And for this he was Punished...

In  the Mythos then indeed we have the Pandora and her Box as our Punishment for the whole Transgression against the Gods.... but its HOW Literal we look at this (Pandora).

So there is a lot of AMBIGUITY to how these could connect.... when they call the Engineers Prometheus, then do we have to LOOK at it as they Created us, by Order or Acknowledgement of their Hierarchy.

Then its a case of their Visitations or Further Genetic Enhancements to Mankind, are these something the Hierarchy had Permitted... or ONLY to a certain Degree.

Had their been some Tampering with us Genetically, or/and Certain Knowledge that was Taught that those who DID this to us, had done so AGAINST the other Would Be Gods wishes?

I think when Ridley Scott also alludes to Paradise Lost, i do often see Parallels between Lucifer and Prometheus.  So i always felt even if Loosely how these Connect would be Interesting, especially going forwards with any Sequel.

When looking at Prometheus and the Mythos i have always seen a Familiarity between these.

Thanks Michelle

Indeed its a shame that Prometheus has got some Flak from Fans, its certainly a Movie that the More you see it and overlook its Flaws, then you get to realize the Scope, the Thought Provoking Elements to the Movie.

Theatrically its a Movie that not many would Understand after First Viewing, there are Ambiguous Elements, but there is a lot of Clarity that some dont get.... Visually its a Wonder, its a Mystery Adventure more than any kind of Horror or Action that maybe some would have thought it would be about..... i feel a lot of Fans Expected it to be Very much a ALIEN Movie and so they tried HARD to see how it fits with ALIEN, and while there are Clues, it remained too Ambiguous in some Areas..

But having some things that are NOT Spoon Fed, does mean you can Speculate, you can Wonder, and it also means that any Sequels have the Option to Change things, were as if we had a SPOON FED Movie then a Continuation you have so Many things that would be Set in Stone that too Continue your kind of stuck on Rails rather than being Free.

Parts of the Commentary and Furious Gods, give us a Insight into what some of those who Worked on the Project intended or view the Movie to mean....

I think i was HARSH on Lindeloff, i think the way he just does not Elaborate on things, is to allow the Fans to Speculate a little...

I think Regardless of how we look at it there are some Basics at Play that i think should have been Pretty Clear to Viewers....

This is that without the Engineers Interaction with Mankind from not only the Sacrifice/Seeding, then WE would not be here, and also NOT have achieved what we had and maybe would still NOW be working with Stone Tools and Painting with Hands in a Cave.....

So Prometheus gave us that First Piece of Technology (Fire) as Weyland said in the TED TALK.... Prometheus as in those Engineers....

I would have missed this if a spammer didn't bump it. Nice pics. I never noticed before!

Fun to draw parallels . . . :)

The Classic Greek myth about Prometheus permeates the movie which also alludes to “the Modern Prometheus” (Frankenstein).

The themes of “creation” and "death" are essential in both of them. In the Prometheus myth, Pandora is created out of clay. She is the first mortal woman, that is doomed to die.

Both Mr Weyland and Victor Frankenstein are obsessed with conquering death (Frankenstein because of the tragic death of his mother).

Shaw is equally eager to find the answers behind life and death (because of her parents). Like Pandora, she is mortal - and too curious . . .

David is also a curious boy, "a very strange, enchanted boy", who notes that "the gods" (the Engineers) are "mortal after all" . . .

cool pics

@BigDave

On the question of how much Prometheus the myth would be reflected in the subsequent movie. 

First of all it is a very layered tradition with many elements to it. The precise role of Prometheus his brother and Pandora shifts and changes over many centuries.

The way I extrapolated it going forward was based on three themes :-

1) Prometheus had stolen technology.

2) Zeus punished Prometheus in two ways.

a) The Liver extraction endless punishment.

b) Pandora as a bride of Prometheus Brother is provided with the Urn (which is full of ills) and they have a child Pyrrha who after the flood with her husband must repopulate earth. 

3) In one legend once the Urn is almost empty at the bottom is hope.

All of those elements are echoed through the Engineers their annihilation, Weyland the aspirational brother of the Engineers, the opening of the Cylinder and the woes it brings and whether children are born of Elizabeth to repopulate. Elizabeth has to decide whether those children represent hope. 

Outside of the pure Promethean myth is if an unauthorised biological and artificial construct turn up at the source of an Intelligent Creation, which by definition has gone wrong, what might they possibly contribute. Then of course you move to the Judo Christian riffing or my vision how the religions of the world echo a distant truth as we are not quite the full ticket.  

I do not think you ever want to read an "old book" and rewrite it slavishly but recognise the movements and thoughts that have gone into them and see whether that gives your story for David and Elizabeth a sense of authority.

That is why the movie is taken seriously because it is rooted in traditions. 

However what a story really needs is vigour and that must be self starting with its own unique energy.    

@BigDave

Thank you for your clarification. You obviously know me well enough to know I am not attention seeking and looking to pick an argument. I simply want to cut through this notion that is rife on the internet that Prometheus does not communicate. It is a curious thing that some find it vague and in coherent and yet it ends up the subject of doctorate thesis and theologians work and that is because, as you know, it works thematically and symbolically. It is obvious to me everyone on the ship with the exception of the grunts (Janek, Chance and Ravel) are deeply flawed and that is entirely right for a group of human beings who sign up for a mission without knowing what it is or do so searching hubristically for our makers. That Milburn a promiscuous homosexual flirts with the hammerpede and has oral sex seems entirely logical. That Fifield is a loud mouth pot smoker who runs at the first time of trouble and ends up being a fearless super human quasi morph is another interesting take but try to explain that to people who are not paying attention.

Equally in terms of the Prometheus narrative it is interesting that the perfect creation starts making mistakes, makes dangerous judgements and gets his head ripped off.

Communing with strangers on the internet is for mankind a relatively new way of exchanging. It shows how difficult and overwhelming it can be when you are talking to thousands of people at once and its very chaotic trying to cut through to the truth. I have absolutely no problem with people taking a different view to me but so much of what is said is ill informed, indeed incorrect and says more about peoples prejudices.

On Instagram the other day someone said how come The James Bond DB5 is in NO Time To Die. It was blown up in the last movie. I reminded them it was blown up in Skyfall and rebuilt by Q in Spectre and the two protagonists left at the end of the film in it. Response "I am entitled to my opinion."     

Certainly we have Dr Shaw and Holloways curiosity that leads them to Propose their Findings which Weyland then decided to Fund the Expedition....  Once they explore that Complex they In Effect Re-Open Pandora's Box ;)

The only HOPE she could be looking for, would be that there had to be someone IN CHARGE behind all of this, Creation and Attempt to Destroy us.

She could be HOPEFUL that they Changed their Mind some 2000 years ago, maybe she would be asking HOW-COME they never came back to Finish the Job?

So what i am saying is she maybe has HOPE that those above the Engineers or in Charge do-not or No-Longer have such Destructive Intentions for us...

It would have been Interesting to see her come Face to Face with such Beings through her Curiosity and Demands for Answers.... but ALAS we was Robed of that ;)

I do like so many of the Themes and Potential it had... i will have to Listen to the Full Commentary again as far as any Indications more on Motive about LV-223 and how the Prometheus Mythos could FIT... i am not sure it covers such though... i will have to Re-Watch it all again.

I think i can remember that Lindeloff just gave another Simple Because they Could Answer again...  "why was we created... because they could, why did they want to Destroy us, because they could/got bored"  Thats not a Direct Quote, thats just kinda what i Interpreted he was getting at...

As in (and i will have watch it again as been Years) they Created us for something to do, a Experiment, they got a bit Bored and wondered what Else they could Create, and they created some Horrid Stuff and decided lets use this on our Human Creations for Curiosity to see what Happens.

Again i Vaguely remember so bare with me ;) i could have Misinterpreted what i Vaguely remember ;)

I do Recall in Furious Gods it was a case of the Prometheus Crew where off to meet what the Writers Considered Prometheus... (Engineers)  I have always been Fascinated in how such Mythos could Tie in with the Engineers ;)

Curiosity is indeed part of the mythos. Pandora’s box is opened because of her curiosity and all the evils which befall men are let loose. But “hope” remains at the bottom of the box.

Shaw is perhaps the one who clings to faith and hope? But she is also driven by curiosity. She opens the box (awakens the Engineer) and lets loose mankind’s bane. :)

The Indication seems to Imply that they had Recovered the Face Huggers from the Pyramid at some point...

Because these Predators took them onto the Same Ship that they took the Body of Scar, after his Chest Buster, this Ship with those Face Huggers Crash down into the Forest.

Your Forgiven though... as its only something i remembered after my 3rd Viewing lol.... i now have made 4 and i am not sure i would watch it again.....

"The reason might simply be curiosity?"

Certainly and that is what i was saying, "They had achieved so much.... and thought maybe... OK.. so whats NEXT?"

So it was a Curiosity, Science is based a lot on such, we Ponder...... what is this?, what if we do that?, what is there?

Curiosity is a Driving Force for sure...

With the Engineers they are so Advanced, we have to assume their Genetical Engineer Knowledge and Tools are so Advanced.... that they can take Curiosity to other Levels.

For Example... its likely we have Tried and Pondered with Curiosity if we can Inter-Bread or Genetically  Cross Breed Species.....  Can you MIX a Cat with a Dog?  I am sure this has been a Question and Attempted before.. to NO Success but the Curiosity would have been there...

But what if in Future then we Advance our Science were we Discover a Way to Create Such a Hybrid...  then if we allow our Curiosity to override our Moral Compass, then it would be a case of.... OK so what else can we now try and Cross-Breed.....

The Engineers who view themselves as Superior, maybe Gods would NOT have any such Moral Compass... and thats when indeed Curiosity could KILL the Cat!

So Curiosity, a sense of pushing Boundaries to what they could Create as a sign of Testing their Achievements and also perhaps being a bit Bored with what they are/have are Good reasons to go about and Create Something Else.

This is maybe similar to what Promotes David to do what he had done. (Alien Covenant) to a degree.

@Michelle

I think there has been a little Misunderstanding regarding the Point i was trying to raise which can get clouded in the amount i write... so i will try and make a Nutshell Version.


Lindeloff seems to be indicating the Sacrificial Scene was likely on Earth and that this EVENT is what started LIFE... indicating the World Before was Life-Less...   

The Movie was showing this World would have HAD to have signs of Life, but then Lindeloffs Comment can be taken as GOSPEL if certainly some take the Notion the World is FLAT!

What i am saying is that we can look at his Comment and look at the Opening Scene and it appears this World would have had to Already have some Basic Form of Life....   so my point was in Regards to Lindeloffs Comment... and how the Movie is Slightly Contradicting if you look at it from WHAT state the World was in prior.. this is a Oversight maybe... or indeed it does not Effect Really the whole POINT of the Scene.

The Evolution i talk about is in Spaights Draft the Sacrificial Scene was to show this Event caused the Engineers DNA to be Merged with already Existing Life (Primordial Humanoid)..  Then i was also looking at Ridley Scotts comments which suggest the Engineers have done this over and over on  Worlds....

so all i was saying was that (Considering all and NOT just Lindeloff) the Sacrificial Scene was to show the Engineers Sacrifice was a Catalyst to Evolve Life to become Complex and so without that Sacrifice then there would likely be NO LIFE as we know it. (it was not to dispute or suggest others on here had NOT understand that was the point of the Scene)

In another Interview i think i recall Lindeloff suggesting a Process of Evolution but i cant quite recall when/where this was so i could be MISTAKEN...

I was pointing out that REGARDLESS... in what way or Version we look at, the Indication remains the SAME.... the Engineers use the Sacrificial Rituals to lead to a World to have LIFE as we know it.....

It is likely that World had Basic Life before that Scene, but we cant rule out of a similar EVENT had happened that provided the Basic Life....  Ridley Scott had proposed if the Engineers are the Forerunners of Mankind, then what makes it Possible for Worlds to Support Life in the First Place... where is the Big Guy.

So what this is saying is that Worlds get Terra-formed, they then have Water, and Basic Life which could be a Created Event.. then these Worlds are RIPE for the Donation of a Engineers DNA, and we Cant rule out if this Process is done over and over.

So all i am saying is we have to Consider what the Movie Shows, and what Ridley Scott, Lindeloff and Spaights say about the Scene  as a WHOLE (but in Context to the Final Cut) and to NOT just take One Persons Word for it....

So Regardless what the Scene shows is how you are saying, and thats EXACTLY how i see it too...  i was only merely adding that the Scene Visually did-not look like this World was LIFE-LESS and thats all i was saying in that Regards....

I was not intending for us to Consider other Deleted Scenes, which give us different reasons for Creation, such as Jon Spaights Alien 01 The Master Narrative to Deleted Dialog between the Elder Engineer and Sacrificial Engineer....

These are Deleted or Changed and so SHOULD NOT be considered as what is happening... Things Change.... i mean in 2012 there was not the Thought that David Created the Xenomorph, but that seems to be the Case Now... so then certain stuff we have to Throw Out and Not Considered....

I had understood the Reason for the Deletion of some Scenes are Pacing, for a Theatrical Cut the Company (FOX) would prefer something to be more to 2 Hours and so some things get CUT.

Ridley Scott had indicated the Elders Scene would have given a bit too much away, and so the removal of the Scene Creates a Sense of Mystery...... he also DID-NOT want to meet GOD in the First Movie as you pointed out....

Lindeloff just gives the Explanation about having the Engineers Talk would take away some Mystery and it would be more Mysterious if we dont get to see them Talk, as well they would not be Interested in Talking to us seems his insight into it....

I was not trying to cover any such Deleted Scenes... there are Other reasons some Scenes get CUT!  For example by Re-Shooting the Dr Shaw vs Engineer Scene, after Shooting the Scripted Version, means we see our Engineer Enter the Ship with Burns.. so they would then have had to Deleted Scenes prior from the point of the Engineer leaving the Juggernaut because it would contradict what the Shot that they decided to have would have shown  (Face Burn).

I think a lot of times i write too much and people can get lost in what i am writing and i struggle to keep things in a NUTSHELL

So i think often things are overlooked or misunderstood and i maybe end up Flooding the Site...

so i may Consider taking a Break from such Places until we get any News of any other Movie... as i Understand peoples Posts can get LOST among the Masses of Posts i make.... i just have a Great Interest into the Prequels and what Potential they had prior to 2015

so those last few Paragraphs are NOT Relevant to what i was pointing out... which was that INDEED... the Sacrificial Scene was to show that the Engineers are involved in the Creation and Evolution of Life on Worlds.

This requires a Sacrifice with the Sacrificial Mutagen to Spread their DNA... and so really its a case of NO SUCH EVENT... and its indicated that Worlds, well our World would NOT have Life as we know it.

@BigDave

For me this post "Sep-16-2019 5:09 PM" gets the numb of my frustration. 

We are not discussing the evolution of a scene we are discussing what the scene actually used means. 

The opening scene is intent on sending out one message. Evolution of the humanoid experience involved planned intervention through a ritual of sacrifice.

The attack and fragmentation on existing cells which reform in a much more graceful and more sophisticated way is a clear sign of upgrade.

I am not at home this week so I cannot replay the Scott or Lindelof/Spaiht's commentary, I recall Ridley saying it might be earth so it is about intervention in humankind's development. I am well aware of the journey to this final sequence but that is not important in describing whether Prometheus had a firm grip of what it is trying to say. By talking about all the various evolutionary elements merely clouds the issue here, which is the film vague? It is not in this scene, what lies behind it is for later but what it communicates is clear.  

Pietro Scalia offers his insights as to why the 8 Engineers are left out, for a long time they were in the cut, but they wanted to retain mystery and meet God in the second film.

Thats important in judging the reasoning for the cut was it because they wanted to avoid showing the quasi sacramental nature of the donation? There is no evidence to support that notion. Indeed none of the cuts made were excluded for reasons of content but pace, with the exception of the dialogue about the Engineers coming from Paradise. Pietro's Scalia offered his view is the idea was not carried through, Paradise could mean earth but in general the connection was not thought through. In understanding where they go next that might be important but I am unconvinced by Pietro's argument, the dialogue offered from the woken Engineer was cut and that is why you could not refer to it. But in the end going to meet God is important, whether you call it Paradise or not.

I promise to listen to the two commentaries next week and check if there are ambiguities across the three contributors.

@chili

When a micro biologist puts something in a petri dish he is curious to see what the outcome is. It's a form of experiment to see what you can grow. So curiosity is part of the reason you put something in a Petri Dish. The two ideas are not mutually exclusive. 

David applies the same logic with his bottle of bubbles.           

"David turned the ampule on its length and the black cloudy substance lurking at the top of the ampule filtered down and merged with the Green Liquid. David snapped the end off the ampule and placed his right index finger on the opening he had created. He looked intently into the black droplet on the end of his finger. He had opened the lid of Pandora’s Pithos.

To him though it was a simply a moment of curiosity and he relied on his alter ego and Dryden’s words for the narrative.

 “Big Things Have Small Beginnings.”

He replaced the Cylinder and ........................

David knew the origins of the proverb, ‘Curiosity kills the cat.’ and its associations with one of those plays of Shakespeare kept in the Life Boat. However what had just happened was not “Much a Do About Nothing” it was quite the opposite it was about everything, and  it re opened the way to Pandemonium." 

Chapter 6 Connections. 

Your use of the phrase amused me.

The reason for Engineers (as Mr Weyland) to move forward (knowledge) doesn’t have to be “The Petri Dish Argument”. The reason could be curiosity. Explorers have mapped down Earth and what's beneath it (the sea) and to some extent what’s above it (space). The reason might simply be curiosity? But, “curiosity killed the cat” . . .

BD- thanks. So that scene suggests (I have no idea about any novels or comics) that the Predators had been doing this on other worlds and that the face huggers and xenos were not exclusive to earth.

I tried to re watch AVPR but was quickly reminded on why I hate on it. That said, this could become a good pop corn series or at least a streaming movie. With some decent writing and bringing back Alexa, it could make a decent one off- and with a movie we can actually see without NVGs lol! 

Having gone through the Commentary  little bit again, what we have is the (mainly Lindeloff) referring to what the Sacrificial Scene was, because it had Evolved a bit from Concept, to Drafts, to Shooting to the Cutting Room to then Lindeloffs essential some what of a Lazy Get out Card approach... to certain Scenes as its FAR Easier than give any kind of Explanation.  its always Nice to see Spaights and Ridley Scott always try and give us a bit more though..

So if we take Lindeloff as the Final Say on the Matter, then it implies the Sacrificial Scene was the START of Life as we know it...   its a case of IF we take his word as the Word of YHWH in Biblical Accounts.

So what i am saying is there is Room to Elaborate on this, than to Purely Accept him as the Final Say.

The Sacrificial Scene had Evolved from Concept to End Product after the Cutting Room but it still remained pretty much the Same....  The Engineers perform such a Ritual to Seed DNA that then Forms a Massive Role in the Creation/Evolution of Life.

As stated by Spaights in the Commentary, his Sacrificial Scene was showing the Sacrifice Resulted in the Engineers DNA, being Infused with a Primitive Female to Create a Hybrid... the Sacrificial Scene thus acted as a Evolutionary Process.

12'000 Years BC this took place, but its indicated in Spaights work that Further Signs of our Genetic Evolution happened every 1100 Years.  So in Spaights work we have been Genetically Engineered about 12 Times since his Sacrificial Scene.

Ridley Scott had indicated after Prometheus that the Engineers would come back over Periods of Time to Genetically Evolve us.

If we consider Lindeloffs work...

His Sacrificial Scene we arrive at a World that has Plant Life, a World that is Primed and Ready for the Donation of Genetic Material.   The Scene goes on to suggest the Engineers Body that becomes Ashes, some of this Enters the Water and then it shows us a Fast Forwards...  to something coming out of the Water...

A Hand, Fingers, he indicates its hard to tell if its Human or Salamander....

The Exposition here is that the Sacrificial Scene certainly plays into the role of Evolution on a World... on Earth... if we ASSUME this Sacrificial Scene was the FIRST signs of Life, so that from that Scene it Directly leads to a Life-Form that comes from the Water....  well how UNLIKELY is this?

Not Unlikely if there is a Missing Time-Line... so the Engineers Sacrifice Eventually leads to this...

Concept work and Story Boards Elaborate more on this Scene, showing us a Flash Forwards through Evolution, and so indicating that without the ENGINEERS SACRIFICE there would have been NO LIFE as we know it....

If we look at Prometheus then the World is NOT a Baron Place, we are not seeing a World that has NO LIFE.... and i think we can come to Milburns comment on the Deleted Scene (Our First Alien)  about the Discovery of that Worm, where he says that Mankind has NOT yet discovered such Life on other Worlds beyond Microscopic and Bacterial...

so i think when we look at this as a whole.... it is likely the Engineers Sacrifice is what acts as the Catalyst to Spark the Evolution of Basic Life to more Complex.... so INDEED without the Sacrificial Rituals then such Worlds would NOT have Life thats Complex and thus as far as on Earth.... NO SACRIFICIAL SCENE and that means NO LIFE as we know it....

Lindeloff on the Commentary just seems like he is putting out Half Baked as Easy Explanations.... so he implies the Sacrificial Scene was HOW Life Began.. PEROID..

Which unless you look at that with Biblical Reading Tinted Glasses, we should know that for the World in Prometheus to look how it does, then Basic Life would have already had to have been on this Place...

which his Earlier Drafts seem to indicate, it just seemed he was not interested in giving any kind of Detail (as usual)....

However i think i recall a Interview where he mentions the Sacrificial Scene being what leads to Evolution of Life, i would have to try and dig that out....

What i am saying is not to Dish Dirt.... but that in that Moment on the Commentary he maybe Omitted to be as Specific on that Occasion...

I think Regardless.... the Overall Indication is that the Sacrificial Rituals are they way the Engineers would use their DNA/Genetic Material so that LIFE can either Form or Evolve due to this Event (Pathogen)

If we consider Spaights concepts, and Ridley Scotts comments he has made prior to 2013 then it seems the Engineers have performed this Sacrifice on other Worlds and even Over and Over on the same Worlds.... so we could Speculate that our Creation maybe has not come from ONE such Ritual but many of the Course of the Many Many Millions of Years of the Explosion of Evolution.

Just to quickly cover the Petri Dish Comment..

In a Nutshell this is merely to suggest that Creation, and what leads to US is not any Divine Process... it is just a Experiment that can be done by the Engineers due to their Tools and Knowledge... so there is NOTHING as Special or Important in the Creation of Life, as indicated from some Religions...

All the Engineers needed was the Sacrificial Tool and a Genetic Donation and then the Substance would do the Rest!

Again its not exactly indicated WHY.... it kind of is from Early Drafts and Concept of Idea, and slightly via Deleted Scenes...

To a degree its later indicated because they COULD! but there are other Reasons that could be at Play... i think looking at David as a Proxy could give us Insight.

If we Consider some of Spaights ideas... then to Place this as Basis a Explanation as Lindeloff has... we could Consider these Engineers are Millions of Years Old, they have Evolved themselves to a Certain Point..

They had achieved so much.... and thought maybe... OK.. so whats NEXT?  What can they do to SHOWCASE just how Advanced and Great they are... so its a Case of maybe Lets go and try and Create something from Scratch.

So when we look at Weyland he had done similar, he had made Great Technological Advances, a Pioneer in many Fields, people will Remember his Accomplishments.. so he would be thinking so WHATS NEXT?  And so the Creation of a Artificial Being in his Image who would ONE-DAY be almost Indistinguishable from a Human...  would MAKE it one of the Greatest Accomplishments of Mankind.

A Feat that would prove really how GREAT our Mr Weyland is....  as he claimed... "we are the Gods now"

But then there becomes more than Because he Could..

There are then Applications to his Creation, where he could then use his Creations as  a Tool, a Servant a Commodity, something to do Tasks so that We Dont Have to!  (The Alien Covenant Prologue gives us a bit more about David).  

But the point is that his Creation is something that Weyland decided to do, so that he could PROVE how Great that Weyland really could be... to Prove he could PLAY GOD... but then to Put his Creation to Certain Use!

We could Speculate had the Engineers then decided similar for us?

I think if we look at the Basic Explanation that Lindeloff had offered, then its kind of like the PLOT for  The Planet or the Apes Reboot!

Where Scientist Create a Drug that could Improve the Cognition of a Primate...  so its ONCE they have Evolved the Primates Brain, its a case of OK lets Test really how close this Enhanced Primate can become more Cognitive and to what LEVEL can this Improved Primate now Learn!

So with regards to the Engineers, it would be like... "so we have Proved we can Create/Evolve Life in our Own Image... lets see how FAR and Close this Creation can Learn from us"

The closer their Creation can Replicate the Achievements of the Engineers would be a sign of just HOW Great their Ability to Create is..

The same applies to Weyland with David, to take on him as his Personal Android, where he can Push the Boundaries of HOW LIFE LIKE can he make David... thus likely why he had more Free-Will and Emotional Capabilities as he was Weylands Test Subject to see just HOW CLOSE to a Human can Weylands Creation Become... making him more God-Like in the Process.

All at a HUBRIS! for all those Concerned... be it Create Mankind, Create Synthetics or Evolve Cognitive Ability of a Ape....

Yeah! "I saw it the other Day and the Predators had Transported a number of Face Huggers onto the Ship."

IT being AVPR....  well the Opening Act.

Here is a On Set take of that Scene.

"3) The idea of P/BR is we were made with purpose but no love. We were made because you can for the convenance of the creator"

The intention of Prometheus indeed was not 1 or 2, but to Step Between those Boundaries, of a None Accidental Creation by a Ancient Race who indeed were playing lets see what we can Create.

The Evolution of the Concept has changed the Outlook on a Reason WHY we was Created, after the Changes and Removal of Deleted Scenes, then we are Left with the Theatrical Cut....  we with Comments mainly by Lindeloff we are indeed shown that its case of those Engineers maybe just could.....

I think Lindeloff just has a Lazy Outlook to it a little, while Spaights seemed to have more sense of Depth, thats not Disputing WHY we was Created... Theatrically its left not really explained...  the whole its because we could was a Get Out Card of sorts...

But even if this is the Intention, that we was Created because they could.... then there is the Interesting Part of what do you do Once you realize what you could Create, what Intention then....

And as you mention.. "if that tenuous relationship breaks down"  it is really Interesting that you are maybe going to touch on what became of this Relationship Once these Would be Gods proved they could go and Create in their Own Image.

BD- when in AVP did predators transport face huggers? Do you mean AVPR?

The contradiction between Damon and Ridley on the nature of the Mutagen. Wipeout/ start again or Evolve. 

In Damon's script

David says when he looks at the droplet.

"From here to the other side."

When he is discussing her pregnancy he says.

"You might want to consider this is not destruction it maybe creation"

Both of these were replaced by "in order to create first you must destroy."

The former belong to a Mutagen that alters the target (Hammerpedes,Fifield,Holloway) the latter destruction the exploding head but,

I think for the sake of drama Elizabeth saying the Juggernaut is bringing death is far more effective than saying mankind will be replaced. So at a communication level for a mass audience calling it death and destruction is more powerful but for everyone to end up halfway toward the Deacon like Fifield is effectively death. In terms of story it doesn't matter and it never happened but we can see with Fifield, the Deacon and Charlie, mankind's future, thats whats being communicated.

In my own work I retain the original phraseology because it has story telling value which plays into the crescendo of Jeopardy towards the end of Regained. I also share with the reader what is happening to Charlie, so the jeopardy of the Juggernaut arriving at earth is that much clearer.

However the exact nature of the Black gloop in the film is unimportant its obvious the outcomes are horrific which ever outcome and most importantly they tell us where the Xeno type outcomes originated from.   

On the question of the final height of the Space Jockey (which is all that matters) their are detailed scaled drawings  indicating the final size chosen of 8 feet shown in the FG documentary and in terms of discussing the film makers achievements that is all the matters even if there are sketches early on which indicate a taller being. It evolved to a fixed tradition.

@BigDave

First bracket -Answer

Why did Frankenstein make the monster and Weyland David and in the latter case pursue 8 upgrades. Hubris/an aspiration to be God because they were able to but most important of all it was not out of love for their creations. It was non consensual and when both made demands or looked for equivalence guess what happened. There is your allegory for dark angels/mankind.

Second Bracket - Answer.

Elizabeth wants to have it confirmed we are not alone and that when we die our soul resides somewhere. After the experience on the Moon she wants to know why they created us and why they wanted to destroy us. By the end of Prometheus she knows we are not alone but in away that she is not convinced is the final answer.  

The issue of soul and where it resides is a very emotional issue for her (mother and father) it becomes a central driver of the final act and David plays a significant role who we also know is interested in, being artificial where he fits in. In Prometheus he is profoundly interested in Elizabeths preoccupation with this part of her journey and continues to be so. David understands the context of soul before Elizabeth for a story telling reason.

Third bracket - Answer

The issue of the Engineers Home world and to what extent we would regard it as Paradise. The answers are :-

1) Would mankind consider it Paradise? Depends who you ask.    

2) Would the creatures of the Moon consider it Paradise. No otherwise they would still be there. They are Promethean and ended up with the same fate. 

3) Does Elizabeth feel she has arrived at Paradise no she believes she has arrived at the Engineers Home world which also turns out to be incorrect. Does it feel like her definition of Paradise in terms serenity beauty captivating Yes at some points in the story. But she doesn't say ah this is Paradise she says at one point wow this experience is pure Paradise or she sees something and says this is a veritable Paradise. David finds a truth which enables them to understand all sorts of things including what is Paradise and Paradise Lost. 

4) Do they meet Adam and Eve. Yes and No. 

5) Do they find Heaven. Yes and No.  

We were made by dark angels but in the end they came from the "Engineers Home world" and so to use Ridley's word we have recall/foot prints embedded within us which are a fragment of the truth so that is why the truth looks a little like our myths but a lot like something altogether different. The reason the truth is hidden from us is appalling indeed the most appalling truth of my vision but it explains a good deal of why we are the way we are.  

To come back to the central point of this entire arc of thinking begun with Prometheus and Bladerunner.

1) Some people believe we are an accident of all the elements of creation coming together Darwinism. They do not look for a loving creator.

2) Some people believe in divine intervention through the power of a loving God.

3) The idea of P/BR is we were made with purpose but no love. We were made because you can for the convenance of the creator and if that tenuous relationship breaks down from the creators perspective start again.