This final lesson in a sense sums up everything about Prometheus which relegated it from a potential masterpiece to a flawed piece of entertainment, while at the same time outlining the broader problem with huge budget blockbusters which revisit much-loved and highly profitable franchises - even those with a name like Ridley Scott attached to them. That problem is a lack of focus. The lack of focus in Prometheus is the primary lesson the sequel can learn from, and given that the first movie ends with a set-up that wipes much of the slate clean, there is no reason why Scott and his collaborators can't avoid the same mistakes. Rather than introducing another round of generic stock characters to dispose of (for instance, predictably copying off Aliens next time around and introducing a team of military guys) perhaps a smaller addition of well-rounded characters whom the audience doesn't just sit there waiting to be killed would make the story around them richer and more engaging. The suggestion that Prometheus 2 will feature multiple David's has certainly been met with a lot of enthusiasm on the internet and the concept could work well, but a word of caution is needed - after all, Agent Smith was one of the best things about The Matrix, and the sequel's "multiple Smiths" approach was one of the laziest aspects of the film. More isn't necessarily better, and if they do choose to go down that route in Prometheus 2, let's hope they use the premise to throw up some interesting narrative twists and moral dilemmas while focusing on a tighter plot. That way, it could become the truly great film the original - a noble effort in many respects - struggled to attain. Like this article? Agree or disagree? Let us know in the comments section below.
