Prometheusmade several changes to long-establishedAlienfeatures – including introducing a new kind of facehugger to the franchise. However, while the horrifying monster was one of the most effective parts of the movie,Prometheus' trilobite also highlighted an ongoing issue that theAlienseries still hasn’t managed to solve.Alien’s titular antagonist is one of the most iconic creations in all science fiction. However, asPrometheusinadvertently demonstrated with its new creatures, the xenomorph (and its other associated lifecycle stages) present the franchise with a problem that’s almost impossible to overcome.
Throughout the story,Prometheusfeatures oblique references to the originalAlienwithout copying scenes directly. There are the vials of black goo that closely resemble the alien eggs on the crashed space jockey ship, Shaw’s surgery scene that deliberately evokes the chest-burster, and even a pseudo-xenomorph in the form of the Deacon. The trilobite – a gigantic, tentacled creature that attacked and ensnaredthe Engineer inPrometheus' ending– is another prime example. However, while these new details attempted to shake up the established formula, they also underscored a broader truth – thatAlien’s original designs are impossible to top.
Prometheus' Trilobite Proves Alien Can’t Beat Giger’s Original Creature Designs
The Original Monsters Are Still The Best
In most movie contexts, the trilobite would be regarded as a suitably horrifying and ingenious enemy to overcome. Its massive, octopus-like appearance, hideous tentacles, and brute strength all ensure thatPrometheus' finale is suitably tense and terrifying. However, when compared to the simple elegance of the original facehugger – the creature that serves the same purpose in the firstAlienfilm, it becomes increasingly clear that the designs just don’t compare.
The facehugger is a masterpiece in pared-back, unsettling creature creation. Its spindly fingers are deliberately evocative of a human hand, while its smothering and suffocating impregnation technique is pure nightmare fuel. The fact that it’s barely a few feet long is incidental – despite being small,it is one of themost terrifying sci-fi creaturesever committed to screen. By contrast, the trilobite seems like an awkward amalgamation of ideas that seem scary on paper, but are ultimately less than the sum of their parts. Tentacles and teeth can be terrifying, but they’re also derivative of other, more original monsters.
Almost every time anAlienfilm tries to introduce a new xenomorph stage or spin on the original creature, it falls short. And yet, in order to avoid feeling stale and repetitive, films likePrometheusfeel compelled to include new designs in their story.
Ultimately, the trilobite is indicative of a broader issue withinAlien. Namely, the variousdesigns submitted by Swiss artist H.R. Giger in 1979 are so simultaneously beautiful and horrifying that they are virtually impossible to improve on. Almost every time anAlienfilm tries to introduce a new xenomorph stage or spin on the original creature, it falls short. And yet, to avoid feeling stale and repetitive, films likePrometheusfeel compelled to include new designs in their story. It’s a Catch-22 that, as yet,Alienhasn’t figured out how to solve.
The Alien Franchise Keeps Failing With Its New Monsters
It’s A Pattern Throughout The Series
On reflection, the numerous ways that the trilobite falls short of the facehugger are obvious. However,Prometheusis far from the only film in the franchise that has tried and failed to introduce a new type ofAlien. In 1997,Alien: Resurrectionwas ridiculed by fans for the arrival of the “Newborn”– a fleshy humanoid xenomorph that compared poorly to the sleek, reptilian, feline original. Similarly, the “Predalien” in theAlien vs. Predatorspinoff movies felt like a missed opportunity, andAlien: Covenant’s neomorph seemed to dilute what made the alien so great to begin with.
The originalAliendesign was also influenced by Francis Bacon’s painting, “Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion”.
Even in 2024, the trend has continued. While many have argued thatAlien: Romulus' “Offspring” is a welcome improvement onResurrection’s Newborn, it’s impossible to argue that it’s as successful a design or concept as the original monster that began the franchise. The fact that the alien is so iconic is the franchise’s greatest strength and has helped the stories become a totemic part of science fiction. However, it is also an Achilles heel, since any attempt to alter the design feels like a pale imitation.
Alien Has Succeeded In Adding An Iconic New Creature – But Only Once
It Happened 38 Years Ago
While it’s true thatAlien’s history is littered with failed attempts to expand the series' lore and alter the seminal central design, not every effort has ended badly. Even without taking design into account,James Cameron’sAliens' was a worthy sequel– retaining the original’s horror elements while enhancing the story with an action injection. Beyond this, however, the movie made several changes to the xenomorph that not only proved that improvement was possible but have now become franchise staples.
Regarding the main warrior-class xenomorphs,Aliensmade some subtle tweaks, making them more ridged and gnarled. This simultaneously implied greater age and made them more skeletal than the smooth-carapaced original creature. However, the most successful innovation concernedthe introduction of the alien Queen. Whilethe movie’s big-bad was clearly reminiscent of Giger’s Necronomicon IV, it was also something entirely new – gigantic in comparison, with additional limbs, an external womb, and other unsettling features. It was an instant hit, cementing the Queen as a central part of theAlienstory.
The fact thatAliensintroduced something that has now become as indispensable as the Queen proves that it is possible forAlienmovies to continue to innovate. The likes ofPrometheus,Alien: Resurrection, andCovenantprove that this isn’t easy. However,Aliens' template should encourage anyone attempting to write a new chapter inAlien’s story that even truly great creature designs can be changed for the better.
