Prometheus question -spoiler-

[MonkeyPunch]

So I only just watched Prometheus and (like a fair few people) there are some things I don't quite understand. I searched online for an answer but couldn't find a satisfactory one.

The main part I am confused about is why David would infect Holloway?

I understand that David was programmed by Weyland in order to try and make Weyland immortal but that still doesn't explain David's action.
Infecting your lead scientist with a random alien substance which no one has any information on, was never going to help in making Weyland immortal.
Especially since Holloway and Elizabeth Shaw were the two heading the project and the two which would have had the most knowledge on any finds. A random crew member might have made a little more sense - but even then one would guess that the best that could happen by infecting someone with a random alien thingymajig would have no effect and at worst - and most likely - kill them.
In the history of science I doubt there's ever been an instance where someone randomly administers someone with a totally foreign substance and have it cure the exact ailment they were looking to cure.

I did enjoy that whole scene especially as David first asks Holloway how far he would go for this... but as said, the execution doesn't make sense to me at the moment.

I wish I could pick Movie Bob's brain on this, because I'm sure he could probably provide a satisfying answer.

 

[Username Redacted]

And with this post you've only scratched the surface of the movies issues. I'm of the opinion that it isn't a great movie. Better than Alien 3 and Resurrection but much worse than Alien or Aliens. The basic problem, of which you've highlighted a few examples of (and which was brought up by a comic strip whose title I forget), is why does any character in the movie do what they do? In most cases coming up with any answer beyond "to advance plot" or "because" requires a tremendous leap of faith in the storytelling. I too have also only recently gotten around to watching this movie relatively recently and concluded shortly after watching it that it does not hold up to close scrutiny particularly well if at all.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Prometheus is indeed a movie that makes you think... about how nothing that happens in it makes any real sense.

The entire script feels like a first draft, so don't wrack your brain trying to figure out the why's and how's.

 

[Geth Reich]

Why does David infect Holloway?

Why does Dr Retard Mcspazzoid try to touch the alien snake in the space tomb already described BY HIM as "something out of a Holocaust painting"?

Why does everyone completely ignore the fact that their ship was just attacked by the mutated remains of a former team-mate, forgetting his brutal rampage that killed several crewmembers in literally five seconds?

Why does the female protaganist forget about her husband's agonising flaming death in the time it takes to change scene?

Why did neither the female protaganist or her Ayran counterpart think to run sideways when being chased by the alien doughnought of doom?

Prometheus was a watchable film, but not even an oddly dolphin shaped Xenomorph can stop me from asking so many questions.

 

[Sniperyeti]

So I only just watched Prometheus and (like a fair few people) there are some things I don't quite understand. I searched online for an answer but couldn't find a satisfactory one.

The main part I am confused about is why David would infect Holloway?

I understand that David was programmed by Weyland in order to try and make Weyland immortal but that still doesn't explain David's action.
Infecting your lead scientist with a random alien substance which no one has any information on, was never going to help in making Weyland immortal.
Especially since Holloway and Elizabeth Shaw were the two heading the project and the two which would have had the most knowledge on any finds. A random crew member might have made a little more sense - but even then one would guess that the best that could happen by infecting someone with a random alien thingymajig would have no effect and at worst - and most likely - kill them.
In the history of science I doubt there's ever been an instance where someone randomly administers someone with a totally foreign substance and have it cure the exact ailment they were looking to cure.

I really enjoyed the film, and haven't had the issues with plot holes that every single other person on the internet seems to think ruined the movie (except the 'lets touch the beautiful worm' scene, yeah I can't explain that one). Maybe I'm just better at using 'headcanon' to con myself into thinking it makes sense.

I think you're placing too much on the shoulders of the two archaeologists, cause that's really all they were. Sure they got to the dig sites etc, but from that first scene on the ship it felt to me like they were there for completeness sake and experience - I wouldn't call Holloway the 'lead scientist', given it was the chick who did the DNA testing etc. I can't remember when but at some point in the film I think the term was "he wanted a true believer". Especially once you find out Weyland is on board and ice-***** is his daughter running the show, it's pretty obvious they're only allowed to be "heading the project" in the same way you give a child a toy steering wheel.

If you remember David had just received the message to 'try harder' from a cryogenically frozen Mr. Weyland, spurring him to do something more drastic having found that nothing seems to still be alive or useful for their purposes. Given that Holloway has been such a douchebag to him through the film (and yes he clearly resents it, this isn't a beep-boop-exterminate style robot), I think David just goes ahead and tries to 'make something happen' with his usual disregard for others' safety.

Remember when he set the hologram running in the caves? And opened up that door while everyone else was still freaking out over the body? Similarly he decides to just take the next step forward and put some of whatever stuff he found into Holloway's drink - at this stage they didn't really know it would kill him. To describe it as an execution imputes too much malice - it's an experiment, with an utter disregard for the consequences.

I hope that's more of a satisfactory explanation

 

[rob_dog19]

As far as script writing goes, I think they set Prometheus up to be an "Everyone dies in the end" sort of film. the problem is, most audiences aren't the biggest fans of bitter-sweet endings, so instead they come up with room for a sequel. BAD move Ridley Scott (or whoever was in charge of story plot).

As to answer your question, I have absolutely no idea, my best guess would be bad script writing.
Perhaps it was set up in such a way to represent an irony in the relationship between David and Liz as they fly off into space by the end of the film. As in, Her only means of survival and escape is the same person/android who ultimately destroyed her husband.

I cannot think of a motive behind David's actions though :S

 

[Dryk]

He needed someone to experiment on, and he was the only one stupid enough to fall into the thinly-veiled trap of giving permission

 

[Squilookle]

You want answers? You want answers!? Well here- you can have...

MORE questions!

 

[DementedSheep]

I was under the impression that David in general just wanted to see how everything worked and had little regard for others safety or lives. Can a robot be curious?

But yeah the writing in Prometheus isn't the best.

 

[Astoria]

I think simply David just wanted to know what it was. For all he knew it may have been the cure Weyland was looking for. I don't get why everyone says the movie's confusing, it made sense to me.

 

[Hagi]

I think it's one of those movies that makes total sense when you're drunk.

What would a drunk robot do when he finds alien black goo?
What would a drunk biologist do when encountering a long dead alien that poses no threat?
What would that same drunk biologist do when encountering a live alien snake that clearly poses a threat?
What would a drunk woman do when trying to escape a massive rolling sphere?
What would a drunk old billionaire do when trying to become immortal?

See, works out perfectly well.

Back on Earth each of them probably had an alcoholic background and the planet Prometheus takes place on likely has an atmosphere containing a few percentage of alcohol.

 

[WaReloaded]

Prometheus was a watchable film, but not even an oddly dolphin shaped Xenomorph can stop me from asking so many questions.

The shape of the Chestburster can be explained by virtue of the fact that it was grown inside one of the Engineers and not a human. We're used of seeing what human host Xenomorphs look like.

 

[Sonntam]

I thought it was logical that David wanted to kill Holloway. There was a strong sense of animosity between the two.

Of course you can say that David is a robot, but with his appreciation of arts and conversations with other crew members I think it's safe to say that he does have feelings. And they are exactly what ruined this expedition.

He was developed to be a human, but then he was denied his "humanity" by his creators. He was meant to be used as a tool, but he was already too advanced for this.

And so David did not only work for Weyland, but he worked for his own agenda. David wished to find the answer for his inner conflict.

This planet was hoped to be the salvation for David's creators, so why not for David too?

The Aliens could be the answer for everything. And so why not f*** shit up and just let them out? David had no real connection to any of them. David was meant to be used as a tool, but that's how he learned to see everyone else too: tools.

 

[1066]

The entire movie's like this, sadly. Best guess I've heard is that Scott was going to do an Alien prequel, and then got distracted halfway through.

All you really need to know for how much attention they were paying to particulars is that the reason they were wearing suits was the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. "2 minutes without a suit and you're dead."

A concentration three times what they'd said it was becomes lethal in about 10 minutes. Certainly a good idea to be wearing the suits for any number of reasons, but those people killed in the rampage? Extremely out of sorts for having their helmets broken, but if they only 'died' because of that, then they'd be okay.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Why did neither the female protaganist or her Ayran counterpart think to run sideways when being chased by the alien doughnought of doom?

The funny thing is that this could've easily made sense if the filmmakers had debris fom the Prometheus raining down both sides of the tumbling derelict, preventing Shaw and Other Lady from getting out of its path.

 

[Faulty Turmoil]

I want to know why the Weyland corporation invested trillions of dollars into this program on someone's gut feeling.
I'd also like to know why they then sent a bunch of retards instead of actual scientists.

Mysterious goo? Shall I try to identify it by using any of the scientific equipment we have, whilst doing my best to keep me and everyone else away from it? I really should as it could be filled with an alien virus or bacteria that might (admitedly it's a small chance) infect and probably kill us? Hell, the goop may be extremely acidic or alkaline. It may even violently react with my suit. So I should probably be careful, right?

Nope! I'm gonna shove my hand right in that shit! YOLO! ¬.¬

I'll take my helmet off as well! What!? There's oxygen! Sure I didn't make sure that the air wasn't contaminated with previously mention bacteria or viruses. I also didn't think about us contaminating a scientific site of priceless value because we're from Hollywood! We're not full of all that nasty stuff mere mortals are full of!

Whoa... I've gotta, like, mellow out.

 

[shteev]

Prometheus was a watchable film, but not even an oddly dolphin shaped Xenomorph can stop me from asking so many questions.

The shape of the Chestburster can be explained by virtue of the fact that it was grown inside one of the Engineers and not a human. We're used of seeing what human host Xenomorphs look like.

Hang on... I thought the Engineers had a 100% DNA match with humans?

 

[Zantos]

I think they were just fulfilling their duty to the future of humanity as a visual "What not to do when... Venturing out into the cosmos" presentation. Unfortunately the main story by itself couldn't cover all the points they wanted to make.

 

[Roguelike]

Prometheus was a watchable film, but not even an oddly dolphin shaped Xenomorph can stop me from asking so many questions.

The shape of the Chestburster can be explained by virtue of the fact that it was grown inside one of the Engineers and not a human. We're used of seeing what human host Xenomorphs look like.

Hang on... I thought the Engineers had a 100% DNA match with humans?

I chalked it up to physical differences, namely the bald head lol