That's the thing though, the film didn't have to do anything. As other recent intelligent horror films have shown, such as It Comes At Night, The Witch and Under The Skin.
Defying audience expectations is alright, as long as you have something of substance to replace it with. Prometheus' fault is it didn't. For heaven's sake, some of the dialogue alone: "Half a billion lightyears." -So barely out of our solar system Meredith Vickers?
Doesn't exactly encourage the audience to engage with the lofty questions the film poses when they can't believe in the world because of it's lack of logic, or a solid character to attach to, and I don't mean attach to as in care for, I mean believable characterisation.
The clearest example I can think of is that Prometheus wants us to believe, that both Fifield and Millburn are intelligent scientists early on- poking fun at the mission's ridiculous premise. (While using "Darwinism" as terminology, oh Lord.) Ok, but then later on wants us to believe they're idiots- neither is an unattainable goal. But which is it Prometheus?
Don't get me started on how hard it is to take a antagonist (The Pathogen) seriously when it's "power" is so inconsistent and dependant upon what the plot requires, it doesn't make your antagonists or protagonists impressive or respectable. You respect them whenever they do everything right and still fail.
