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They didn't mess it up.  Fincher wanted hypersleep tubes that looked like Alien rather than Aliens.

Yes there's two ways of looking at that. On one hand, you'd think with a competent director on the third and possibly last film that continuity would be more of a priority. 

But at the same time, while I do question a lot of the art direction in A3, Fincher does generally have better taste that Cameron. Cameron's Cryo Pods were pretty cheap looking, and I can't imagine Fincher wanting to reprise that. 

This is why I find the outcry over the tech in Prometheus not matching that of Alien to be a bit odd. The art direction in Alien was state of the art in 1979, the majority of movie goers would'nt want to see that now. And the story allowed them to side step the issue quite smoothly, anyway.

The Sulaco hypersleep pods fit the aesthetic of the rest of the ship.  Nice white Nostromo style ones wouldn't have looked right.  The EEV interior was designed more with the Nostromo in mind than Sulaco.

'The Sulaco hypersleep pods fit the aesthetic of the rest of the ship'

Yes they do. They also fit the aesthetic of a KISS album cover.

Why would the Nostromo's hardware have been any prettier than the Sulaco's?

So her body was transferred to a new tube? Honestly, I don't remember. I remember a tube being transferred, that's all.

Many movies will overlook some aesthetic designs.... the Derelict and Juggernaught, differences in Xenomorphs movie to movie.

But yes this was a visual mistake that can lead to theories but the General Idea would have been that we was not meant to notice any difference and we are to assume they are the same Cryo-Sleep Pods.

As far as the Hardware.... the Sulaco was a Military Ship and in real life a Military Warship would not have the same Luxury Cabins and Beds as a Cruise Ship.

We have to remember the Nostromo was a Interstellar cruiser prior to being used and re-fitted latter for a different Tug Boat Role.

But indeed.... if Alien 5 goes the route that Alien 3 was a dream then the aesthetic differences and potential concerns to how the Egg got on board would all not be relevant and easily passed off due to it being a Dream.

However at this point in time, we dont know what stance Alien 5 will take as far as how we are to then consider Alien 3 and Alien R

The Nostromo was a luxury ship? 

"Why would the Nostromo's hardware have been any prettier than the Sulaco's?"

I don't know. Why?

"So her body was transferred to a new tube? Honestly, I don't remember. I remember a tube being transferred, that's all."

The tube seen above was transferred to the EEV.

Continuity is continuity, no matter if you like the art design or not. The fact of the matter is that the original design would not have worked in with the emergency cryo evacuation scene and needed to be altered. I love A3, however this is simply another plot hole or continuity problem which breaks rules in movie making 101. I mean the escape vehicle is so dysfunctional anyway, the design of the pods should not have been the issue.

It would've been easy to make the Sulaco pods work with the evacuation sequence; just change the EEV design. Fincher chose not to.

It's a continuity goof rather than a plot hole.

Well both really. But I agree with you.

S.M.-

'I don't know. Why?'

You make my point. There's no underlying subplot expressed in the design changes, it was a matter of choice.

Prometheus is the first of these films that is intentionally structured to perpetuate the conversation. The problem is that now all it's predecessors are being examined for hidden meaning that just isn't there.

I don't know really. There are a lot of details in a movie so someone either forgot to expand on that or they knew but didn't care. As far as the look they look a bit different compared to each other, I have never had any problem with that.

"You make my point. There's no underlying subplot expressed in the design changes, it was a matter of choice."

I know. But no one suggested Nostromo "needed to be prettier".

"Prometheus is the first of these films that is intentionally structured to perpetuate the conversation. The problem is that now all it's predecessors are being examined for hidden meaning that just isn't there."

It would seem most threads devolve into searching for hidden meaning that just isn't there.

S.M.-

I didn't say the Nostromo needed to be prettier, just that it's cryopods were prettier, relative to the Sulaco's, which, if we wanted to split hairs, one would think would be better fitted. Maybe. I don't know. Fincher's visual choices were all over the map on A3, to my eye. 

Ridley and co. I think wanted to reignite the debate with Prometheus, which they did. I almost hate to prick that bubble but yes, the truth is up to now there was no secret plan. There's simply so much Alien related media, not to mention sub-media (initial drafts etc.) that one has to pick and choose what they want to believe. I personally think Shaw's statement 'it's what I choose to believe' was a nod toward that.

Man, do I love this post!!!