Alien vs. Predator [Import]

The first time I saw this movie, I absolutely hated it. The second time, I saw this "Unrated" cut, and suddenly I didn't mind it so much. In fact I kind of liked it. Maybe that had something to do with the fact that Jim Cameron himself said that he liked it, and I was under the influence of reading that.

Alien Vs. Predator is a sequel to the first two Predator movies, and a prequel to the Alien series. As such, it sets up how the Company from the Alien films first became aware of the Xenomorphs. The Company is represented by Lance Henriksen, playing the founder of the Weyland-Yutani Company, who later builds the Bishop android in Aliens, also played by Lance Henriksen. We can assume that the dude in Alien3, also played by Henriksen, is a generations-later relative of this character.

A lot of B-level actors have been selected for this film, most of whom I'd never seen before. Most notably is Ewen Bremner, the "other" Ewen from Trainspotting. While nobody in this cast (apart from Henriksen) is on a level with some of the supportors from the Alien or Predator series (such as Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Tom Skerrit, Bill Paxton, or Michael Beihn), none of them are that bad either. In fact they all have a sort of charisma, which is important since you're supposed to feel bad when they start getting slaughtered.

The script is the weakest point of this film. Many fans have pointed out many inconsistencies with the Alien series. While a little thinking can patch up most of these plot holes, some just gape wide open no matter how much duct tape you try to put over them.

The big two, which I can't fathom an explanation for, are as follows. First, the life cycle of the Xenomorphs has been hurried so that they now burst out of your chest after what seems like minutes. Yet this is even contradicted later in the film, when a Predator gets infected with one! Second, there appear to be more Xenomorphs in this film than there were human hosts. I don't get that. No explanations are attempted within the film.

Having said that, I think this movie is easier to swallow than Predator 2 with its cheesy gang members, or Alien Resurrection with its unbelievable cloning of Ellen Ripley and Queen.

Disc two is the real treasure here. I watched the pre-production and post-production segments absolutely mesmerized. Paul Anderson is a charismatic director with a clear passion for Alien movies (the good ones) and he clearly worships the ground that Jim Cameron walks on. As he and his crew walk us through the making of the movie, you really become infected with his enthusiasm. The fact that most of the movie was done with scale models with a minimun of CG just makes is so much cooler. It's much more fun watching guys blow up models than it is to watch some guy do it on his Mac.

Initially I bought this movie simply to have a complete Alien and Predator collection. After watching this cut, and the bonus material, I was hooked it. It's not as bad as I made it out to be the first time. It's a popcorn movie. While the original two Alien films and the first Predator film were more cerebral, I believe Alien Vs. Predator to be better than the later films of those franchises. I enjoyed it, and maybe you will too.

This is indeed one movie/confrontation that could have/should have been better than it was.The potential was definitely there for something better but it didn't materialize.
The movie DOES have some pretty impressive moments throughout its' journey but with the plot as lacklustre as it was it was unable to deliver the necessary knock out punch.
I am a big fan of BOTH the Alien and Predator series and it was a natural that these two characters be brought together eventually to the movie screen.It was certainly set up in Predator Two where for a brief moment while Danny Glovers' character is battling a Predator on his ship we see in the background a trophy area where one of them happens to be an Alien skull.
I followed the comic series which brought them together and took both creatures to areas(character and plot wise) that I didn't always agree with but were at least entertaining.
So my hopes were high for a film adaption.I think a much too conservative approach was used in the plot development and it suffered as a result.
As I said there were several good moments in the picture,the fight scenes being very good and dark lighting was used very effectively throughout to enhance the mood wherever appropriate.
However when I thnk of the first Star Trek movie and the mixed reviews it received and which itself could have been better than it was but took another picture to really get itself up and running, I can only hope that we have a similar situation in the making here.
Let's hope the next one will see a marked improvement not just for the fans but more importantly for the longevity of the series.

Those who somehow "forget" the past are bound to repeat the same mistakes. True in life and true in movie making. Could this latest "instalment" in this mega popular franchise, which was to feature two (Director please note) RUTHLESS, UNRELENTING and UNSYMPATHETIC Alien killers, be a possible return to the brilliance and tradition of Alien, Aliens and Predator? This was surely a no-brainer, right? It was a win-win situation - Two nasty evil Alien species going all out for a bit of the old "Ultra-violence"? This surely had to get every Alien and Predator fan salivating in anticipation, right? But instead the majority of us (> than 10 year's old) are salivating alright and baying for blood at the same time! For starters PG-13? My Cousin Vinny has got a higher rating than AVP - I didn't encounter any Alien Species in this film, did you?
Everything about AVP is just plain wrong - don't concern yourself about the logic potholes (of which there are many) - this entire film should have been left on the cutting room floor! Oh..we were teased by the trailers, we were teased by the looming Alien Vs Alien battles (remember they are both Alien species) - but that was it I'm afraid - in the end we were just teased. For starter, the human characters (all of them) were insipid and uninspiring. There was no one that took this film by the throat and propelled it forward like Ripley and Dutch did. There was no "Apone" no "Hicks" and unfortunately no "Hudson" character either. Can you imagine if there was a "Vasquez" character in AVP? It most definately would have been Adios Muchachos for all Alien species - including the Director! OK, maybe I am a bit harsh on the lack of strong and likeable characters but how about these scenarios for sheer movie stupidity? -
The drilling team "experts" are somewhat "astounded" that a perfectly cut hole (at no less a 30 degree angle) of a few thousand feet just somehow "appeared" out of nowhere. Was anyone from this team of drilling experts "slightly" suspicious with this engineering marvel and with no evidence of a MOUNTAIN of ice that should have been present from this "minor" drilling exercise?
Your key central character (Mr Wayland) decides that he is going to give some lip and attitude to a 7 foot plus Predator AFTER being spared his life the moment before! "Don't you turn your back to me!" and then decides that a little BBQ action with the Predator is all good clean fun! WTF?
Oh and the scene where the female lead character runs off with the Predator together after the Predator decides to do some Alien Origami for her. Huh? The Predator Elders no doubt watching the mayhem down below on their big screen Predator Plasma screens in the Stealth Craft must have been scratching their skulls and thinking WTF? Remember in Predator, how Dutch was hunted down even to the point that the Predator jumped in the river to go after him? (Attention Director - The Predator does not play pat-a-cake with anyone!)
It was bad, but it got worse.....a lot worse!
The blatant rip-off of themes from Stargate, The Cube, Jurassic Park is just unforgivable for all that this film could have been. Where was "old painless is waiting for you"? Where was the unrelenting tension that was present in Alien and Aliens? Why havent the Directors of these past SciFi classics thrown their arms in the air and said enough is enough! Could you imagine Ridley Scott or James Cameron or John McTiernan directing AVP2 or Alien5? Oh yes please.
Would an R-rated version possibly rescue AVP? Alas I think not - unless they decide to shoot the entire thing again! But why are so many people angry after watching AVP? By all means see it and then watch Alien, Aliens and then Predator (again!). Your AVP DVD will fly faster out of your house than the Predator's disc! Trust me - my copy is firmly embedded in my next door neighbour's tree!
Please, and I mean please, if there is to be an AVP2 or Alien5 give us what the true fans DEMAND - white knuckle knock your-socks-off tension and action. Not some candy floss watered down illogical mess! Now I know when Hudson said "game over man....game over!" He must have seen a preview of AVP!
Now for the DVD itself (the one-disc edn). Both the picture quality and sound are first rate, as one would expect. The extras though are truely an insult (compare this with the Alien or Aliens special edn) and the so called extended edition (2 minutes extra at the start) does nothing to improve the picture. However, the biggest joke of all is the running commentary with the Director, Lance and Sanaa. I mean it left me wondering if they were watching the SAME film! Sanaa's comments about the face huggers was just rediculous!
I apologise that I have been harsh here, but when nearly a hundred million dollars is spent and you have access to two of cinema's really nasty and believable ETs is this all that one has come up with? "Why? Why are the innocent always punished?" Let's see if the R-rated version (If there is one?) is any better. As other reviewers have pointed out - For once the advertising was correct. When ever FOX wins - we all loose!