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Alien Versus Predator
Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Sanaa Lathan
Genre:
Science Fiction
Run Time: 108
min.
Release Date:
August 2004
On The Web:
Unofficial Site
Teaser:
Movie Trailer
Reviewed by
Chad Wilson |
Alien
vs. Predator
director Paul W.S. Anderson
may lead many to believe the idea of combining these two movie monsters
into a film was his idea some 10 years ago. Given the criticism many a
fan had of Anderson’s attachment to this film, it was expected that
despite what he lead the masses to believe in pre-release interviews,
Anderson had a better concept than anyone. Unfortunately, this film
neither pleases fans hoping for some fun sci-fi entertainment nor does
it do justice to the much better comic books which spawned the idea much
earlier than a decade ago.
The film Alien vs. Predator (or AvP as the film’s
marketing posse love to spray on posters and teaser trailers) combines
two alien species from two of the more successful modern monster movie
franchises into a single film (from Ridley Scott's ALIEN in 1979
and John McTiernan's PREDATOR in 1987). The two species meet on
Earth in the Antarctic, with contact being initiated by a group of human
explorers who have discovered a pyramid beneath the ice. The pyramid is
actually a hunting ground of sorts, used by the Predators to hunt the
Aliens as their species’ right-of-passage. The humans, being caught in
the middle of this fight between the two, are unprepared and struggle to
survive the clash of these interstellar creatures.
The fruition of the concept to showcase these two alien monsters can no
doubt be credited to the financial success of the 2003 horror bout
FREDDY VS. JASON. The idea for AvP however first saw public
release via a company called Dark Horse, who published an Aliens
vs. Predator comic book series in 1989. The success of the series
spawned more comics and eventually a market for merchandise including
models, statues, computer/console/arcade games, and novels. What is felt
by any fan of the franchise watching AvP can only be both
disappointment and relief that the film has very little to do with the
science fiction legacy off-screen. Instead, director Paul W.S. Anderson
chose to tell his own tale of how these two species meet and the results
are anything but exciting. The errors in the plot are so glaring that
one cannot help but be distracted, especially since the dull action
can’t occupy the audience. The pacing is jumbled by a mere token of
character development in the opening only to be carelessly thrown away
without notice in the latter half. The Predators and Aliens have lost
any presence of terror in the film because the story depicts most
Predators as easily dispatched amateurs while the Aliens are slimy
eye-candy just as easily boned by the few, smarter Predators.
The worst tragedy by far can only be AvP’s total failure as
either a fun, summer sci-fi flick or a cult favorite. Despite the film’s
focus on two superstars of the monster movie genre, there is
surprisingly little actual conflict between the two. What alien action
there is for the audience amounts to recycled battles from better films
and pro-wrestling style brawls. The special effects offer little
innovation over the tried-and-true concepts that made Alien and Predator
successful genre films nor is there any satisfaction to be found in the
dry human characters. The entire film is just going through the motions
of what we all expect from a tired Hollywood film and the finale is as
stale as the morose musical score.
Most fans of the off-screen franchise or aficionados of the films will
be quick to reference the entertaining comics or the better movies as
examples of the two alien species done right. While the comic book
stories or computer game plots may have fared much better than the
Anderson/O’Bannon script for AvP, no pre-existing story could
freshen this film from poor execution. Whether one criticizes the
special effects, plot, or characters, it is obvious to everyone except
the most diehard fan that AvP doesn’t deliver anything worth
watching.
A good idea for a fun sci-fi film is wasted by a bland script, boring
special effects, and a forgettable story.
(back to top) |
Image from Alien Vs.
Predator
DVD cost: $14.49
Purchase:
Amazon.com
Film Review Stew
Favorite? No.
Stew Poo-Poo?
Yes.
Newsworthy:
AvP had both the shortest
filming and post-production schedules of any major studio film in 2004.
Filming was given 2 1/2 months while post-production was given just 4
months to complete.
Movie Quote: "We're
in the middle of a war."
Other Actors/Actresses
from Alien Vs. Predator
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