“Alien vs Predator” is a fun, if uneven, movie that brings two of cinema’s most popular monsters together. The movie has some great action sequences and the effects are top-notch, but the story is a bit weak.
The movie opens with a group of scientists uncovering an ancient pyramid buried beneath the Antarctic ice. They soon discover that the pyramid is actually a hunting ground for two warring alien races – the Predators and the Aliens. When the humans get caught in the middle, all hell breaks loose.
The movie is at its best when the Predators and Aliens are battling it out. The action is non-stop and the effects are impressive. The human characters are largely forgettable, but they do provide some comic relief.
This is a fairly predictable movie which I suppose has to be taken with a substantial pinch of salt. I actually turned out a better movie than I thought it would but it still has it’s problems. It is very contrived, from how the main character Alexa Woods is portrayed in a very Ripley-esque mould, down to the one liners (you one ugly…).
Lance Henriksen is back again this time portraying the father of the Weyland Corporation, Charles Weyland. This character being the one who decides to undertake the expedition in the name of glory and discovery.
I imagine his presence was included to bring continuity from the old movies to the new. The creatures themselves seem to have changed since the older movies, the Alien seems more animal like (except Alien3), it moves and looks more like a leopard than a bio-mechanical construction.
The Predator has had a technology upgrade, which was predictable and I suppose sensible, his infra red vision and weaponry being the example of this. The facial details have changed also, which probably won’t mean much to the average viewer but real fans will notice these things.
The special effects are pretty much impeccable, but that was kind of expected. Since this is a Paul W.S. Anderson movie you will have to make up your own mind if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I personally don’t like his style of direction, I didn’t like what he did with the Resident Evil movies, although I know some do. I will give him some credit for the screen play but that is as far as it goes.
All in all I would say that AVP is decent enough if you like these kind of ‘monster-survival’ movies but if you don’t, probably best avoid.
Overall, “Alien vs Predator” is a fun movie that is sure to please fans of both franchises. However, it is not without its flaws. The story is weak and the human characters are not particularly interesting. Nonetheless, the movie is worth checking out for the impressive action sequences and state-of-the-art effects.
Synopsis
The film opens with a spacecraft landing on Earth in 1904. A team of predators disembark and begin to hunt a group of aliens. The aliens are able to kill several of the predators, but the predators eventually triumph.
In the present day, a group of archaeologists uncover a pyramid buried in the Antarctic. They begin to explore it, and are attacked by aliens. The team is able to kill some of the aliens, but they are ultimately captured.
The predators arrive at the pyramid and offer to trade the humans for the aliens. The humans agree, and the predators release them. The humans are then sent into the pyramid to battle the aliens.
The humans are no match for the aliens, and are quickly killed. The predators then enter the pyramid and begin to hunt the aliens. The aliens are able to kill several of the predators, but the predators eventually triumph.
Movie Details
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Writer: Paul W.S. Anderson
Actors: Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, Raoul Bova
Release Year: 2004