LeonardoOliva69

I'll be honest, this movie is a guilty pleasure for me.

I know it's bad, I know it's a cheap slasher disguised as an AVP film, I know you don't see anything the entire time, and I've never seen anything so dark.

However, at the time, I quite liked it and was really excited because it was the sequel to another movie that's also a guilty pleasure.

A simple premise that I'd always wanted to see... what would happen if a Xenomorph appeared in an inhabited town? Clearly, there would be a massacre... but what would happen if the Yautja sent their most legendary hunter to eliminate that abomination that was the Predalien born of Scar? Clearly, more carnage.

That's what I went to see, that's what I found. We have a teenage plot that no one really cares about until they're eliminated by a hunter who follows orders to the letter.

There are some really interesting sequences, like what the Predalien does to pregnant women...it's truly brutal.

The ending, more than obvious, is impossible to control unless someone drops an atomic bomb. And that's exactly what happens, which seemed sensible to me at the time.

Unfortunately, the post-credits scene showing Weyland-Yutani appearing and acquiring Yautja technology was completely anti-canon and ended up burying a franchise that, despite its flaws, is a guilty pleasure and gave me my favorite Yautja, Wolff, and a colossal beast like the Predalien, the product of that DNA reflex that we fans loved so much...

I must confess I'm a die-hard fan of both "Alien" and "Predator," so when this movie came out back in 2004, it blew my mind.

I have to say I'm aware of the flaws and that, in certain aspects, they're bad movies. However, they're guilty pleasures and comfort movies.

In the case of "AVP," I really don't think it's a bad movie.

Let's see, it has plot holes, canon errors, bad acting, unbelievable plots, etc., etc. But that doesn't mean we can't say it has creatures that look great. The plot is simple, the execution is quite good. The Predators are unbleeded, and therefore it's understandable that, having little experience, they're easier prey for the Aliens until they can at least recover their weapons. I think the fights feel great; the humans know they're just passing through and cannon fodder, like in a slasher film, and it's not bad.

The inclusion of Lance Henriksen is appreciated, with everything he means to the saga, and also for him to become one of only two actors (along with Bill Paxton) to be killed by an alien, a predator, and a terminator.

Seeing Alexa "Lex" Woods as an on-screen representation of something like "Machiko Noguchi" is also very good.

All the action, the gore, the touches of horror add up quite a bit, and the ending with the fight with the Alien Queen and Scar's death, which ultimately leads to the birth of the Predalien, is great.

As I said, despite its flaws, it's an interesting film that expands the lore in a way and has aged quite well.

Taking advantage of the release of "Wicked: For Good," I thought it would be a good idea to revisit this classic, which, after 85 years, continues to resonate with generations.

It's been over 20 years since I last saw it, but I can't help but be amazed at how well it's been made.

Let's be realistic, we all know what happened to Judy Garland and the tragedy that was her life, closely related to landing this leading role and everything it entailed. We also can't ignore the accidents on set, the poisonings, burns, and near-deaths that occurred in the context of a studio with unscrupulous producers and a film that had four directors.

Beyond all that, we have to value "The Wizard of Oz" as an incredible work that has transcended time.

No one would believe that it was one of the first films in Technicolor and that it's from 1939! Of course, it has flaws, sometimes pacing problems, editing issues, and also some somewhat exaggerated acting. Nevertheless, it's a colossal work, from the sets and costumes to the music and many of the performances. It marked a before and after in the history of cinema and is one of the great examples of a blockbuster.

One must view these films with the perspective of the era; I don't have the same yardstick to judge it as I do with "Oppenheimer" or "Barbie," to name a few examples, which is why I highlight it so much.

Judy Garland is incredible; her performance exudes such purity, concern, joy, and humor. She truly was a superstar. The humor, by the way, works very well in this film; it has aged magnificently, and it was truly a delight to enjoy it.

I appreciate that the two "Wicked" films connect so well and with such respect, enhancing each other and making this work something timeless and magnificent.