Alien vs. Predator

First off, I'll try to make this short. Second off, I generally just don't write reviews as there's already plenty out there, mostly covering just about everything you'd want to read already.

That said, I watched AVP last night for the first time in I don't know how many years (probably since the 00's) and I must say, this flick absolutely does not deserve the hate it generally gets from fans and critics.

What you have here is an absolutely ridiculous concept taken from comic books adapted for a movie, and to be honest, it's constructed better than one would think for something of it's nature.

For a 2004 sci-fi flick combining two VERY heavy hitting characters and concepts, you've got the a blend that works well here story wise, and is it completely out there and unbelievable? YES, and that's exactly what you'd want to witness from an Alien Vs Predator flick.

Script: Well written and out there enough and still flows.

Set design & Cinematography: Kept my eyes peered to the screen the whole time, looking around every frame, trying to catch all the little details.

CGI: What use it has, honestly looks pretty sharp for 2004, and twenty years later, absolutely holds up compared to many other flicks in that era.

Concept: Totally insane and awesome, and as stated, executed rather well for what it is.

I flew through AVP's 100mins like it was a 18min short film, and honestly could have used a little more, even though it wrapped itself up setting itself up for a sequel (let's not talk about that one) in about as hilarious and daunting fashion as it could.

My one main complaint here is how all this fits into the whole franchise:

• How did we not know this was here before?

• Is this why the Weyland Corporation even sends Ripley's team out into space in the original Alien?

• Will we ever hear from the Queen at the bottom of the ocean again?

Other than that, this flick packs an out there concept into a tightly knit package that does it's best to stay true to both franchises, while blending it in a way that surprisingly Paul W. S. Anderson pulls off here, and well enough that I may just put this right under Event Horizon as his other best flick.

I hope I covered everything I wanted to that was swimming around in my head after watching this last night.

Long story short - this one actually holds up and is 1000000% worth another fun rewatch.

I first saw in in a theatre in 2004. Revisited the 109 mins unrated version recently.

This is the first film installment of the Alien vs. Predator franchise, bringing together the creatures of the Alien and Predator series. In this one, scientists are caught in the crossfire of an ancient battle between Aliens and Predators as they attempt to escape a bygone pyramid. The film is fast paced with tons of action, aided by top notch special effects n amazing set design. Thankfully it doesnt have any shaky cam stuff, no flickering lights n none if the scene is shot in dark light. We can make out what is going on. Compared to most films where too much darkness takes away the fun, this one doesn't have bad lighting. They have toned down the human body count n reduced the gory moments. Nonetheless, it is a good monster action flick. Gore wise, it is nowhere close to the original Predator.

Reading some of the harsh reviews I thought I would comment. The big disappointment for me in the movie was the lack of gore , fox did get it wrong to make it a pg13 even though they tried to substitute it with monster gore. All that being said this movie is a visual master-peace, the effects are top notch with very good fight scenes and creature effects with the best looking Alien Queen to hit the screens, The story is pretty cool and it gives more insight of the Predators, It takes a while for the introduction of the creatures but once the ball is rolling its none stop action. Not the horror feast we all wanted but fun.

AVP is one of my favourites from both the Alien and Predator franchise. It does not attain the golden standard that the first two movies in both franchises have set, but no other movie has done that. And it's now 20 years and several sequels/prequels later. I have to say AVP aged really well.

But I always liked it from the start. It's very entertaining. There's all kinds of interactions between humans, predators and aliens. There's a lot going on at once, it's not simply linear when it comes to the action scenes. The same doesn't really go for the story itself (yes the plot could be a bit thicker here or there). However, while it may not be perfect, I had absolutely no problem running along with the story. I also like the setting and how it gives off this part sci fi, part thriller, part action movie vibe.

It's still good after all this time, possibly even better when you compare it to many of the so called blockbusters that are poured out over us nowadays, a lot of which ar so lacking in quality and originality.

Maybe it's not iconic enough for the general public, like Alien and Aliens. Those were groundbreaking, I admit that. I guess I happen to be a fan of the genre and this movie fits right in.

Alien Vs Predator can probably best be described as pure entertainment, in one of its most honest forms.

The titular contenders have never looked better, with the variety of three fully armed Predators shaking up the usual 'single hunter' formula, paired with the intense ferocity of the Xenomorphs posing as a threat not felt since 'Aliens'. The practical effects; costumes, miniatures, and set design are all really well-constructed and detailed. And the blend of occasional uses of CGI feels effectively complementary. The action and tension are decently directed. Sanaa Lathan as Alexa Woods was a strong lead, able to sell the quipy dialogue and the terror near-seemlessly. Lance Henriksen as Charles Bishop Weyland was a great casting choice, showing a concern for legacy and creating empathy from that. The rest of the cast did enough to not feel too generic, even if they were ultimately just quipy body bags. And the story, although almost bordering on blatantly campy, offers fun new lore that can best be i interpreted as good fan-fiction.

However, the Aliens and Predators, two creatures arguably most known for their abilities to remain hidden in the shadowy darkness, are very noticeably at each other's throats in very blunt manners, detracting from one of the factors that makes them very unique and at times m making them look like wrestlers in cosplay. The PG-13 rating causes a lot of cutaways and underwhelming kills, and the Unrated Cut is worse, with the addition of an almost pointless cold open, and distractingly useless stains of very obvious CGI blood.

Overall, AVP is a pretty good crossover film that, although misses the gore, manages to make up for it in great visuals and endlessly entertaining action.