Review Alien vs. Predator film review by As Above

ALIEN Vs PREDATOR delivers the kind of movie that most hard core AVP fans had been hoping for and compared to the last 2 rather disappointing ALIEN instalments, AVP - leaves them in Alien slime. The idea of pitting two of Sci-Fi’s popular franchises started in the climatic moments aboard the Predator ship in the highly underrated 1990 movie, PREDATOR 2 where actor Danny Glover discovers the trophy case which displays an Alien skull. That set the ball in motion and over the last 15 years countless comic books, paperbacks, numerous runs of action figures as well as X-box and 2 very successful PC games have wetted the appetites of Alien/Predator fans. Alien star, Sigourney Weaver has never liked the idea of combining the two franchises so we’ve had to wait a little longer for the film to actually arrive. To most of us it was obvious that pitting two of the deadliest creatures ever to grace motion picture screens would be an awesome idea – as long as the right people were involved in the project. AVP is directed by Paul Anderson (Resident Evil, Event Horizon) who has made a good film which should satisfy the majority of die-hards with a couple of good battle scenes, plenty of action and a couple of very cool new gadgets for the Predator. I’m not going to spoil it for you and divulge too many details but basically the story unfolds on Earth and is a prequel to the ALIEN movie being set some 170 years before the Nostromo discovers the planet LV-426 containing the derelict space ship. It is also a follow-up to the two Predator movies. Anderson who also co-wrote the script has done a fine job, taking into account all the details from the above mentioned films and unlike Alien 3 – he doesn’t screw up the storyline. What you get is a film with a collection of humans, Aliens, (all life cycles), Predators (yes, more than one) all on Earth in the year 2004. The battle ground is a pyramid temple which is located some 2000 feet under the ice in Antarctica with everybody fighting for survival. There’s also a great insight to how and when the Predators first came to Earth – which is very cool! The cast includes, Lance Hendrickson who plays Bishop Weyland (yes the founder of the ‘dreaded company’ that screwed everybody in the Alien movies), Colin Salmon (Resident Evil, Die Another Day) as Weyland’s bodyguard and Sanaa Lathan (Blade) as the expedition guide. The rest of the cast are basically Alien/Predator fodder and overall it's an entertaining film but a few minor flaws (over half a dozen!), unfortunately let it down a little! The bottom line is, if you’re a fan you should dig it. It’s easily up there with Aliens or Predator – and who knows, maybe, just maybe one day FOX will get it together and do what we all want to see - Aliens, Predators and Marines - fighting for life in outter space!