Alien VS Predator – Details
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Companies: Davis Entertainment, Brandywine Productions, Impact Pictures, Stillking films
Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Producers: John Davis, Gordon Carroll, David Giler, & Walter Hill
Scriptwriters: Paul W. S. Anderson. (Story by: Paul W. S. Anderson, Dan O’Bannon, & Ronald Shusett
Main Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremmer, Colin Salmon, Tommy Flanagan
Released: 12th August 2004
Running Time: 100 Minutes
Certificate: 15
Alien VS Predator
As you may know I love my creature features, yet alas this year for Halloween I decided to differ from my usual Shark infested binge-watching. Choosing to watch the entire Alien and Predator franchises before ranking all the films! I had chosen to start with the Predator series as I love the cinematography and choreography in Prey. So much so I am hoping a game utilizes the rope-tomahawk soon! Here are my thoughts on AVP…
Story of Alien VS Predator
The story of Alien VS Predator follows a wealthy man called Weyland (Lance Henriksen) recruit several specialists to follow a heat spike in the Antarctic. Upon gathering all the team upon a ship heading for the Antarctic, Weyland informs them they must act quickly! Others would have seen the heat spike and they need to claim the site before anyone else does. Alexa ‘Lex’ Woods (Sanaa Lathan) is recruited as the guide/trainer (whilst climbing) and is reluctant to do this. Wanting to perform extensive 3-weeks of training before departing. Unfortunately, they convince her of her worries, and they set off without the adequate knowledge. With the nearest town being over a harrowing 1000 miles away.
Upon arriving they see it has already been drilled, the drill team isn’t necessary. They rappel down into an unknown chamber, with Weyland and some others rappelling down even further. Predators are seen in their ship, preparing for hunt. Whilst Weyland’s team sets off some sort of trigger, presenting three Predator firearms and engaging the places’ mysterious function. The reveal… It’s a place built by the Predators as a rite of passage to hunt the Xenomorphs. An Alien Queen is chained up below to allow for breeding. Humans would be sacrificed for the Predators to hunt.
What ensues is a switch from the mysterious to one with more thriller and action elements. As the team, Aliens, and Predators go head-to-head inside a mysterious everchanging pyramid. All of them fighting for their lives. Eventually resulting in Lex and the last standing Predator working together to exterminate the ever-growing Xenomorph infestation. The two manage to arm a Predator bomb and escape the blast zone just in time utilizing the emergency release of the lift. Once safe ships suddenly fill the sky, Lex gets nervous as predators beam down in front of her. Luckily only providing safe passage for the Predator as they beam back up to their ships, the planet is safe for now….
Only for a Predalien to burst out of the last Predator’s chest upon the Yautja’s ship. Donned with Yautja like mandibles the slithering young serpent alludes to the plot of the sequel.
Analysis of Alien VS Predator
First off, the over-the-top acting from some of the actors is hilarious. At some points managing to make the movie seem more like a B-movie fan-made homage to the original properties. If your fortunate your able to laugh along with these cringeworthy moments however that unfortunately isn’t always the case. The dialogue of the Alien VS Predator is lackluster to say the least. It’s another area where this crossover seems more like a fanfic than a Hollywood blockbuster. The action scenes are enjoyable however I particularly enjoyed the flashback sequences building the lore of the relationship between human, xenomorph, and Yautja.
The CGI doesn’t always hold up with the VFX not being reliable. You don’t know whether you’re going to get a really well choregraphed action scene or a CGI mess filled with quick shots that leaves you wondering why it got left in. With that being said you defiantly deserve to watch a Predator swing an Alien by its tail across a room. Not the best CGI but that doesn’t take away from how enjoyable the fight between the two is to watch. The cast isn’t that memorable with cringy, poorly written writing throughout the film. All the focus on children was a bit weird, it always ended up feeling forced.
Like were getting drilled with the message were to care about the trainspotting actor Dr Miller (Ewen Bremmer), because he is for sure NOT going to die. Wink, nudge. It really takes away from the impact of his eventual death because it’s been foreshadowed throughout. Dr Miller also seems to die other times but miraculously escapes. The sacrifice chamber was very creative. It really reeled you in when a good portion of the cast had been sacrificed for the Alien threat to come into the story.
Finally, I can’t help but still wonder why some of the best editing and cinematography of the film took place at the climbing scene. It had some relevance on the story showing how talented, adept the guide being recruited is. Yet you can’t help but wonder why they didn’t show the same level of quality with the later scenes. After all your not watching Alien VS Predator for some really well edited footage of climbing equipment. Although it is clear its fake because for all the editing the actress has the right climbing axe slack against the ice. Like they fail to apply pressure on the axe so you can clearly see its not even pressed against the ice. That really bothered me for some reason.
Summary of Alien VS Predator
To conclude Alien VS Predator is by far the more action focused of the two crossovers. Beginning with the initial premise of mystery with the ever-changing pyramid was very intriguing. The tone it set however was often damaged by the cringy over-the-top performances or screams of testosterone. Before the switch to action later in the film. The two tones it set worked at times yet was damaged by (at times) poor CGI, performances, and writing. The overall premise is really intriguing and is definitely worth the watch for any AVP fan. However, you can’t help but wonder what Alien VS Predator could have been with: an additional rewrite, better casting, and a little longer in post-production. The bones for an amazing movie is there yet it sadly just falls short of even being anything more than a B movie equivalent to something Asylum releases.
Overall Rating- 5 – Average!
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