# Horror Movie Review: Aliens vs. Predator.



## Sinister (Apr 18, 2004)

In my opinion, Paul W.S. Anderson dropped the ball. Maybe it was just a fumble, I don't know, there are places in this film where it was recovered quite nicely...but then it was fumbled again. Anderson has made two really good films (*Event Horizon, Resident Evil*) and this had the potential to surpass both...but, once again...!

Most people will have their own opinions where this movie failed, and where it may have shined. I know exactly why Anderson wasn't able to make this film what it could have been. True, it probably lost ground with the PG-13 rating, and that caused much uproar of those in the community that are fans of both franchises (I was one of those) but I really don't think that was it. *Alien vs. Predator* failed largely due to poor characterizations, and taking too much time to drop the characters into something that builds intrigue, dread and suspense.

The film begins with a satellite from The Weyland Corporation discovering a heat signature and a solid object under 2,000 feet of Antarctic Ice, that hadn't been visible to sensors before. Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henrickson) assembles a team made up of archeologists, mountain climbers and scientists to uncover the find of the century--a pyramid that incorporates, Egyptian, Tibetan and Aztec influeneces in one space. The place is uncovered, but it isn't by the team; something else has beaten them to it. Something that is on the hunt for something inside the pyramid, something the human team doesn't know about until it's too late. The humans flounder about in the dark, nasty, dismal place a booby trap in itself as the walls shift every 10 minutes to new positions. Soon, it becomes all too apparent that they are trapped in-between two vicious Alien forces, that have been at war for as long as man himself has been a species. What hopes do puny humans have against one race that stand 7 feet tall, have advanced weaponry and are the perfect hunter or against their intended prey who have acid for blood and are possibly the worst creatures ever to be unleashed on unsuspecting vicitms? It doesn't look good, and with each passing moment in this film, the human team is edged closer and closer to the point of utter annhilation.

The human characters were the problem with this movie; don't let anyone tell you different. Much like *Alien 3,* after the Antarctic team had blunderd around almost a full half hour in the pyramid, I really didn't give a damn if they got out or not. None of the characters had what you might call an interesting personalities, they seemed too one-dimensional and served no purpose other than to breed Alien spawn or to be terminated by the Predators. Get 'em off the screen, let's get to the good stuff.

The good stuff: Any time the Aliens or Predators were on the screen. There were some great action sequences, and each species had lost nothing from their original films. The Alien Queen reminded me so much of a rampaging dragon stomping the **** out of poor defenseless Tokyo. Great stuff---if only the movie had more of it! What I'd like to see is a movie that was based on the two species alone, sans Human Beings. Hey, when the Predators speak, they could use subtitles. It works for all those Japanese Horror flicks, why not this too. I'd buy a ticket!

I'm afraid I can only recommend this movie slightly. If you're going to see this to perhaps care about any of the characters, forget it! This isn't Ellen Ripley, Hicks, Hudson, The Android Bishop or Dutch from the first *Predator* movie, and none of them are going to stick with you long after you walk out of this film. Go mainly to see the battle scenes with the creatures, it really is the only thing worth seeing, besides the majestic scenery and the close up's of the Predator Starships.

Rating: :voorhees: :voorhees: :voorhees: (The Jason's are all for the above mentioned reasons. It is worth the price of admission for those things alone.)


----------

