Alien VS Predator
Yes, I realize that this movie opened nearly a month ago, but life has been far too busy for me to put my feelings into words. I caught this one on opening weekend, but I was in Yellowknife NWT, working. Despite pating $13 for a ticket, and another $12 for popcorn and pop, I thought it was all well worth it. And I'll tell you why.
Now, as you may know, I'm possibly the biggest fan of the Alien movies out there. I've seen the original four movies countless times, and each one is an enjoyable outing everytime. As for the two Predator movies, I've seen both, and found them to be entertaining. The first was a little tedious, but the second was better paced, and actually better.
This sequel, which promised to tie the previously unrelated movies together, was on my list of must-sees. Yes, I know that these two extra-terrestrial killers were linked in comic books, but I don't really live in the comic books. I figured that with Paul W.S. Anderson behind this film, it had to be good.
The story follows a man named Charles Weyland, head of the Weyland Corporation, and played by Lance Henriksen. One of his sattelites notices a strange heat signature under the ice in Antarctica. He gathers experts from around the world to investigate. Its a large pyramid with signs of three different civilizations. When the team enters the pyramid, they awaken something in the basement. That something is a queen alien, and she starts laying eggs.
Then, a ship with some Predators drops off three hunters, and after all but one human and one Predator are killed, the remaining two destroy the pyramid. Along the way, we learn that during the earliest stages of Human development, the Predators built and used deveral pyramids as training grounds. Every hundred years, they'd come back and the Humans would sacrifice themselves to please the god-like Predators. This pyramid was the last, and they managed to kill all the aliens there.
The final battle with the queen includes Sanaa Lathan, playing the lone human survivor, and the last Predator, knocking her off into the ocean. This would be the first drowned alien I've seen.
All in all, this did what it was supposed to. It tied two franchises together where it was pretty impossible, plus it layed the foundation for the obsession that the Weyland-Yutani corporation has for the aliens in the Alien movies. And the fight scenes between the Aliens and the Predators were like a dream. So well-done, and it was something I'd been waiting to see for so long. It gave me shivers.
The screenplay was done by Anderson, Ron Shussett and Dan O'Bannon. Yes, that's right, the same men behind the original Alien. And the Aliens looked more like the original Alien. It was so well done, and I enjoyed every minute. AVP was well worth the wait. It gets an 8.
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