AVP: Alien vs. Predator

Paul W. S. Anderson made another one of his classics, which doesn't fundamentally deviate from his abilities. It's such a shame that the story is incredibly banal because otherwise, it’s too long. It needed more thought, then one wouldn't just appreciate the great masks. This film just shows that in the new millennium, Aliens and Predators don’t have much of a place. (2015-01-20)

The 1970s and 1980s saw two famous monsters – the Alien and the Predator – and it was only a matter of time before they would meet together on the big screen. Alien and Aliens and the first Predator are classics of their genre, but the same cannot be said for their first crossover. While Alien vs. Predator offers superior visual effects (considering the time it was made), it falls noticeably short on the story level and in building the oppressive atmosphere that was so impressive in the first two Alien installments in particular. It terms of screenwriting, this is a weaker film, which is why it prefers to rely on action scenes and the presence of scares, which it mostly succeeds in doing. Personally, I didn't mind the fact that the Aliens were portrayed as the villains, because while they are no worse than the Predators, they are still more sneaky, and therefore more suited to that position. If you turn off your brain for an hour and a half, Alien vs. Predator isn't all that bad a movie. P.S. A small ("insignificant") plus for the open ending! (2020-08-03)

For a horror movie it lacks even the slightest hint of atmosphere and, for an adaptation of an action game (or a comic book), it’s lacks action. Perhaps only the makeup deserves praise. A boring and uninteresting B-movie that you can see hundreds of on the shelves of video rental stores. Anderson was able to dishonor two legends in one film, so hopefully some skillful predator will find him and exact personal satisfaction for defamation. (2007-02-10)

Alien is downgraded to a drooling game of hopscotch, leaving the remnants of its sophistication in the original tetralogy – and for that alone, Paul W.S. Anderson has failed me again this time. While it's more boredom than a major annoyance that the unappealing main characters have to spend time acquainting themselves with the chilling environment and themselves. But when the alien newborn hatches a few minutes after meeting the facehugger, the queen agilely scampers around, and the predator senselessly respects the insignificant human, I wearily bury my head in my hands and give up. Shameful. (2004-12-28)

Alien vs. Predator is surprisingly well-filmed with nice special effects, dynamic editing and brisk action. And though the first fight between the Predator and the Alien was unwatchable, it still filled me with the rapture of my teenage years. What drags the film down to the level of average, however, is the UNBELIEVABLY stupid screenplay. The fact that Paul W.S. Anderson only steals wouldn’t matter so much, but the way that he sticks the stolen bits together with even more careless glue is a sight to see. With a better screenplay and longer runtime, this could have been excellent entertainment. P.S.: I was a bit bothered by the overall “humiliation” of the Alien race. Personally, I have more respect for it than I do for the plodding Predators. (2004-11-08)