Uninspired

Rating: 2/10 (30 December 2004)

Alien is a modern Sci-Fi / Horror classic. It is as close to a perfect movie you are likely to see within the genre.
Some of the sequels are descent enough in their own right, but benefit from their pedigree.
But this one is devoid of any merit. We are treated to some snap shot edited flash shots designed to bring back memories of greater movies. But this movie is a stinker -- and it knows it.
I'm a big fan of Sci-Fi. And in order to enjoy good Sci-Fi you have to be able to suspend disbelief. In order to do so, the movie must establish its own logic to operate on. But This movie has no logic.
Lines of dialogs are delivered seemingly coming from nowhere. We are told by an Italian scientist that because the Aztec calendar was based on a decimal system, we can (successfully) assume that the pyramid will reconfigure every 10 minutes. The logic behind this statement is never elaborated. Nor could it, since it defies logic. Any logic.
Later in the movie the heroine exclaims that the serpent creatures must never be allowed to reach the surface. If they do, she maintains, everything will be destroyed. How this knowledge or conviction has come to her is never explained. We can only assume that she, like most of the audience, knows this to be true from having watched the previous movies in the franchise.
AVP is slick and fast -- but is empty and goes nowhere. It is evident that Paul Anderson is more inspired from the AVP games than anything else. This movie would have been more enjoyable with a game console in my hands. At least then I could slap the heroine every time she delivers a silly line.