not as bad as people are saying...

Rating: 7/10 (16 August 2004)

I read these boards before seeing the movie, hearing mostly all negative comments, so I was a bit worried, but after having seen it yesterday, It isn't all that bad...
Of course it's not to everyone's expectations, but what is? It was fun, entertaining, and the staple movie which has brought the Aliens and Predators together, if nothing else. It may not have seen great, but just seeing some of the scenes of the Aliens fighting Preds were surreal images I had thought about occurring throughout my childhood. I remember having action figure aliens and preds fight in a WWF ring when i was a kid, and seeing them actually battle on the big screen was cool, at least for me. Now, for my criticism on the negative reviews...
**SPOLIERS**
1: I heard rumors of a 'potential kissing scene' between the Predator and Lex. Seeing the movie, I don't know where people get that idea. AT the end, the Predator merely takes off his mask. then brands lex w/ the alien blood... wtf are people talking about of how they thought they were gonna kiss? i in no way got that feeling.
2: and people say people in the theatre were laughing at some of the corny parts, all the way through to the ending and it was like a comedy. No one in my theatre, including myself, took anything foolishly. we enjoyed the film for what it was, and were not 'chuckling' at its insipidness. everyone seemed to enjoy it. i don't know what people were laughing at...
3: people were like 'it's not scary at all, etc'. the first alien movies were intended to be scary, since you really didn't know what the hell it looked like and where it was lurking, but after 25 years of the same creature in the same corridors, you kinda know what to expect. same thing with freddy vs. jason. they're not intended to be 'scary' 'horror' movies anymore. they're intended to be 'monster' movies, like the classic 'wolfman vs frankenstein', 'king kong vs. godzilla' etc. these are our generation's VS. movies, so just enjoy them for that. They're made to entertain, not to scare.
4: People always trying to compare it to previous Predator or Alien installments, which I suppose in inevitable. of course it's not as good as 'Predator' or 'Aliens', but it's NOT a sequel or even a prequel to either franchise. It is NOT Predator 3 or Alien 5, so don't expect it to be.(both respective movies are still being considered being made). This is the FIRST of a new franchise, 'AVP, part 1' (if there are sequels, that is).
5: of course there are plot holes and stuff, and things everyone would have done differently, but it's not perfect, and you just have to take it as it is. sure it took place in crappy antartica, the camera work was shaky and poor, there was no characterization, and most of the human deaths were off- screen... but for what it was, is was not AWFUL as everyone is making it out to be. if you don't have such high expectations, you shouldn't be all that disappointed.
i just go in to be entertained, and not expect an Oscar-winning, well-acted masterpiece. the first half was boring beyond belief, but the 2nd half was just what you'd expect: aliens fighting predators. that's what the title is, and that's what you pay for. end of story.