Average IMDb rating of AVP today about 2 times better than that of 8/12/04

Rating: 7/10 (5 March 2006)

Just saw AVP for the first time on HBO -- loved it. But I remembered everyone hating it back when it was first released in 2004. Couldn't help but wonder why.
So, out of curiosity, I checked out the IMDb user comments back on 8/12/04, the first day comments are available, and found that, as I remembered, they are overwhelmingly very negative. Of the 11 comments with obvious ratings posted that day, the average score is 3.27 out of 10, very poor indeed.
Flash forward to 2006, of the most recent 11 comments posted with obvious ratings (not including mine), the average score is 6 out of 10, quite an improvement.
My conclusion? AVP is clearly not for everyone. Given the huge fan base of Alien, Predator and similar sci-fi films, a whole lot of people went and saw AVP back in 2004 who, for very legitimate reasons, hated it. Almost 2 years later, however, when viewed without all the hype surrounding it and by people who are approaching the film with an open mind and a strong interest (in other words, people, like myself, who would view a film that was completely slammed by critics and audiences 2 whole years later), AVP is a surprisingly impressive pop culture and cinematic work.
Take home message? If you're still interested in seeing this movie 2 years after everyone told you not to waste your time, you'll love it. Otherwise, don't bother.
Please send personal replies to iwshu@hotmail.com -- I don't check my IMDb messages very often.