It took 14 years...

Rating: 7/10 (14 August 2004)

...Before a possible showdown between the iconic monsters of "Alien" and "Predator" would occur, when they would cross paths on screen and battle to the death. There's a scene in "Predator 2" that occurs towards the end of the film, where Lt. Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) ventures into the Predator spaceship and accidentally stumbles onto the alien hunter's trophy room, and neatly placed towards the back amongst the various awards, was an alien skull. Those 10 seconds of film spawned over a decade's worth of rumors that one day these titans were going to go at it head-to-head, and that whoever won, we'd lose.
As a fan of both the "Alien" and "Predator" franchises, I've been looking forward to "Alien Vs. Predator" for a long time, since that historic scene. I've admired the two monsters for years, collecting all kinds of memorabilia, including books and action figures; you name it, I've probably seen it.
With "Alien Vs. Predator," director Paul W.S. Anderson has achieved something of a mixed bag. Undoubtedly critics will balk early into the film. They'll pick apart its MTV-style editing, bad pacing, and lack of spirit of a genuine "Alien" or "Predator" film. Die-hards will balk at Anderson's direction and the fact that he was even allowed near the film.
I had fun watching it, despite some inconsistencies regarding our two iconic monsters who like to either use humans as hosts for more of their hideous offspring, or trophies which can be displayed in their intergalactic showroom of skulls.
The story is that a massive, ancient Aztec/Egyptian/Mayan temple has been discovered deep below the surface of the Antarctic, and Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen of "Aliens") has assembled a team of the world's best archaeologists, which includes Alexa "Lex" Woods (Sanaa Lathan, who convincingly fills in the tough female role), Sebastian de Rosa (Raoul Bova) and Graeme Miller (Ewen Bremner) to accompany him in investigating it. But wouldn't you know it? They're not alone in this gargantuan maze of dark tunnels and ever-changing structures, and that a trio of Predators have come there to hunt rapidly reproducing Xenomorphs.
Well, I can tell anyone that the powers-that-be in Hollywood and at Twentieth Century Fox played heavily into the film's mixed bag treatment. If the movie fails, I'd blame constant executive and studio interference - the b*****ds in suits who decide they want to cater to teenage fanboys instead of the largely adult fan base that this film was originally built on. In doing so, they opt for action over story, more importantly, $$$ over artistic vision.
Anderson has remained faithful in preserving the essence of both the "Alien" and "Predator" franchises by casting no-name performers to combat the extraterrestrial foes, and by emphasizing ideas over action and special effects. On a sour, angrier note, the gorehounds will be sorely disappointed, since executives at Fox toned down the violence considerably as to release it with a "PG-13" rating, as to rake in every penny. Of course, that "PG-13" rating doesn't stop us from getting quick edits (read: no gore) of chestbursting sequences, facehuggings, and people being mercilessly slaughtered by the Predators.
I had faith that Paul W.S. Anderson wouldn't let me down long before I even saw the film; he doesn't, but I have a feeling that his film is destined for the same fate as David Fincher and his film "Alien 3" - that it will go down in infamy and only years after the director has disowned the film and controversy is still brewing, that the true vision of "Alien Vs. Predator" will surface and will finally earn the respect owed to it.
7/10