This was what I'd been looking for . . .

Rating: Null/10 (5 September 2004)

I've been waiting for this movie to be made since the fateful scene in Predator2 when we saw the Alien skull. I've been a BIG Alien fan since the first movie and keep finding myself watching Predator every time I see it on TV. I'm not a self-proclaimed cinemaphobe, so I'll stay away from comments on direction, lighting, etc - I'll just tell you what I thought of the movie.
Though I've been waiting for this, it took me a couple of weeks after opening to get to see it. In the meantime, I'd heard it panned, so I wasn't expecting much, but after waiting this long, nothing was going to stop me. I'm so glad I don't let other opinions inhibit my movie choices, or I would definitely lost out! I thought the movie was great - just what I would have wanted. When we watch all the other Alien movies all we see is the Alien creature ripping up humans with little-to-no resistance. This movie delivered a whole other side of the creature when it meets a foe "equal" in brutality and strength. We actually get to see it take a beating hand-to-hand with a worthy opponent and in some cases, taking a beating. We get to see it celebrate a victory and/or get its butt royally kicked!
I liked the continuation of a strong female lead who's not just some tough-girl, but a survivor who does what it takes to make it through the situation that she's fallen into. I've heard "where's Ripley" many times, but c'mon, if we continue with the same character in every movie it's going to get stale.
I also appreciated the hesitant truce between human and Predator to fight a common evil. They were comrades born out of necessity with a grudging respect and need for one-another - not exactly going for a latte after the next kill.
Overall, this movie delivered just what I was looking for: a good and meaty fight between Alien and Predator with a human influence (how can we relate without it) and an ending that leaves me waiting for the next one. Most of all, there were no happy duo at the end, walking arm-and-arm back to their rescue ship, just a loan survivor after a long and harrowing battle. Kept me going, and looking forward to AvP2.