AVP: Action; Violence; Power.

Rating: 8/10 (14 November 2009)

In 1989, everyone's favourite chest bursting xenomorphs went head to head with the galaxy's greatest intergalactic hunters in the Dark Horse comic series Alien vs. Predator; but it wasn't until a year later, when an alien's skull was glimpsed in the predator's trophy collection at the end of movie sequel Predator 2, that excited fans began talking about the very real possibility of a cinematic merging of the franchises.
Fourteen years later, and 20th Century Fox finally gave them what they had been dreaming of: a movie smack-down between the creepy, bio-mechanical critters with the extendable inner jaws and the imposing, dread-locked hunter/warriors. Unfortunately, with almost a decade and a half to develop their own ideas of what the film should be, fan-boys were less than enthusiastic when the finished product failed to meet their unrealistic expectations; other naysayers included the professional film critics, who complained about the film's lack of characterisation and clichéd dialogue.
It all goes to prove that some people are never happy, because in my humble opinion, Aliens vs. Predator delivers way and above what one might reasonably expect from the fusion of a gung-ho Arnie creature-feature (albeit a fantastic one) and a sci-fi series that had hit rock bottom with its last instalment.
Director Paul W. S. Anderson, who inexplicably receives a lot of flak from critics and viewers alike whatever the project, comes up with the goods as far as action, excitement and spectacle are concerned, making this film not only a hugely enjoyable piece of blockbuster entertainment, but also a treat for the eyes. The set design and special effects in particular are simply incredible, with a terrific combination of CGI and more traditional techniques bringing the nasty extraterrestrials realistically to life.
As far as the performances go, they might not exactly be award worthy, but since when does a monster movie require the acting chops of a Larry Olivier or Meryl Streep? Everyone involved does what is necessary of them, with Lance Henriksen making a welcome return to the Aliens series, Trainspotting's Ewen Bremner putting in a surprising appearance, and lead Sanaa Lathan making a likable and very gutsy heroine.
All in all, I liked AVP a lot. My advice is to ignore the biased sentiments of the fickle fan-boys and pompous critics, and for once, go with the popular opinion: the general public took the film to No. 1 in the box office and made it a commercial success, and for good reason—the film rocks!