Definitely worth the wait. **** out of 5

Rating: Null/10 (10 February 2005)

I felt Paul Anderson was the perfect choice to direct this film. You'll find lots of controversy of this, because most people either loved or hated his previous films like Event Horizon, Resident Evil, and Mortal Kombat.
Story wise, I felt this film was very clever. I think some people were disappointed that it didn't revolve around the comics and novels based on the same theme, but I felt it was an OK move.
One of the things I was most impressed with was the mixture of real tangible special effects and CGI. It was a grand blend and executed in such a fashion that you couldn't distinguish the two from one another. It's something we don't see enough of in science fiction and horror films these days and I can't praise Anderson enough for making this wise decision.
The acting wasn't bad either, I thought everyone did a fine job. Especially the great Lance Henrikson. And newcomer composer Harald Kloser provides a score that totally deserves to go alongside Goldsmith's, Horner's, Goldenthal's, Frizzell's and Silvestri's work. I suppose the film isn't entirely flawless. A friend of mine pointed out that the alien chestburster cycle went way too fast. I have heard that there is a deleted scene that explained the reason for this, but I'm not sure how it would have fit in with the film itself. This could be just a rumor though. However, I think any flaws that there are are petty and don't detract from the over all film itself. Some people griped about the lack of blood and that it was the first Alien and Predator film to get a PG-13 rating rather than an R rating. Let's be honest, this is a movie about two alien races fighting against one another. Lots of slime, goo, and green alien blood. Besides, I believe it was a smart move to go for a PG-13 rating to ensure wider audience appeal and gross.
I think the film definitely has a vibe that's reminiscent of 'Aliens' and the first 'Predator'. This is a great Science Fiction film, and the best Summer Action Blockbuster of 2004. It stands alone, but serves as a worthy addition to both the 'Alien' series and 'Predator' series. As an avid fan of both franchises, I couldn't have asked for more!