Fun monster action from two popular series, but human scenes and isolated settings dampen the show

Rating: 6/10 (8 September 2005)

Movies made for fanboys are often a disappointing enterprise, but such is not always the case. Every now and then, a studio manages to get something right, especially when the premise is so intriguing it would be nearly impossible for it to fail.
Nearly. "Alien vs. Predator" is a testament to the durability of both film series, not quite the best realization of the idea, but still a very entertaining movie. Where it lacks the suspense of the earlier films, it makes up for in a sheer pleasure of witnessing a long awaited grudge match.
The Weyland Company has recently discovered an ancient pyramid located 2000 feet below the surface of Antarctica. Company CEO Charles Weyland(Lance Henriksen) has gathered together a team of explorers and adventurers to excavate down to the pyramid and explore the site. They include Alexa Woods (Sonaa Lathan), an expert on the Antarctic environment, Sebastian de Rosa (Raoul Bova), an archaeologist who specializes in civilizations with pyramids, and Greame Miller (Ewan Bremner), a photographer who comes along to document the event.
However, upon arriving at the site they discover that a hole has already been dug, as if it was in anticipation of their arrival. Once they enter the ancient structure, they quickly realize that it is actually a hunting ground. Two rival extraterrestrial species, one the warrior breed Predators and the other, the both insect-like and reptilian Alien xenomorphs, are at war with each other. The explorers quickly deduce they've been led into a trap, and must find a way out the pyramid while simultaneously dodging attacks from both killer species.
"Alien vs. Predator" is the type of film made specifically for the fans and people of morbid curiosity. Like 2003's "Freddy vs. Jason," the movie will divide up the viewers between their preferred monsters. I myself am an Alien man, but am open-minded enough to cheer on the Predators as well.
Unfortunately, there isn't much here that we haven't seen before, and furthermore, the movie lacks the kinetic edge that the original films in both series possessed. This is an action movie, but a dark and disturbing one at that. Still, the story moving this whole enterprise is basically just a gimmick, not a plot.
The movie also makes some nods to a few other sci-fi horror movies. The Antarctic location is obviously an homage to "The Thing," and the pyramid, a death trap whose rooms are constantly moving around, is most likely a nod to "Cube."
As Woods, Lathan is smart, resourceful and tough but still vulnerable. She's obviously meant to be the Ripley character, though she unfortunately lacks Sigourney Weaver's human edge. Lathan is up to the challenge, and it's neat to see her in this sort of environment after doing dramas like "Love and Basketball."
Henriksen is fun in the role of the billionaire adventurer who wants his immortality. As the only real established actor amongst this cast, he adds a level of professionalism that would otherwise be missing. His role is also an inside joke for fans for the Alien series.
The other actors are competent, but not special. Most of them are just fodder for the monsters, but Bova manages to make an impression as the Italian archaeologist looking for a missing link between the different pyramid civilizations, only to find that he's sorry to discover just what it is.
Director Paul Anderson has a long history of making films such as these, including his own "Alien" homage "Event Horizon." He is proficient with creating atmosphere and he keeps things moving along nicely, especially in the second half when the actions starts to kick in, but he lacks fellow "Alien" series helmer Ridley Scott's ability to build unnerving suspense, or James Cameron's all-out knock down actions scenes. From the "Predator" camp, he's also deficient in John McTiernan's gung-ho machismo.
"Alien vs. Predator" is not intelligent entertainment. In fact, it's unlikely it will have much of an audience outside the real die hards of each series. It's been 14 years since the last time Predators have been on screen, and seven for Aliens. Still, various different mediums have kept both series alive, and Aliens and Predators have battled before in both novels and comic books for the last decade or so.
It's a fun movie to watch, and there are some unsettling moments. Also, there's one creature in the film that manages to come off sympathetic, or at least as sympathetic as either of these creatures can be. It's a nice, unexpected twist in an otherwise mundane plot.
You'll either like "Alien vs. Predator" or you won't. There's not really much middle ground here. Plus, some of the hard-core fans may be turned off by the PG-13 rating, thinking it will be a watered down version. Rest assured though, there's still plenty of blood and gore, but mostly alien blood at that.
While it is fun, the movie may also be a disappointment to those expecting some epic battle between the species. What we have here is an isolated pit fight, not an all out war like the ads seem to suggest. The fights are intense but usually one-on-one, and can be over pretty quickly at times. Still, for those of you who are curious, "Alien vs. Predator" is certainly worth hunting down.
Six out of ten stars. A very fun movie to watch with great atmosphere, but it's not an all-out war between species and the human characters are just fodder to get between the different monsters.