Made for franchise but still deliciously entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (18 November 2008)

A group of explorers set out on a journey to find a pyramid that is hidden miles below the earth's surface, only to find a raging battle is happening between Aliens and Predators.
When you see all the sequels made from the original Alien and original Predator, a prospect of a meeting in the same film sounded like a fantasy. But low and behold it was achieved in 2004 and was an exciting prospect considering the originals broke minds in 1979 and 1987.
However with the extra sequels made and the products available, they have become a franchise and when watching this Sci-Fi thriller, you will believe this was used to build on the already established brand, and was a product to test ride the ever improving CGI effects.
Die hard fans of the originals will not take too kindly to the cheesy reflection on how the creatures came to be alive and the ongoing battle they have been fighting for hundreds of years. This really puts a negative vibe on the two greatest creations in Sci-Fi history. Here they feel quite ordinary, not to mention a ridiculous turn from one towards the end, he was almost human it was that silly.
The reason Alien and Predator worked in their first appearances was because they were a mystery. Their presence was frightening as they hung around in the darkness without the humans knowing where they were, creating a horrific and very tense innuendo. Here we see the Predator about 10 minutes in, face on coming to earth and so the tone of the film is set and we know pretty much what will happen.
However despite the essence of inevitability, there is a tense and excitement to proceedings. The humans vs the Aliens and Predators are always exciting and the finely directed action sequences will have you on the edge of your seat.
The plot is pretty predictable throughout but has a great ending. Not to mention the fact you see a finely balanced fight between the two monsters, with an interesting climax. The excitement is excellent as you can never predict which out of the two the superior is. Another sequel Requiem was released in 2007 but with this interesting and open ending, it is best to leave it where it is.
The humans are almost forgettable come the end. It is all about the creatures from other planets with their own lives and rules to live by.
Despite the fact this was made for profit and to show off the tools on the computer screen, it is an entertaining film with some impressive action sequences.