Better than I expected

Rating: 5/10 (22 November 2008)

I must admit I'd avoided watching this film for a while expecting it to be terrible, however when it was on television I decided to give it a go. While I don't think it was as good as the original films it was better than I expected.
Set on present day Earth a heat signature is spotted deep under the Antarctic ice, satellite images show that it appears to be a pyramid. An expedition is set up by Charles Bishop Weyland to investigate this strange find. When they get there they are surprised to discover a shaft leading from the surface to the pyramid, assuming it must have been made by another team of explorers they head down, little knowing that it was in fact made by a Predator hunting party that lands soon after and wipes out the surface party. About the same time an Alien queen within the pyramid is awakened and starts laying eggs. Shortly after the team divide into two groups they trigger a mechanism which causes parts of the pyramid to move, trapping one group in a room into which Alien eggs are inserted with the inevitable results. The remaining explorers must then battle to survive against the Aliens which the small group of Predators intend to hunt as a rite of passage.
Fans of the original films may be disappointed at this much tamer combination of the two, the lower rating means that there is almost no real gore and it is never really frightening. It isn't a terrible story though, the acting isn't bad and the special effects are pretty good so if you haven't seen it and it is on television it is worth watching, I won't be buying the DVD though.