AVP: Aliens vs Predator (2004)

[Brian G Turner]

Aliens vs Predator

This film is being greeted with great trepidation by those I know who are really into movies. They see AVP as nothing moer than a cheap cash-in orchestrated by talentless half-wits, who are incapable of making anything of great importance with an otherwise badly conceptualised film.

Bad eggs, poor faith, cynicism gone astray? Here's the trailer:

http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/avp/internet_trailer/

To be honest, I never thought much of the original "Aliens vs Predator" comic series by Dark Horse comics, which I bought and then bagged away without being particularly impressed. But I've always been a cynic - and a literary snob - so my appraisal hardly counts for much.

 

[nemogbr]

Re: Aliens vs Predator

I did always like the idea of having a Ripley successor.

I have no idea how the film will turn out, but worse comes to worse, just leave your brain by the door and enjoy the bloodfest.

 

[demigod.bran]

Re: Aliens vs Predator

being predator and aliens set in the same universe it was more than likely AvP was to come along. i could be good. i probably wont. but wot the hey. ill watch it.

 

[polymorphikos]

AVP: The Movie.

www.avp-movie.com

I spent some time over at the sight and watched the previews, and I'm a little concerned about the Aliens Vs. Predator movie. On the one hand, the effects look brilliant and I'm looking forward to a slug-fest to end all slug-fests. On the other, the asthetic seems "off" somehow, compared to the other movies, and I'm a little afraid they've decided to go the route of, say, Godzilla Vs. Mothra rather than a genuine, high-quality cross-over. Still, a few hours of well-executed combat with a decent plot is all I ask, and the idea of helpless humans trapped between a ravening rock and a harrying hard-place shows promise.

We can only wait and see what will become of the beloved franchises. Let us pray that it is not "The Jetsons Meet the Flintstones".

(And no making fun off my trite references, either).

 

[Foxbat]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

I share your concerns - specifically the suspicion that this might turn out to be nothing more than an intergalactic edition of WWF.

Still, a few hours of well-executed combat with a decent plot is all I ask, and the idea of helpless humans trapped between a ravening rock and a harrying hard-place shows promise.

You may be asking rather a lot there
Breath is baited and popcorn finger trembles. Only time will tell

 

[Morning Star]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

At least the new toy range from Mcfarlane looks brilliant!

 

[Brian G Turner]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

I'm not convinced that it's going to live any real potential it has. For a start, why on earth and not in space, or on an alien world? Something of the way the whole concept is being portrayed makes me think of WWF Wrestling. It could be a great concept movie, but instead I fear it's going to be a popcorn slug-fest.

If it's any consolation, the original Dark Horse comic was pretty disappointing, too.

 

[Morning Star]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

Yeah, I'm keeping an open mind as well...I sort of became very cynical after Alien: Ressurection.

 

[polymorphikos]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

For a start, why on earth and not in space, or on an alien world? .

Probably the Predator element. To be fair, future humans could probably equal predators.

Still, why Antarctica? What in god's name are xenomorphs doing there?

 

[Brian G Turner]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

Probably the Predator element. To be fair, future humans could probably equal predators.

Not if it's set on a lone cargo freighter (cf, Alien) or else on a colony world (cf, Aliens). Something related to either scenarios would surely be keeping withni the ethos of it all? And those marines would never be a match for a few Predators (or even one?).

Still, why Antarctica? What in god's name are xenomorphs doing there?

Probably following on the heels of The Thing.

 

[Morning Star]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

GAH!!! Urge to derail thread...rising....I cannot resist.....

THE THING WAS A BRILLIANT FILM!!!!

 

[polymorphikos]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

The original or the one with Kurt Russel?

And I liked Alien: Ressurection.

 

[Morning Star]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

Hey to each their own. Lots of people liked it. My best mate loves it. I just felt from reading the books and from watching Aliens, that the presence of an Alien queen should be treated with more reverance. I wasn't a fan of the hybrid.

As for The Thing, seen both, but loved the Kurt Russel one. Loved it!

 

[MetalAlien]

just saw it, spoilers below....

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spoilers------------------------------------------------

it wasn't all that bad, I liked it better than Alien4. Basicly it's good as long as there aren't any humans in the scene. The human players are really bland, even good ole Lance seems to be a yawner. Although it was funny to see him playing the knife game that Bishop plays in the beginning of Aliens.

The story is a combination of Batman Vs Alien (the piramid and the south pole) with the original AVP comic (where the girl joins the preds and earns a mark on her skin as a sign she's a warrior). They should have stuck with the hot asian chick "look" like in the comics instead of going for the down to earth urban chick IMO- anyway. it was fun to watch and it has a lot of action, but it really is watered down for the PG-13. No human blood in the whole movie save for one spray on the ice. The predators from part 2 would be rolling over in their grave.

AND as expected Alec Gillis and Tom Woodruff Jr can NOT make a cool looking creature. The pattern is for them to get Stan Winstons left overs and to bastardize them into something with no life or cool-factor what so ever. The Aliens and predators (well the face of the predator anyway) have a power rangers quality to them. Yea speaking of the face of the preds, on the outside the preds look GREAT! Then they take off their mask and Alec and Tom show just how mediocre they really are....sad sad indeed. How do they still have jobs? Surely someone has told them how much they suck?

The queen looks nice, but for some reason they never change her design (which is good), why do they leave her alone and screw with the warriors' design?

The movie is better than part 4, yet seems cheap, yet stills entertains, yet could have been so much better, yet is better than I expected it to be, but somehow I keep hoping for a diamond in the rough, yet never get it...... I liked it, but could have done better myself.

The sound was just horrible though, the soundtrack was lifeless, none of the great music from the other films (that I can remember, it certainly didn't jump out at me if it was there). Nothing to build the mood....

It's worth 9 bucks though, and I'm glad they made it.

 

[Dave]

spoilers obviously

I just saw it on DVD. I thought that I ought to, though I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. I just couldn't see how they could square the timelines and previous continuity forcing these two universes together into one.

They way they did it makes some sense, but I guess this was all already in the comic? The young Predators have been coming to Earth every 100 years for thousands of years to battle with Aliens as a right of passage as Warriors. They use Humans to breed the Aliens and we once worshipped them as Gods (add Stargate to your list of derivations for this movie!)

They keep the Queen on ice for a hundred years then switch on the power and warm her up as they arrive. If the number of Aliens gets out of hand the wipe the planet clean, and any civilisation existing at that time in history.

It still leaves a number of questions unanswered:

I guess this was meant to explain how the company in the future knew the Aliens were out there, but since Bishop Weyland got wasted along with everyone except the girl, who was left with the knowledge about the Aliens to pass it on to Weyland Industries?

Why make an android based on a man who existed centuries ago unless he was very important? He could only be that important if he somehow did leave some record of information or smuggle out a Predator weapon, but we never saw that and due to the destruction that took place I find it hard to believe. And if he was so important, wouldn't you recognise his image in an android in the future if you worked for the company he created?

The alien that came out of the Predator at the end. Surely that couldn't be the first time in thousands of years? Is it really that much of a cliffhanger? Are Aliens bred inside Predators more powerful than Aliens bred inside Humans?

Overall, I liked what they did, but this film watered down the Aliens. They are not the intelligent predators that was hinted at in 'Alien' and 'Aliens', now they have become purely game to be hunted by the Predators. Not only that but one Alien could defeat two ships including a hand picked squad of space marines, and a colony of convicts, now a whole brood of Aliens gets defeated by a rock climbing environmental researcher, with the help of a Predator who ultimately fails his right of passage to become a Warrior. Does that seem right?

 

[HDS]

Re: spoilers obviously

Originally posted by Dave
I just saw it on DVD. I thought that I ought to, though I wasn't expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised. I just couldn't see how they could square the timelines and previous continuity forcing these two universes together into one.

They way they did it makes some sense, but I guess this was all already in the comic? The young Predators have been coming to Earth every 100 years for thousands of years to battle with Aliens as a right of passage as Warriors. They use Humans to breed the Aliens and we once worshipped them as Gods (add Stargate to your list of derivations for this movie!)

They keep the Queen on ice for a hundred years then switch on the power and warm her up as they arrive. If the number of Aliens gets out of hand the wipe the planet clean, and any civilisation existing at that time in history.

It still leaves a number of questions unanswered:

I guess this was meant to explain how the company in the future knew the Aliens were out there, but since Bishop Weyland got wasted along with everyone except the girl, who was left with the knowledge about the Aliens to pass it on to Weyland Industries?

Why make an android based on a man who existed centuries ago unless he was very important? He could only be that important if he somehow did leave some record of information or smuggle out a Predator weapon, but we never saw that and due to the destruction that took place I find it hard to believe. And if he was so important, wouldn't you recognise his image in an android in the future if you worked for the company he created?

The alien that came out of the Predator at the end. Surely that couldn't be the first time in thousands of years? Is it really that much of a cliffhanger? Are Aliens bred inside Predators more powerful than Aliens bred inside Humans?

Overall, I liked what they did, but this film watered down the Aliens. They are not the intelligent predators that was hinted at in 'Alien' and 'Aliens', now they have become purely game to be hunted by the Predators. Not only that but one Alien could defeat two ships including a hand picked squad of space marines, and a colony of convicts, now a whole brood of Aliens gets defeated by a rock climbing environmental researcher, with the help of a Predator who ultimately fails his right of passage to become a Warrior. Does that seem right?

Check AVP2 the game, you will see that indeed aliens bred inside preds are much more powerful than those rbed inside humans

 

[lazygun]

Just to throw in more input on the book-side of the Alien/Pred.series,there have been more than a few books following on from this,and it is as stated the Preds use Aliens as no more than Warrior training tools.Eventually the Queens are hunted/tapped by Human Army teams for their ,"Royal Jelly".

A rather sad end for what started out as a formidable foe.

 

[steve12553]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

I finally had time to set down to watch an entire movie tonight and this one was on. Since I didn't really care for the Predator sequel or the Aliens sequel, I treated this one as a work in and of itself. Looking at it that way it wasn't too bad. It wasn't great but the premise was no worse than a lot of other movies.

 

[Nesacat]

Re: AVP: The Movie.

I liked the movie. The premise was pretty decent and they managed to tie Alien and Predator together pretty well. Even the Antartica made sense. I'd go with Steve in treating it as a movie in an of itself and not compare it to any of the earlier Alien or Predator movies. There are some big holes in the plot but on the whole it was a decent effort.

Besides I've always liked predator.

 

[Nesacat]

Re: Just Saw AVP

Saw this one when it came out in the cinema and have seen it several times on DVD. Am enamoured of Predator so this would explain the repeated viewings. Am rather fond of the Alien as well and it's one of my favourite villains of all time. Giger did an amazing job creating this beast.

Admittedly there are huge gaps in the movie and a lot of it makes no sense the instant you give it any thought whatsoever. But it did provide an explanation for the existence of the Alien and it's presence in space. And there were some good fight sequences as well. The humans were pretty badly done overall and I have no idea how that guy suddenly totally understood all the writing on the wall.

But all in all it was a good attempt.