Alien vs. Predator Review

Alien vs. Predator 

Release Date: 30th September 2004 - Australia

Production Companies

20th Century Fox

Davis Entertainment
Brandywine Productions
Lonlink Productions (in co-production with)
Stillking Films (in co-production with)
Kut Productions (in co-production with)
Studio Babelsburg (in co-production with)
Inside Track Films (in association with)

Distribution
20th Century Fox Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 101 minutes
               109 minutes
               (unrated cut)


Plot Summary
The iconic monsters from
two of the scariest film
franchises ever battle each
other on Earth for the first
time. The discovery of an
Ancient pyramid buried in
Antarctica sends a team of
scientists and adventurers
to the frozen continent.
There, they make an even
more terrifying discovery,
two alien races engaged in
a ultimate battle.


Cast
Sanaa Lathan - Alexa Woods
Lance Henriksen - Charles
Bishop Weyland

Raoul Bova - Sebastian De Rosa

Ewen Bremmer - Graeme Miller
Colin Salmon - Maxwell Stafford
Tommy Flanagan - Mark Verheiden
Joseph Rye - Joe Connors
Agathe de La Boulaye - Adele Rousseau

Carsten Noorgard - Rusten 

Quinn
Sam Troughton - Thomas Parks
Petr Jakl - Stone
Pavel Bezdek - Bass
Kieran Bew - Klaus
Carsten Voigt - Mikkel
Jan Pavel Filipensky - Boris
Adrian Bouchet - Sven
Andy Lucas - Juan Ramirez
Tom Woodruff Jr. - Grid
Ian Whyte - Scar

Crew
Screen Story/Screenplay/
Director - Paul W. S. Anderson

Based on "Alien" Characters/
Screen Story - Dan O'Bannon and Donald Shusett
Based on "Predator" Characters - Jim & John Thomas
Executive Producers - Wyck Godfrey, Thomas M. Hammel and Mike Richardson

Producers - John Davis, Gordon Carroll, David Giler and Walter Hill

Co-Producers - David Minkowski, Matthew Stillman and Chris Symes

Production Designer - Richard Bridgland
Original Alien Creatures Designer - H.R. Giger
Conceptual Designers - Richard K. Bueon and Steve Burg

Costume Designer - Magali Guidasci

Creature Effects Designers
and Creators - Alec Gillis and
Tom Woodruff, Jr.

Director of Photography - David Johnson
Second Unit Director - Bharat Nalluri
Stunt Coordinator - Rick Forsayeth
Co-Stunt Coordinator - Pavel Cazj
Special Effects Supervisor - Gerd Nerfzer

Visual Effects Supervisor - John Bruno
Visual Effects Supervisor: MPC - Adam Valdez
Visual Consultant - Patrick Tatopoulos
Miniatures Director/Miniature Unit Supervisor: Prague/
Puppeteer - Richard Van Den Bergh
Miniature Unit Supervisor: UK - Bill Pearson
Digital Effects Supervisor: MPC - Ben Shepherd
3D Digital Supervisor: Cinesite - Ivor Middleton
CG Supervisor: Double Negative - Mattias Lindahl

Film Editor - Alexander Berner

Music - Harald Kloser

Review

It has been not that long since I last critiqued a movie that could be from either the 'Alien' franchise or just based upon the original 'Predator' that featured Arnold Schwarzenegger. Sadly, I wasn't even an actual fan of either of these action horror series. I could have re-watched and liked the first 'Predator' movie because of Arnie and his one-liners which had me stoked from the outset. Many of you die-hard fans of these both franchises are familiar with the two crossover spin-offs of 'ALIEN vs. PREDATOR (AVP)'. Both of these films were released four years before director Ridley Scott's prequel 'Prometheus'. This movie would restore order in building a better continuity of the 'Alien' universe. The previous additions of these 'AVP' crossovers were more of an attempt to rejuvenate the two famous horror series. However, they were underwhelming for the fanatics because I believe it was as if they were reading a fan-fiction story that had come true in form. This might sound like a positive thing, having a story come to life but 'AVP' failed in its delivery.

The first instalment of 'AVP', under the shoddy craftsmanship of director Paul W. S. Anderson is not improved by thinly-scaled plotting, stale characterisations and the immediate lack of intensity. It wouldn't be helped by the brisk pace used in all of the fight scenes. The only factors that redeem this entire feature is the production design and special effects which are a valiant effort in providing a visual look of the film. 

While the film may not turn out to be as critical than the next instalment 'Alien vs. Predator: Requiem', 'AVP' brings less faith into us and such potential is wasted on this lacklustre spin-off. This could have been well solved if Paul W. S. Anderson had not tried so hard to succeed in his vision, thus ruining both monsters.

Star rating: (3/10) Disappointing

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