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Alien Vs Predator: Two-Disc Extreme Edition
01/04/2005 . Source: Geoff Willmetts 
DVD: 20th Century Fox FG-OCB 26681CDVD. 96 minutes. Price: Varies from £22 to £13 so shop around for the right price). Stars: Sanna Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremner. Director: Paul W.S. Anderson. Buy Alien vs Predator in the USA - or Buy Alien vs Predator in the UK  check out website: check out: www.fox.co.uk
Twentieth Century Fox
If ever there was a film awaiting expectations, then a confrontation between the hunters or predators and the unnamed 'alien' species. The key problem is that all surprises are all expected. We know the face-huggers lay eggs in hosts that breed the larger aliens. These in turn capture more hosts so they can breed more of themselves. If you're familiar with the four 'Alien' films, then no surprises here. The predators are just alien game-hunters carrying some big weapons to go hunting. Previously to kill humans on Earth but here with a longer history for the bigger game: the aliens! Other than weapons upgrades, no real surprises for anyone who's seen the two 'Predator' films. Anyone who hasn't, should have left the room by now. Hope you enjoy talking to yourself. I should also add there's a plug promo in the box about a 'Predator 2 Special Edition' with loads of extras coming out shortly which looks promising.
Whoever was going to direct 'Alien Versus Predator' would have to live within this rule book and play Ten Little Indians with the cast. Director/writer Paul Anderson's dream was to get this film going since seeing 'Predator 2' and the Dark Horse comics about such a confrontation. Hardly any different from any other fan-boy reaction over the years. The only element he added was explaining away the Aztec and other ritual pyramids as being a product of the predators controlling primitive human culture. Anderson's interest in Von Daniken is a bit dorky and just hope that was just a frame of reference than a total belief. One thing that is a puzzle is that the number of adult aliens is dependent on the number of hosts available. It might be my mathematics but there were far too many adult aliens in the past as there are in this current time.
Anyway, the story. Weyland's company detect a heat source in the Antarctic and a team is formed, lead by its director, to go in see what it is, having got some interesting thermal photos. The predators are coming back for their rite of passage and open up an access tunnel prior to landing. The same tunnel that Weyland's team use to discover the pyramid temple and inadvertently activate the mechanism that accelerates the mother alien's revival and egg breeding program. It's then a race to see who survives to the end of the film.
The special effects are flawless and incredible well done and this is complimented by the second DVD showing how its done which is also a real labour of love. The real problem within the film is the lack of emotional content to feel for the characters. Most of them are only given cameo personalities because they aren't going to last very long. Directors are generally selected for their graphic and visual sense than their ability to write words. Those that show greater dialogue sense tend to have started off as scriptwriters in the first place. It would have been interesting and might have made for a sharper film if a character scriptwriter had tweaked this aspect of the film up on the overall plot.
This film is bound to be a success on the Predator homeworld as it's really about them. You end up rooting more for the predators than the humans. However, as this film is being shown on Earth, this neglect tends to show too much. The humans end up being too incidental to the plot. By the way, if you want to become involved in such expeditions, ensure your career move is either scientist or military but it doesn't mean you'll get out alive or become cannonfodder.
From a continuity point of view, this story is suppose to take place 6 years after 'Predator 2'. The mothercraft is a lot larger than that vessel. Considering how humans look the easy target, it does make you wonder why the Earthers are seen as the more difficult target. Whether this will mean a sequel to this film is debatable. If it does, one can only hope for a bit more pizzazz than shown here. Scripts are important, too.
GF Willmetts
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