Monday, August 23, 2004

Alien Vs. Predator ***
Cast: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewan Bremner, Colin Salmon, Tommy Flanagan, Joseph Rye
Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Running Length: 1:30
MPAA Classification: PG-13

AVP is a movie that has been in the making for a long time. Ever since an alien head showed up in "Predator 2", fans have been craving this match up. Now it is finally here, but do fans get what they have been waiting for? Yes, and no.

The discovery of pyramid in Antarctica prompts Charles Bishop Weyland (Henriksen) to mount an expidition there. When his team enters the pyramid, they set off sensors that seal off the pyramid and set the wall into motion. Quickly they discover alien eggs that begin to open and predators that are looking for some aliens to hunt. It seems that this temple is used every 100 years as a rite of passage for the predators. Now, the humans are caught in the middle and must choose a side if they want to have any hope of getting out alive.

AVP does deliver some good battles between the aliens and the predators, but even the best of them suffer from what is my biggest complaint with this movie. The director and producers have taken two R-rated franchises and joined them up into a PG-13 battle royale. The only possible reason to deliver a PG-13 movie is to get a lot of teenagers into the audience, and it is a shame that this movie is watered down because of it. The mythology of the two creatures is changed a bit for the movie, but that did not bother me. The actors did serviceable jobs, but they are not why you would go see AVP. Better than last year's "Freddy Vs. Jason", AVP is worth checking out for those seeking a good monster match up.

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