Alien Vs. Predator | ||||
Paul W.S. Anderson Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremner, Colin Salmon, Tommy Flanagan, Joseph Rye, Agathe De La Boulaye, Carsten Norgaard, Sam Troughton 2004 |
With Paul W.S. Anderson writing and directing "Alien Vs. Predator," 20th Century Fox got what they paid for: a crass combo of two lucrative film franchises owned by the studio. The poor audience gets a contrived, special-effected battle between dreadlocked, fang-faced interstellar warriors and voracious, pitiless killing machines, with mankind in the middle. Anderson, who made the outer-space gore-fest "Event Horizon" and the monster-mash "Resident Evil," specializes in video games masquerading as action movies. The trend continues with "AVP." It's part sequel, set after "Predator"; part prequel, set before "Alien"; and a total throwaway, disregarding established continuity. At best, it's a predictable kill-fest, cannibalizing numerous sci-fi blockbusters of the recent past. Even with input from "Alien" creator Dan O'Bannon, the script is all convoluted exposition, groan-inducing clichés and witless banter. Centuries ago, the predators of "AVP" decided to use Earth as an alien hunting preserve with humans as hatching vessels for the prey. In our near future, a scientific expedition is lured to a weird buried pyramid in Antarctica, but it's a trap set to enable the grisly alien spawning process. Mindless mayhem ensnares Sanaa Lathan as the brave heroine, Lance Henriksen as the zillionaire who finances the mission, and Ewen Bremner and Raoul Bova as alien chow. Just keep it off the audition reel, guys | |||
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