So... I'm going to start this review off with a little bit of a gripe.

Where is my R-rated/Unrated Director's Cut?! Huh, where is it Fox? I know it exists, I read the interviews with Paul W.S. Anderson (director) and how he had to cut his film down to a PG-13 at the last moment for the theatrical release. Honestly, the only reason that I wasn't too disappointed when I watched it in theater was because I had the unrated DVD to look forward too. So, I ask again, where is it?

I keep up with DVD news more than anyone should so I generally know when another version is in the works even before the first one is released. There have been many other movies that released both versions at the same time (theatrical and unrated) like Riddick, Anchorman, Dawn of the Dead (2004), Eurotrip and so on. I think that is the polite way to do things rather than release one version while sitting on the version that all the fans want just to turn a quick buck. That is lame, plain and simple.

Another thing that surprises me is that in recent interviews with Paul Anderson when he was talking about the DVD release he never even acknowledges that there is another version that will be released eventually. That bothers me because I think he is being kept quiet about it. Anyway, rant over and off to the review.

I don't mind Anderson movies. Some people downright despise him. I don't see why really. He gave us Event Horizon, which is wonderfully gory and it has a nifty story to boot. Let's not talk too much about Mortal Kombat. Sure I loved it as a kid but hell it doesn't quite interest me any longer. It's just cheesy and dumb. Maybe that's reason enough to like it but not for me. Then we have Soldier which I think is underrated. Not his best but it was a fun watch. Resident Evil, it's a fun zombie flick but it should not have been called Resident Evil. Hell no! It was an insult to the game series. I love the Resident Evil games. They are without a doubt my favorite of ALL games period. The movie was missing what makes the games amazing: ATMOSPHERE. The games are dark and creepy, nice and slow, but perfectly paced. His version was like a premature ejaculation and that's all I have to say about that.

Alien vs. Predator is… well, it isn't great nor is it awful. AVP is an improvement from his other movies. You can really tell that he truly is getting better. He paced himself more at the beginning. It builds nicely and the cinematography is a beautiful 2.35:1, which is the aspect that I live for (as well as 2.40:1). Mainly some of the things that I was disappointed with should hopefully be fixed with the Director's cut.

I don't like to go into too much detail of the story/plot to movies really. I prefer for people to maybe take a look at the bad and good (in my opinion), then just watch and make up their mind for themselves. But here's the gist of the story. Basically Weyland's company finds a temple via thermal imaging satellites under the ice in Antarctica. He hires a crew (best of the best of the best garbage). They set out for Antarctica before someone else picks up the thermal imaging. Enter a little predator and alien action and you have the movie. Is it that simple? Yes it is. Does that make it bad? No, but it also doesn't make it all that it could have been.

Here are some of the things I'm unhappy with and then we'll get into the goods.

I was disappointed that Peter Weller's part as Yutani got cut from the movie. He got cast in the movie right? I saw it posted all over the place online… umm, where did he go?

The fights, what happened? It cuts away from all the gore. That is lame, dumb and retarded, thank you PG-13.

The character development is better than he usually does but a lot of it feels so forced and unnatural, that pisses me off. Either do it right or just don't even bother. Then you can go back to doing stuff like Resident Evil (provided that you change the name). Anyway, one example is when Graeme (Ewen Bremner) is speaking with Alexa (Sanaa Lathan) in the helicopter ride to the site where the AVP action happens. Now don't get me wrong Ewen is a great and wonderful actor but the lines he is given to deliver are not good here. He shows her a picture of his sons and I'm thinking to myself, 'Wow this shit is so forced.' I knew exactly why they did it; they want the audience to relate to him and create a bond. You see it in every other movie but here it just seemed so unnatural. Maybe it's just me.

Why are the predators kind of wimpy when it comes to fighting the aliens? All except for the one badass (you'll see what I'm talking about). He was amazing. The movie is basically saying that a predator is nothing without his weapon. And secondly, why do the aliens movie 'that' quick. Don't get me wrong it looks amazing and it makes them even more of a contender but they never were like that before. Again, the alien continuity is off. If they moved that fast in 'Aliens' then the marines would not have stood a chance. I'm sure if 'Aliens' had been made today then maybe they probably would have moved like that thanks to the aid of CG.

And the biggest one… Why in the hell is the alien life cycle speed up so rapidly?? Why? It makes absolutely no sense. Here's an idea, simply have another team discover it at the beginning and they get attacked. Fade to black. Days later this team gets there, the aliens are fully grown now and woo bam that's it. Is some alien continuity a little too much to ask for? There is one other issue with the life cycle but I don't want to discuss it because I don't like to spoil anything period. It has to do with the final moments of the film. Just watch and you will see.

The good? I know it seems like there isn't room for any but there is actually plenty to be had really

Lance Henriksen anyone? I love him. He's amazing, he will always be amazing. I love that his middle name in the movie is Bishop. I love the thing that he does with the knife when he's sitting at his desk. It's the simple things in life. I wish he would do more. I would love to see him in more mainstream movies so more people can enjoy him.

The CG is actually really great. Really it is. I was so surprised. I know that in a few interviews that I had read with Anderson he said he wanted to relay more on puppets and such rather than CG. I know there is still quite a bit used in the movie but honestly it looks fabulous. Better than Episode I garbage. But then again what isn't better than that?

The actual alien on predator action was great. What little there was anyway. To be honest there is only one great fight scene between an alien and predator. It's fun while it lasts, moments of the burly predator smashing the alien into stone walls and watching them get demolished is a wonderful site to be seen. I sound like a broken record but here's hoping for more of the avp action in a Director's cut.

The so called extended beginning is really short and really pointless. It's in 1904 and it just shows a dude in the whaling station running, looking scared and then we see the predator in cloaking form and then it cuts. Ooooooh, ahhhhh, whatever.

The deleted scenes are all throw away (well except one, I guess). There are only 3. The third one, 'predator humor', should have been left in. It's so short but pretty cool.

I just watched Predator 2 again just a few minutes ago (I hadn't seen it in a couple of years) and it really is violent as hell. Come to think of it, all the Alien and Predator movies are. Why isn't AVP? I just hope the Director's cut is a little more faithful to the two franchises in that aspect. Is that too much to ask? I think not.

Don't get my review wrong, I loved this movie. It was fun, the action was great (although watered down) and the cinematography was beautiful. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did. My only hope is that whoever gets to do the next one, whether it be Anderson again or whoever, please just take your time, watch the classics again and be faithful to the mythologies that have been so carefully thought out and created.

-jeremiah-
 

Directed by: Paul W.S. Anderson   Written By: Paul W.S. Anderson Dan O'Bannon Ronald Shusett   Cast: Sanaa Lathan Lance Henriksen Raoul Bova Ewen Bremner Colin Salmon Tommy Flanagan

DVD Features: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35 Dolby 5.1 Surround Sound Spanish Audio Track French Audio Track Commentary: Paul W.S. Anderson, Lance Henriksne, Sanaa Lathan Commentary: Visual Effects Supervisor, Creature Effects Creators Deleted Scenes Making Of Featurette Dark Horse Comics AVP Cover Gallery Extended Opening