So. Fans of the Alien and Predator films were tantalized with the idea of a knock down drag out between the two baddest alien species in the whole known imaginary universe when they spied an Alien skull on a Predator ship in Predator 2. Dark Horse Comics picked up that ball and ran with it, spawning a lucrative comic and novel franchise. For years, there were rumors and rumors of rumors- the movie is being made, no it's not, it's off, it's back on…

And so it came to pass, after all the rumors, after all the hype, after all the waiting, fans were finally given what they had so desperately wanted for so many years- an Alien versus Predator movie.

Considering the source materials, Alien vs. Predator should have been an incredible film. All of the elements were there- the nightmarish, insect like Aliens, the cunning and methodical Predators, in a battle royal featuring massive amounts of carnage, human and non-human alike, and lots of stuff getting blown up real good.

What we actually got was an enjoyable, if extremely watered down, version of what we all had in mind.

I am not going to delve into an in depth review of the movie here. That has already been done here, on this very site. What I will say is that AvP, while being a disappointment in many respects to hardcore fans of either/both series’, is in and of itself not a bad way to spend approximately 100 minutes of your time if you are in the mood for some mindless action. There are some clever “historical” facts in the film, with regard to alien (in this case, Predator) intervention in early human affairs, and the special effects are top notch. Lance Henriksen is in there, which is always good to see. And Sanaa Lathan is a hottie. I watch this movie and sometimes, I nearly weep as I consider what might have been. Say, for instance, if James Cameron had gotten his mitts on this movie. I think Fox made one of most colossal mistakes in the history of all of history when they decided to turn out the version of this movie that they did, but I do have to give them props for even making it at all. Hopefully, someone over there really understands how much value AvP could have if handled correctly, and is working to get a “proper” AvP film (sequel or reimagined version) made.

As for the UMD version of the movie, this is the theatrical version, not the director’s cut, so that is a bit disappointing. Quality wise, I am sure I don’t need to say it, but I will- this version looks great, and sounds great. There are a few audio and subtitle options to be found, but as this is a UMD, special features are scarce. However, what they did add is very cool indeed- previews of the UMD Alien (coming soon) and Predator (available now) releases. What makes these cool is that they are the original theatrical trailers, not some super duper remastered junk. Watching the original Alien “in space, no one can hear you scream” trailer in the dark with the PSP screen up in your face and headphones on is just as creepy as it was when it was brand new. And the Predator trailer is just as cheesy as when it was new, no matter how you watch it. (Yes, I do love the original Predator- and yes, I am willing to admit that it is cheesy.)

So there you have Alien vs. Predator. It’s a mildly entertaining movie, but a very good UMD release. Buy it; enjoy it for what it is.

-Ed-