Reviewed by John Barker © 2004
- Don't be deceived -- get out of cinema quick!

            Hollywood has recently turned to hybridity, Freddy Vs Jason was celluloid cellulite. Earlier this year we had to deal with the mind-numbing combination of Dracula Vs Wolfman Vs Frankenstein’s monster in the messy Van Helsing, and so it comes as no surprise that this high concept film has exploded through the chest of Fox Studios.

            Alien Vs Predator is the latest spawn of computer game film-maker Paul W.S Anderson, who in the past has adapted both Mortal Kombat and Resident Evil with truly terrifying effect. While his newest film is also inspired by a comic book, or should I say graphic novel, the influence of video games is clear for all to see in the fetishistic shots of the pyramid that the characters inhabit. This resembles any number of video game level maps and also appeared in his earlier film Resident Evil monstrosity.

            The monster mash of the snappily abbreviated AVP sees the two intergalactic species fight in an ancient ritual, as the rasta-laden Predators reach maturity after claiming an Alien scalp. It’s all very alpha-male machismo. Unfortunately, this centurion scrap between the two races is gate-crashed by a bunch of curious scientists and archaeologists, who believe they have uncovered the first ever pyramid.

            Rejoining the Alien and Predator saga for this prequel is Lance Hendrikson. Reprising his role as Bishop, he is the only reminance of the earlier film’s space-aged solidarity. Still, the Alien saga’s concentration on strong female lead is embodied in the form of Lex Wood (Sanaa Lathan), who is feisty in the action sequences, but when faced with the less than challenging dialogue of Anderson’s script she just looks…well… a little alien.

            The only other performance of note is Ewen Bremner. His turn as quirky scientist Graham Miller is fuelled by the earlier characterisation of Spud in Trainspotting, as his gibbering, sweaty, and idiosyncratic boffin is a potato-peeled version of his character in Danny Boyle’s 1996 cold-turkey smash.  

            Some viewers may even consider Spud’s self-medication as an alluring alternative to watching dross like AVP, as the tone is completely unbalanced. Switching from tongue-in-cheek extravagance to super-serious mythologizing in the flick of an eye-lid is hard to digest and even the audience pulling power of the two beasts fighting is slightly less than impressive. While these action sequences do raise the heartbeat above normal levels some of the camera coverage is obstructive and frustrating for viewers dying to see this extra-terrestrial tussle.

            Overall, the results are mixed and hopefully a sequel will indulge more on the ideas present in the melding of these two science-fiction stalwarts. Also, this cross-breed endeavour will probably produce even more movie concoctions, including Woody Allen Vs Darth Vader, The Lion King Vs Hannibal Lector, and home-grown brit-hit Gary Glitter Vs Wacko Jacko in the Battle of the Paedophiles. This is all just conjecture at the moment, but could become a reality if studio’s continue to dredge up ideas like Alien Vs Predator from the cinematic canal of despair.