Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10177 in DVD
• Released on: 2005-03-07
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: PAL, Widescreen
• Original language: English
• Subtitled in: French, Spanish
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 97 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In delivering non-18-rated excitement, Alien vs. Predator is an acceptably average science-fiction action thriller with some noteworthy highlights, even if it squanders its opportunity to intelligently combine two popular franchises. Rabid fans can justifiably ask "Is that all there is?" after a decade of development hell and eager anticipation, but we're compensated by reasonably logical connections to the Alien legacy and the still-kicking Predator franchise (which hinted at AVP rivalry at the end of Predator 2); some cleverly claustrophobic sets, tense atmosphere and impressive digital effects; and a climactic AVP smackdown that's not half bad. This disposable junk should've been better, but nobody who's seen Mortal Kombat or Resident Evil should be surprised by writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson's lack of imagination. As a brisk, 90-minute exercise in generic thrills, however, Anderson's work is occasionally impressive... right up to his shameless opening for yet another sequel. --Jeff Shannon

DVD Description
A team of scientists find themselves caught in the middle of a fight to the death between a group of Predators and Aliens - whoever wins, we loose.

Synopsis
When audiences caught a glimpse of an alien skull mounted in the trophy cabinet of a Predator in the 1990 film PREDATOR 2, it seemed a franchise was about to be born. Sure enough, comic book artists immediately seized on the possibilities suggested by the brief scene, and a number of skirmishes between the deadly foes were played out on the printed page. Fans have had to endure a lengthy wait for a cinematic match-up, but writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson (EVENT HORIZON) has finally delivered the blood-splattered goods in ALIEN VS. PREDATOR. Set in the near future, a team of archaeologists lead by Charles Wiedland (Lance Henriksen, returning for more ALIEN action after appearances in the second and third films) ventures towards an inexplicable hot zone detected in Antarctica. Joined by Alexa Woods (Sanaa Lathan) and the requisite amount of human fodder for the otherworldly creatures to feast on, Wiedland and his cohorts discover a sizeable underground pyramid. Chaos ensues as they awake the Queen alien from her blissful slumber, causing face-hugging and chest-bursting scenes aplenty. But the ailing crew has a further quandary to grapple with in the shape of some fearsome Predators, who are using the aliens as bait for their offspring to brawl with in an ancient initiation ritual. With the human team trapped in the labyrinth-like pyramid, the battle evolves into a nail-biting three-way tussle between the archaeologists and their extraterrestrial adversaries. Fans of both the ALIEN and PREDATOR movies should find much to satiate their appetites here, and with an ending suggesting further hostilities between the pernicious coupling, this one looks set to run and run.

Customer Reviews

Disappointing as franchise sequel, great fun as sci-fi actioner
If you forget that this is the continuation of two very successful franchises, and consider this as a graphic novel adaptation, then it is actually a bit more successful than people give it credit for.
In tone and spirit, this is much more of a Predator movie than an Alien movie - it is as an Alien movie this most disappoints. However, as Predator movie I would suggest this is better than Predator 2 was.
The plot is set in modern time, when a heat signature revealing a hidden pyramid under the ice is seen by satellite. The owner of the satellite, played by Lance Henrikson, brings together a team of archaeologists, biologists and `security' (the equivalent of Star Trek redshirts I guess) to investigate. What they find is a pyramid used by Predators to hunt the ultimate prey - the Alien.
The rest of the story is just bunkum, and don't think too hard about many of the continuity points because much of it does not quite work, but the action scenes are handled adequately, mostly by pilfering ideas from the previous movies and reproducing them in watered down form for characters we have not yet come to care about. Best original (-ish) idea was that the pyramid reconfigures every 10 minutes once activated, to add spice to the hunt and help split our characters up to be picked off one at a time.
Saana Lathan is no Sigourney Weaver, but a stronger character than one might expect from Paul W. S. Anderson (who also directed Mortal Kombat). Nice to see Colin Salmon, the English actor of several Brosnan era Bond movies, in another role - shame it wasn't in a better movie.
Overall, this is not a disaster as a movie given its rushed production and low bdget - but don't go in with any expectations of anything approaching even the worst of the Alien movies. Think of it as a so-so Predator sequel and you get the idea.
3 ½ stars - I'll opt for 3, because of the corny script at times.

It's very good...yet very bad at the same time.
Alien Vs Predator had so much potential, and could have been one of the greatest films of all time. The terrifying atmosphere of Alien, the fast paced action of Aliens, the sheer gore and violence of Predator, and (what could have been) breathtaking fights between two of the greatest movie monsters ever.

Instead, we get a predictable tale of mediocre acting and effects, strung together by a story very loosely based on AVP: Prey (an AVP comic and novel). Bascially, a hapless group of scientists, drillers and a 'guide' (who, may I point out, was not even needed afterall) travel to a deserted region in Alaska where an underground temple has been discovered. Little do they know, they have set off a chain reaction which will awaken the Xenomorph (or Alien, for the non-fans) terror and bring the Predators to earth for a rite of passage.

From the start, we can tell who will die and who will survive (as other reviewers have stated, the "These are my lovely sons/loving families" line is always the giveaway, while the strong, well-meaning, and all-round annoying lead female who is blatant Ripley-wannabe clearly has a long life ahead of her). Obviously, we would not care that much about the humans anyway, but such cardboard characters and poor acting is just unforgivable.

*Some spoilers*

The Aliens and Preds were done fairly well, though it is easy to see where the CGI kicks in. The fights, however, are a major dissapointment. We don't really see what's going on, and the Preds do some REALLY idiotic things (the 'greatest hunters in the universe' don't seem to be at all capable of hunting their way out of a paper bag). It's hard to root for the heroes of them film when two of them get ripped apart by a LONE alien one after another (remember, I love Aliens, but even I found this a little silly). The main Pred, Scar, is also depicted as quite weak. Unlike the badasses from Pred 1 and 2, this newbie is totally lost without his massive shoulder-gun.

The way some of the characters were immortal also annoyed me a bit. The lead female, Lex, was always just out of reach of all attacks from Alien and Pred alike (even when her comrades where slaughtered from much greater distances), and her attackers always seemed to conveniently stall right before they attack here (leaving themselves wide open to an attack from their rival species). And...I could have sworn Aliens have acidic blood? Well, I guess they just don't bleed when they're attacking a main character. The lead Pred also seemed to have luck on is side: unlike his ill-fated comrades, his weapons and armor are unaffected by the acidic blood of the aliens.

Though most of us were hoping for a 2 hour, R rated, ingeniously written gore-and-fight-fest with likeable characters, the actual film was possibly just about average, and it's various flaws may be overlooked by fans. Most adrenaline junkies and mild-thrill seekers will be entertained too.

Not too bad actually!
Lots and lots of people are giving this film bad reviews for many reasons. What they fail to understand is... 1. The directing is superb 2. The CGI is surprisingly very realistic 3. The atmosphere and settings are great

Its true, this is a good. Finally after years of waiting, I cant say i'm disappointed, its a great face-off movie that truly shows what the Aliens and predators are like when there battling. What struck me first about this movie was the excellent CGI. In normal circumstances, were used to seeing poor effects in films these days, but the effects in this film are ultra realistic, and had to be used to make scenes where the Aliens and Predators get flung through walls!

The dark and dull setting of the Aztec Pryamid is great and builds up tension and suspense well, combined with the good directing that reveals where the Aliens are lurking around. I have to say though, its the Aliens that really make this movie. The props are make them look as though there real, and the close camera shots of its acid-dripping mouth are cleverly done, and taken from this first Alien film, as many other little scenes have been taken from Predator and Alien films. The lack of blood and gore is a straight notice as well - I guess the reason being because of the movie people wanted to keep the age limit down (tut tut), and this is a problem you have noticed with Terminator 3, a 12? What were they thinking? A 12 year old won't have seen the previous Terminator films!

The way the characters combine with the Aliens and Predators is great. I have to say though, it was strange at first to see (spoiler) Sanna being helped by the Predator later in the film, and it even makes you feel sorry for the Predator (uh oh) when it dies at the end. the film length was also a bit odd. The extended version, available on the basic DVD is just 1 hour 26 minutes long, so how long the normal version is I would worry about..

But with these niggles aside, its good entertainment - less blood and gore as in the films Predator and Aliens admittedly, but you don't need that to make a good film like this, which is what many people have failed to pick up. I would say watch it if you've seen the Alien and Predator saga's, and you'll be entertained.