Alien Versus Predator

Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen...
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by Tom Working

AVP Sounds Like Something Akin To SARS

... But it isn't. It's the new Paul W.S. Anderson flick featuring two extraterrestrial species that probably didn't get any representation at that big-ass galactic Senate assembly scene in Phantom Menace. Dark Horse Comics was the first to draw the Predators and Aliens together in a apparently workable crossover universe -- the respective mythologies of the two really didn't conflict.

The film works. And it works because everyone onboard seemed to know what they were making -- a monster versus monster flick. In fact, Frankenstein Meets The Wolfman plays on a television in the background of one of the first scenes, giving a nod to the late greats. Our only recent precedent for this had been Freddy Vs. Jason and that turned out surprisingly well. AVP is equal to the task of amalgamating two similar films in the same genre and offering weird fanboys what they've been dreaming of for nearly two generations: two... fictional monsters... fighting. Now that it's over, there really isn't much reason to live. Geeks everywhere can now die with a fulfilled life, upon their "Slave-1" replica beds and snugly clutching their plush Klingon Batlifs. Purists of each respective film franchise will need additional wet nurses.

Go see it. It was more a Predator film than an Alien film, but then... what'd you expect? The Giger-inspired Aliens are essentially very large and quite lethal ants. The Predator species are... that curious sci-fi breed of alien that is both a technologically advanced species and exceedingly brutal. Two creatures at either end of the spectrum of smart but both as lethal. Mark AVP as the second competently done crossover versus film in recent monster movie history. Like Freddy Versus Jason, a chunk of the movie is required to explain and allow for the crossover, and yet the suspense was kept in place. The filmmakers didn't forget they were still making a monster movie, scares and terrifying revelation and all.

Will this herald an era of "versus" movies? And will all of them be as good as AVP and Freddy Versus Jason? I'm not sure. I only ask that they never ever make a Freddy Versus Predator movie.