The special effects are great, the battles are big-time, and the dialogue isn't as awful as it sometimes gets in films like this.
Overall, "Alien vs. Predator" isn't nearly as bad as people have complained. The special effects are great, the battles are big-time, the dialogue isn't as awful as it sometimes gets in films like this, and there's just enough of a plot-twist to revive our interest at about the time that those battles start to get old . . . or confusing. But it's true that we don't care about the characters as much as we should, and given the DVD Town system, it's not an easy call. Is it a bad film? Nope, so that rules out a 3. Is it a less than mediocre film, perhaps offensive, clumsy, or just plain dull? It's not dull, so that rules out a 4. Is it a common, run-of-the-mill film with as many or more weaknesses as strengths? Probably. But when you watch it with a young person--someone who never saw the first "Alien" or "Predator"--and you see it through their eyes, it's as entertaining as anything you remember from your own childhood. Despite all the flaws, it is cool. And maybe that's enough to elevate it to a 6--a passably decent film, but not one to get too excited about.
Video:
Okay, you hope for a great picture on something like this, and you get it. Lots of scenes happen in a bluish caste or dark circumstances, and there's a wonderful amount of detail to be seen, even in the darkest corners. The 1080p HD resolution (2.35:1 aspect ratio) picture was transferred to 50-gig dual-layer disc using MPEG-2 technology at 18 MBPS. And it looks fantastic.
Audio:
The sound is English DTS HD 5.1 master lossless, with additional 5.1 Dolby Digital options in Spanish and French and subtitles in English (CC) and Spanish. As with the video, the audio is excellent. The timbre is scare-the-bejesus-out-of-you bright and clear, with a full and robust bass thumping your floorboards.
Extras:
BOTH the theatrical version and the superior unrated extended version of the movie are included here, but don't waste your time on the theatrical version. The extended version adds several scenes that flesh out the characters and situation a bit more, and that's a plus. There's a pop-up trivia track that's pretty standard but still enjoyable, and two commentaries available (unfortunately) on the theatrical version only-one with director Anderson and actors Henriksen and Lathan, and the other with the visual effects supervisor and creature effects designers/creators. Both are actually quite good, with not much dead air and enough interesting observations or behind-the-scenes stories to make them entertaining and informative. Rounding out the extras is the theatrical trailer (in Hi-Def), and this disc is "enhanced for D-Box Motion Control Systems," which I can't tell you a thing about, except to repeat the feature.
Bottom Line:
"Alien vs. Predator" was nominated for a Razzie as the worst remake or sequel, and part of the criticism has been that there's no element of surprise anymore because you know the gimmick of what each sci-fi creature does. In fairness, had director Anderson messed with the creatures to have them do additional things, there would have been hell to pay. It was a no-win situation, with great expectations setting audiences up for a huge disappointment. But here's something to consider: Andersen quit as director on two projects--"Resident Evil: Apocalypse" and "Mortal Kombat: Devastation"--in order to write and direct "AVP." When you compare "Alien vs. Predator" to those two films, it really starts to look pretty good. Relatively speaking.
Average user rating (1-5):
[release]20323[/release]