Dirk V
Reviewer

      In the first 10 minutes of “Alien vs. Predator”, “Frankenstein vs. The Wolfman” is playing on a TV. Unlike that classic pitting two staples of horror films against each other, “Alien vs. Predator” is never able to distance itself from preceding films in the series, or even other crossovers.
 
      “Freddy vs. Jason” was the last film to attempt pitting two horror icons against each other. It acknowledged previous films in the series but was able to craft its own story and stand apart from the other movies. “Alien vs. Predator”, however, attempts to stand alone from the previous “Alien” and “Predator” films without acknowledging its predecessors. There is only one reference to the previous “Alien” films: Lance Henricksen plays a robotic engineer called Charles Bishop Weyland, a reference to his robotic role as Bishop in “Aliens” and “Alien 3”, and I was unable to notice a single reference to previous “Predator” films.
 
      Even though it does not make references to earlier films, “Alien vs. Predator” is still entertaining. There is plenty of action and the special effects are great. As would be expected from an action film, though, there is not much plot.
 
      A team of scientists is assembled by Weyland to investigate a mysterious pyramid found in the Antarctic. When the team gets there, they discover a temple combining architectural elements of Aztec, Egyptian and Tibetan cultures. They also discover the temple is used by predators as a form of ritual training. The predators have been coming to Earth for thousands of years to hunt aliens in these temples, and they showed these cultures how to build them. Essentially, the filmmakers are saying predators helped create Earth society. The team gets caught in the crossfire between the hunters and the hunted and must try and survive.
 
      Overall, the plot is weak. None of the characters are really developed and the background story is a stretch. The lack of plot could have been overlooked, but the script attempted to balance plot and action in a futile attempt resulting in a weak script. If there had been more of a showdown between the predators and aliens, “Aliens vs. Predator” may have been a bit more enjoyable.
 
      Acting is not a reason to see this movie. Sanaa Lathan (“Love & Basketball”) is Alexa Woods, the main character hired to guide the team, and does the bulk of the acting in the film. Although a bit overly dramatic at times, she gives a performance worthy of this film. Her action sequences in this film, however, are stellar and could land her more action roles. The rest of the characters are bit players and do not get significant screen time.
 
      Even with its shortcomings, “Alien vs. Predator” is still entertaining. It is still better than “Alien 3”, “Alien: Resurrection” and “Predator 2”. Fans of the franchises may have wanted to see a bit more action between the predators and aliens, but they can still come away having seen some good action between the two.