The Alien series and the Predator franchise each have a dedicated base that will show up at the box office when either property releases a new installment. Not surprisingly, viewers turned out in droves when, 21 years ago today, the two came together for a mashup of what might have been epic proportions. Although Alien vs. Predator (AvP) was a major financial success, it generated plenty of controversy, frustrating many fans and failing to win over critics. The crossover film made waves for disregarding established lore and watering down the source material for a commercially friendly PG-13 rating. Not to mention, this maligned offering also caught heat for largely prioritizing kill scenes over character development.
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With all that said, this divisive flick has at least a handful of fans who have managed to see past what doesn’t work and appreciate what does. Even still, the overarching consensus suggests that Alien vs. Predator is something of a misguided dud that never really finds its footing. In honor of the film’s release date anniversary, we’ll be taking a look back on where it goes wrong (as well as what it gets right).
This unhinged effort unfolds during an archeological expedition and follows a crack team of scientists who quickly learn that they are caught between the titular species, who are at odds with one another and determined to duke it out in violent fashion.
Alien vs. Predator Is Flashy Spectacle (That Largely Fails to Meet Expectations)
It almost feels like this flick was doomed from the start. All of the Alien movies sport an R-rating, and so do all of the Predator pictures. On that basis, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Alien vs. Predator would follow suit and deliver not just an R-rated spectacle, but a hard, boundary-pushing R-rated spectacle. Unfortunately, the suits at 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) had different ideas. They seemingly wanted to take two beloved IPs and leverage their marketability while appealing to a wider audience. That decision makes a certain amount of financial sense, and it even resulted in an impressive take at the box office. $177.4 million to be precise. However, they largely alienated (no pun intended) both fanbases in the process.
While Alien vs. Predator probably deserves a level of credit for featuring plenty of onscreen kills, each sendoff is lacking the viscera for which each of the respective franchises is so well known. Worse yet, the film introduces a sizable cast of largely underdeveloped human characters, only to systematically kill them off when the titular creatures arrive on the scene.
Fans also took issue with the timeline. The film is set in 2004 and establishes that xenomorphs have long been used as a hunting tool by predators. That assertion contradicts the events of Alien, which sees the cast discovering what appears to be one of the very first xenomorph sightings in 2122. That seems like a particularly bold move for a film catering to the respective fanbases. Setting AVP further into the future would have gone a long way toward making the chronology less distracting.
Additionally, some of the film’s vocal detractors have taken care to point out that the flick often places style over substance. Many have posited that writer/director Paul W. S. Anderson seems content to eschew a cohesive narrative in favor of flashy visuals.
With all that said, the film isn’t entirely without merit. Even the picture’s most staunch detractors have to give this crossover event credit for the brilliant scene where environmental technician Lex (Sanaa Lathan) uses a detached xenomorph head as a shield. That sequence is both epic and inventive!
Fans who connect with the flick also argue that this is a spectacle not meant to be taken too seriously. So, if you view the film through that lens, you will likely get more bang for your buck than if you go in expecting perfection.
On the whole, Alien vs. Predator is a controversial effort that divided fans, with more coming out against it than in favor. The PG-13 rating surely didn’t help matters, nor did the lack of character development. Even still, there are a few standout moments that make this movie worth checking out at least once.
If you’re keen to do so, you can stream Alien vs. Predator on Disney+ and Hulu. You can also check out new episodes of the celebrated series Alien: Earth on Hulu weekly. If you’re itching for even more Alien, Fede Alvarez is also hard at work on a sequel to Alien: Romulus.
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Image courtesy of Netflix
