AvP (SPOILERS!)

Yup....I lost....I lost my money (or would have if it wasnt free) and my dinner as it was so f-ing bad.

First off, Im starting to think that the only only thing that can kill an Alien is a woman..why...yup pretty much how it ends. Not to mention that she teams up with the Predator and are running away from them in the truest Jerry Bruckheimer fasion...and it wasnt a Bruckheimer film! Now I know that the teaming up of the woman and the Predator is a homage to the comic, but you know what...doesnt go well in the film

OK...lets see. The title..Alien vs Predator...to me this would elude to a nice grudge match all out brawl between the two...and for a few scenes we actually do see the two fight. I mean was it cool....sure it was...but it took 50 f-ing minutes into the film (more than halfway through it!)

There were a few pretty cool little scenes here and there. A cross section sliced away of an Alien, a Predator snaping the neck of a chest burster.

But if you go...count the number of humans in the film...then count the number of aliens...now from before its always been 1 alien per host. Not so much in this film, the aliens seemed to outnumber the humans by a factor of oh..I dont know...10?

The only thing that made this film fun, was my one friend and I ripping on it in true MST3K fashion. Now, I dont normally talk in movies...actually I hate when people talk, but there was so much talking going on from the audience as well as the screen (and it was suppossed to be a fight movie), I didnt think it was a problem..it just lets me know that the movie sucked.

Lets see...what else. Oh yes, near the end as they (woman and Predator) are riding a sled on a winch up 2000 ft and outrun a fireball...ala Millenium Falcon out of the Death Star...I swore I could hear Lando whooping it up as the exited the tunnel.

I could go on....but I think I will stop now. In short....it sucked. I kind of had this feeling that it may suck....but I didnt think it would be this bad.

Bad...bad...movie.....ick

 

While I found some bad parts, I didn't hate it. There were enough movie and comic book references to keep me entertained.

And my non-spoiler is if you ever read the very first AvP comic then you're going to see MANY similarites between that story and the movie. So many that Dark Horse comics should have gotten a reference or even a thank you (which I didn't see, but also wasn't watching for it either). The writer of that comic should have been given a credit.

 

One thump up and one thumb down from me. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it. I went expecting a fight movie and that's what I got. I am pissed at the fight scenes, the camera was too close and I couldn't see jack squat.

I am majorly dissappointed, but that's what you get when you higher a director like Paul.

 

Plot holes you could drive a truck through, but that's not why you see a movie like this.


I agree with Jon, the fight scenes were poorly filmed. But the movie was kind of fun. I wouldn't recommend seeing it in the theaters, but if you wanted to rent it, I say go for it.

 

Also, they totally screwed with continuity and set facts of the Aliens/Predator Expanded Universe (and regular movie universe).

 

I was very pleased with AVP! Sure there were some things that were kinda hokey...but come on we all paid to watch the rumble!

There were many of the classic moments from BOTH movie series: small awkward shaped tunnels that ALIENS like to stalk around, the guy sticking to the wall...begging to die...as the alien jumps out of him, PREDATORS hanging their kills like trophies, PREDATOR setting off massive nuclear blast...and the "RUN FORREST RUN!", the Predator has to remove his mask, and the hidden PREDATORS (including the really cool older leader) come to take the fallen warrior away.

The best part was after each of the fight scenes, each creature had their own "cheering section" at the 7:30 Valleyview...Predator fans were in the majority. And OMG...the fights were fantastic. Everyone loved Scott's "anime" moment, and when the Predator took on the Alien Queen. I love the new weapons these guys carry around (or new versions of old favorites) kinda like Bond gadgets) BTW...PREDATORS rule!!!

I am pissed at the fight scenes, the camera was too close and I couldn't see jack squat.
What did you expect? One of the things that made these creatures so scary was that you never really got to see much of them. The dumbest shot I thought was when the girl and the Predator were running from the blast (in slow motion) it looked like a 70's cop TV series!

I'd never followed any of the Predator/Aliens EU, but I thought the backstory (about the temple and humanity in general) was a neat way to tie all the loose ends.

 

One of the things that made these creatures so scary was that you never really got to see much of them.
Yes, but you knew what you were seeing "Oh!!! That's just the tip of the Aliens head." "Oh! That was just a quick glimpse of the Alien hanging from the chains upsideown". AVP was like "What was that? I don't know" "Was that his head, I( can't tell... I CAN'T SEE WHO'S HITTING WHO!!"

I'd never followed any of the Predator/Aliens EU

I for one do, and I must say this movie throws that out the window and do their own thing..."Screw continuity and cannon" is probably what they said.

 

Yeah well The damn movies did that too. Look at the old Dark Horse comics that showed Ripley and Newt and Hicks SURVIVING and making it back to Earth! Yeah I'm still bitter about A3.

And George Lucas does it all the time too with the comics!

But I really liked the film! It was fun! It lived up to my expectations. Granted I lowered my expectations just because of the director. But at least IMO he meet those.

 

the old Dark Horse comics that showed Ripley and Newt and Hicks SURVIVING and making it back to Earth! Yeah I'm still bitter about A3.

Alien 3 pretty much ruins the whole Alien series for me. I hate it when they kill kids. I don't care about what you do to adult characters, but don't kill a kid character! All they needed to do is add a short scene at the beginning of A3 where they drop Newt off on another planet. Then they could move on and crash on the prison planet.

 

Wow. Once again REBO1971 and I don't agree. They killed off Newt AND Hicks to make Ripley the alien! Get it? Alien 3? There were 3 aliens in that movie. The one that came from the dog, the one that was in Ripley, and Ripley herself. That was the point. And why can't they kill a kid? Happens all the time in real life. More so than we'd like. But it happens. It's a tragedy. And it worked in the movie. Ripley finally gets to be the mother she wanted to be and that gets taken away from her just like everything else. She literally has NOTHING left to live for and the Aliens are responsible for losing it all. So when she dives into the molten lead, she has no regrets and is almost happy to be taking a Queen with her when she goes.

I've enjoyed all the Aliens movies (2 being the best) which includes AvP.

 

Wow. Once again REBO1971 and I don't agree.

That's what makes life interesting-differences of opinion and friendly debates!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And why can't they kill a kid? Happens all the time in real life. More so than we'd like.

Exactly why I disliked it so much. For me, movies are escapism. When I am watching a movie, I do not want to be reminded of real life. I do not want to think about paying the bills, looking for a job, death, illness, etc. I want to be transported to an imaginary world where the good guys beat the bad guys, love is forever, and happy endings can be expected. Call it simplistic, but movies are my stress reliever from the stresses of daily life. So for me, do not kill a child character in the movies!

 

I enjoy a good popcorn movie as much as the next guy, but they can't all be eye-candy. I need the thinking movies. I need to movies I have to pay attention to. Makes me appreciate "films" as much as "movies". And yes, there is a difference.

A good movie, just like a good book, is supposed to get an emotional response. If you're upset about a child dying in a movie then they have done their job.

 

I need the thinking movies. I need to movies I have to pay attention to.
No doubt...but is AVP the time and place to be looking for a "thinking movie?" I mean I went to AVP, because I wanted to see them beat the crap out of each other...mission accomplished! Anything else is good, but not my reason for going to see it.

I know which parts of the fight, you are talking about, were filmed too close to really see what is going on. As a director, I'd probably have done them the same way. You show too many WIDE shots, and it looks like 2 actors in costumes. A flash here and there, and all the sudden you have a little more mystery to the shots.

While nobody wants to see children hurt/die (except that darn "Zoom-Zoom" kid) I have to go with GrnJalera on Newt's departure from Alien3. Besides the obvious fact that there were a couple years in between movies, and the actress playing Newt would look much older, having her and Hicks killed off made it possible to have Ripley be all alone...but not really alone, as she's carrying the alien inside of her.

movies are my stress reliever from the stresses of daily life
I hear ya on that...but the thing is, some of the best movies to relieve stress are where the audience can relate with what is going on in the movie. And sometimes that means bad things happening to good people. Take for instance "Spiderman2"...I loved the scene where Peter Parker changes into Spiderman, to deliver those pizzas. You sit back, laugh a little and go, "man I could use something like that"

 

except that darn "Zoom-Zoom" kid

don't forget the "dude you're getting a dell" kid... close enouhg mentally...

-b-

 

I finally got to see this movie yesterday, and it was a lot of fun. I really enjoyed the fights between the Aiens and Predators and had no probelm with how they were filmed. Sometimes it is scarier and more effective visually when you do not see everything. I went in expecting some great fights, and I was not disappointed. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the Temple. There were so many references to the Alien and Predator mythology in the design of the Temple. From the sacrificial chamber, to the writings on the wall, secret chambers, etc.-it was a great set!!!!!!!!!!!!

I saw an interview with the effects team for AVP and they used very little Computer Effects. Most of the Aliens and Predators were costumes and props, which was very effective. As a co-worker of mine always says in reference to Star Wars, Greedo (a guy in costume) looks more "real" than Watto (computer generated).

 

While the costumed figures worked fine in close ups, there were a number of CGI shots in AVP (mainly the Aliens and Alien Queen) that just physically wouldn't be possible without CGI. Both techniques have their plus and minus sides.

Besides, Greedo (may be) > Watto...but Watto(CGI) > Gonzo(which is what a puppet version of Watto would look like)

 

YES YES YES! REAL LIFE THINGS LOOK MORE REAL THEN CGI! WHAT A CONCEPT!!! HELLO HOLLYWOOD!!! DID YOU HEAR THAT? CGI SUCKS!!

(soory, I have a thing with CGI overuse)