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You've seen it in the cinema, now get to watch it at home! The iconic monsters from the two franchises battle each other on Earth for the first time on film, as they have in t
The story is a simple one: a group of specialists is invited by a wealthy philanthropist to travel to a remote Antarctic island where a strange structure was discovered through satellite imagery, two thousand feet below the ice. When they get there, the group of scientists discover that they're in a secret hunting ground where evil creatures battle to the death. The humans try to escape with their lives.
It certainly helps to have seen the other movies in the Predator and Alien series, because they use the same conventions. Aliens need hosts to reproduce, Predators have three modes of special vision, Aliens bleed acid, Predators have nuclear bombs on their wrists, and so on. It's not like you'll miss any major plot points, and you'll certainly get the gist, but if you know the players coming in, it'll be more fun to watch.
There are a number of human characters which we meet before things get nasty. There's the Italian archaeologist (Raoul Bova), the chemical engineer (Ewen Bremner), the arctic guide (Sanaa Lathan), the paramilitary dude (Tommy Flanagan), and the rich benefactor (Lance Henriksen) who made his money in the robotics industry. There are several others, too, so you know there will be some good eatin' for the Aliens. Lathan gives the strongest performance, and she somehow manages to avoid becoming a second-rate Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) from the Alien movies.
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The fights between Alien and Predator are great to see, and feature a lot of memorable moments. The only problem is that the dark setting makes some of the best parts of the movie too difficult to tell exactly what's happening. This is certainly true for the first Alien / Predator slugfest, where two grayish-blackish blobs are rolling around for several minutes. The action is easier to see later on, so don't get discouraged.
Writer / director Paul W. S. Anderson does a good job of remaining faithful to both series. He previously directed Mortal Kombat, Soldier, and Resident Evil, so he's got a flair for this kind of flick. Both the Alien and Predator series rely heavily on suspense, cool effects, and a hunter-and-prey atmosphere, all of which work well here.
The creatures all look great. It's clearly a combination of puppetry and computer graphics, so even though there are a few shots that aren't entirely realistic, it's definitely above average overall.
Last updated: Tuesday, 26th May 2020 @ 8:44 BST
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