Author Topic: Watched Alien vs. Predator (Read 2801 times)

freedom lover · « **on:** August 22, 2009, 05:31:05 AM »

I watched Alien vs. Predator yesterday afternoon. I'd recommend it. The acting seemed top notch (I'm not a good judge of that) and the visual affects were absolutely perfect except for two extremely short shots and one background piece. They used alot of animatronics and miniatures. It looked very real.

The characters themselves were very well written and thought out. It was a shame to see most of them die. The action was cool. A few people get knocked back way too far, though. Human gore was nonexistant, just blood, though alien gore abounded.

It's meant as a prequel to the Alien movies. It also explains the culture of the predators. It was well paced but a little short. Lance Henriksen plays a rich entrepenuer, instead of an android. He started the corporation in the Alien films.

I've never watched the movies of either franchise. I'm not a horror fan and the Predator movies were before my time. Still, I recommend this movie. It's rated PG-13 and there is some swearing.

Ron · « **Reply #1 on:** August 22, 2009, 09:26:24 AM »

While I enjoyed A vs P for what it was it isn't even in the same class as the original Alien movie.

I recall thinking the second Alien movie was pretty good also.

Cromlech · « **Reply #2 on:** August 22, 2009, 10:06:31 AM »

I like AvP.

As for Alien and Aliens, yes the second of the two is also very good. Different than the first, in setting and in style (Ridley for No. 1, Cameron for No. 2).
The first is a great sci-fi horror.

Sindawe · « **Reply #3 on:** August 22, 2009, 12:35:59 PM »

Quote

The first is a great sci-fi horror.

Quoted for truth.

When I saw Alien for the first time at a cinema, one of my companians was so freaked out by the chest bursting sequence that he had to go smoke a cigarette in the vestabule to calm down.

I've enjoyed all of the Alien films, even the rather weak Alien Resuection which did though fall sorta flat in the story had some good acting by Sigorny "..I'm the monster's mother" Weaver and Ron "...Hey, I mostly just hurt people." Perlman.

AvP is fun romp and does a good job of continuing the themes about the Predators put forth in the earlier Predator films.

Standard horror films have little intesrest for me. Sci-Fi horror however is another matter, and a topic that is either ignored or handled badly by Hollywood.

Cromlech · « **Reply #4 on:** August 22, 2009, 02:07:55 PM »

I agree on that. I am not as fond of the third and fourth films, but I like the Alien(s) universe and theme.

I view Alien and Aliens in the same way I view The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement day. The first of each series is a Sci-Fi horror, with Alien being more of a 'Monster/Alien horror', and Terminator having a hefty dose of 'Action movie' pumped into it.
Both of their respective sequels have the big blockbuster action elements pumped into them, but unlike many sequels, they still ended up being great.

roo_ster · « **Reply #5 on:** August 22, 2009, 07:08:12 PM »

What everyone esle said abot the Alien franchise.

I'd rate them:
1, 2, 4, 3.

I think 4 is better than most folks do and I am not fond at all of 3.

Freedom Lover:

Do see the Alien movies. They are much better than the Predator movies.

AZRedhawk44 · « **Reply #6 on:** August 22, 2009, 07:29:35 PM »

The AvP books were extremely enlightening into the Predator sociological structure. Thoroughly enjoyed them.

Also enjoyed the first AvP movie for its visualization of similar themes.

Aliens are little more than target practice for predators in these movies, and humans little more than scream machines and alien hatcheries... I watch them for the Predator stuff.

Puts to rest the superior society in Starcraft, that's for sure.

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #7 on:** August 22, 2009, 07:40:43 PM »

Quote

I think 4 is better than most folks do and I am not fond at all of 3.

Indeed, 3 was an abomination. Not only because of the acting but because of the badly-thought out characters, motivations, and plot.

Reifen · « **Reply #8 on:** August 22, 2009, 09:05:01 PM »

The AvP books and comics were great and I wish more of them had been done. Seeing the Yautja (Predator) homeworld in AvP: Requiem was a kick. Shame they're not continuing the series as far as I know. Looked like they had some long term plot in mind.

Also, they're rebooting the Predaor series.

MechAg94 · « **Reply #9 on:** August 22, 2009, 11:05:37 PM »

IMO, the Aliens books always followed the "everybody dies but one or two people who survive in the end" plot. I have begun to hate that plot as I have gotten older. However, the Aliens movies were always very well made and normally with decent actors.

The little thing at the end where some people take possession of the plasma gun was sort of weird.

MicroBalrog · « **Reply #10 on:** August 22, 2009, 11:09:24 PM »

The problem, IMO, is that the Alien/Xenomorph is only truly dangerous in some very limited circumstances. For it to be dangerous again and again, people need to do amazingly stupid things (in Alien 2 the Marine team is deliberately sabotaged and underarmed by corporate, in Alien 3 there are no guns, etc.). The Extended universe is full of people doing amazingly stupid things again and again - like building artificial alien hives in every major Earth city and then a group of cultists deliberately freeing them. Had they left it at a limit of 1-2 movies/books, it'd be fine. As it is, they needed to stretch sanity further and further wih every book/film/comic.

Cromlech · « **Reply #11 on:** August 23, 2009, 09:34:40 AM »

I remember the books, still have a few of them. Good old General Spears and his plans lol.

HankB · « **Reply #12 on:** August 23, 2009, 04:50:38 PM »

Aliens 1 & 2 were good. When I saw Alien 3 I thought "They can't POSSIBLY make a worse Alien movie" . . . and then they went and proved me wrong with Alien 4.

AvP was OK. Not brilliant, not horrid, but OK.

Quote from: MicroBalrog on August 22, 2009, 11:09:24 PM

The problem, IMO, is that the Alien/Xenomorph is only truly dangerous in some very limited circumstances. For it to be dangerous again and again, people need to do amazingly stupid things . . .

Hear here - I'm really, really beginning to hate movies, books, and TV shows where so many of the characters are, to put it bluntly, idiots, morons, and fools.

"We have to stick together - there's strength in numbers, and we'll watch each other's backs. Hey, Bubba, you go off by yourself, unarmed, into that dark & deserted part of the ship and see if you can find the cat, OK? Meanwhile, we're going to keep on our original path and put some distance between you and us."

LadySmith · « **Reply #13 on:** August 23, 2009, 06:09:39 PM »

Although I didn't care much for any of the human characters in AvP, I did feel sorry for the predicament they were in.
If they armed themselves, they drew the wrath of the Predator.
If they were disarmed, they were at the mercy of the Aliens.
And if they relied on the government for help...

I did like the movie.

ETA: Oops, it was AvP: Requiem I was talking about, not AvP. Oops! AvP was excellent.

RevDisk · « **Reply #14 on:** August 23, 2009, 09:24:58 PM »

I liked a lot of the Alien movies. Alien was great suspenseful horror. I loved almost never seeing the creature. Aliens was just pure awesomeness. No movie will never surpass it in epic win. Great premise, great lines, great effects, great actors. The third was an attempt to go back to the original Alien motif (one monster, suspense horror), but I didn't think it was that great.

Alien Resurrection was not a great movie, but it made up for its short comings in great lines. I can't think of a line that had me laughing harder than Ron saying "Earth. What a **** hole. I'd rather stay up here with the things..."

AvP. I dunno. I had a hard time with it, because I thought so highly of the original series. The trick to AvP is having low expectations and not mentally linking it to the original series. Everyone told me it sucked, so I came in with a clean slate. I liked it. It was a good movie, if viewed from a detachment from the origins. If linked? Not so hot.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #15 on:** August 23, 2009, 11:46:47 PM »

Quote

I did feel sorry for the predicament they were in.
If they armed themselves, they drew the wrath of the ~~Predator~~ govt.
If they were disarmed, they were at the mercy of the ~~Aliens~~ criminal element.

Edited to reflect conditions in Chicago, New York City, etc.

I went into AvP having seen only bits and pieces of either film franchise. It looked to me like the most abominable b-movie crap. Which is unfortunate, since I really liked the concept of the Predators using the Aliens for sport-hunting.

LadySmith · « **Reply #16 on:** August 24, 2009, 05:38:04 AM »

Alien: Wonderful sci-fi horror. Left just enough to the imagination to give one the serious heebie-jeebies and introduced some new (at the time) monsters. And a personal +1 for rescuing the cat.

(When you think about it, the cat was the ship's mascot/albatross. Things turned out in Ripley's favor when the cat was with her, but not so much when it wasn't.)

Aliens: Awesome. Just awesome.

Alien 3: Um...okay?

That's what happened when she didn't have her cat.

Alien 4: Different, but enjoyable and even fun in spots. Plus it was written by Joss Whedon.

Predator: Loved it.

Predator 2: Danny Glover as the star action hero?

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #17 on:** August 24, 2009, 07:29:29 AM »

"Riggs! Riggs! Hey Riggs! Where are ya, Riggs?!"

S. Williamson · « **Reply #18 on:** August 24, 2009, 09:40:20 PM »

"Jesus Christ, Johner, what do you put in this *expletive deleted*it, battery acid?"
"Just for color."

My order would be 2, 3, 1, 4.

Balog · « **Reply #19 on:** August 24, 2009, 11:25:27 PM »

Never watched any of the Alien movies, but the Allen Dean Foster book was awesome.

RevDisk · « **Reply #20 on:** August 25, 2009, 08:18:42 AM »

Quote from: Balog on August 24, 2009, 11:25:27 PM

Never watched any of the Alien movies, but the Allen Dean Foster book was awesome.

What? Get thee to ANY movie store and buy a copy of Aliens! It has Marines killing stuff in impressive ways. You'll like it.

S. Williamson · « **Reply #21 on:** August 25, 2009, 09:07:55 AM »

Actually, rent Alien first, then watch Aliens.

Consider the first movie to be nothing but backstory...

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Author Topic: Watched Alien vs. Predator (Read 2801 times)