RATING:

Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Raoul Bova, Lance Henriksen, Ewen Bremner, Colin Salmon, Agathe De La Boulaye, Tommy Flanagan, Carsten Norgaard, Joseph Rye, Sam Troughton, Tom Woodruff Jr. Written by Paul W.S. Anderson, Shane Salerno. Directed by Paul W.S. Anderson.

Rated PG 13 for violence, language, horror images, slime and gore.

Alien Versus Predator or AVP is not nearly the disaster it has been rumored to be. It’s not terrible, but it really isn’t that good either. It smacks of mediocrity and that is exactly what 20th Century Fox wanted. Director and screenwriter Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil) delivers the textbook studio film. It’s about one hour and forty-five minutes, PG-13 for the whole family to enjoy, and spectacularly devoid of any plot. It’s a simple, fast-paced, generic action movie; perfect fodder for the dog days of August cinema. Usually I would trash a film that fits this mold so perfectly. But for all of its weaknesses, AVP is actually quite entertaining. It’s a popcorn, cheese-laden film stuffed with gratuitous violence and gore. Die-hard fans of both the Aliens and Predator franchises will feel let down. Novice viewers lusting for a guilty treat film will lap this up.

The plot is paper thin, but the ultimate set-up for an AVP showdown. A big corporation notices a heat bloom under an Antarctic icecap. Sensors depict an ancient temple and an expedition is sent to explore it. The gorgeous Sanaa Lathan stars as Alexa Woods, an expert survivalist that leads the mission. They stumble unto the temple only to find out it’s a giant maze built for sport. The Predators come back to Earth every hundred years to hunt the Aliens in this enormous labyrinth. The hapless humans get stuck in the middle and must fight for survival while the baddies battle it out.

The film moves very quickly. Within five minutes they’re on their way to the temple. Anderson never stops for development. He’s made this film for short attention spans and sticks to his guns throughout the entire film. I felt like it was over as soon as I sat down. There are two ways to look at this. The other Alien films were extremely detailed and methodical. This film isn’t in any way, shape, or form. Fans might feel like Anderson snowballed the story and doesn’t pay enough attention to the previous lore. On the other hand, the guilty pleasure fans will get their kicks and be satisfied. I’m in the middle on this one. Sure, it could have been better developed, but who really cares about the AVP mythology?

Sanaa Lathan’s star will rise rapidly after the film’s release. She kicks ass and takes names. Proving she can take over the reins from the fifty plus Sigourney Weaver. There’ll be a sequel if it makes money and she’ll do a good job if recast. AVP is a decent enough ride to spend your hard earned money on. Look at it this way; it’s either AVP or Princess Diaries 2 this weekend. How’s that for a choice?