I loved the first Alien vs. Predator despite being upset that it was given that all-important PG-13 rating (but the uncut version available on Blu-Ray somewhat makes up for that with 10 minutes of additional footage cut from the PG-13 version). It had a strong woman character as the central protagonist who reminded me of Ellen Ripley (one of my all-time fav film heroes); mostly likable supporting characters who weren't all just monster fodder; a great role for Lance Henrikson as the modern day CEO of Weyland-Utani Industries (and the human blueprint for the famous android Bishop of Aliens); and a great match-up between two of cinema's deadliest extraterrestrial menaces. Further, the last surviving human and Predator being forced to work together as allies in order to fight their way out of the xenomorph nest and escape alive, and the main protagonist earning the respect of the Predator like she did in the process, was a great highlight of the movie showing the Predators having some degree of honor despite their brutal rules of the hunt (though some fans I know disliked the idea of a human and Predator working together on the same side, believing that made the Predators come off almost as good guys, but this already occurred in Dark Horse's first Aliens vs. Predator comic book mini-series).

The movie could have been better, no doubt, but compare it to the near-disasters that were Alien 3 (despite typically stellar performances by Sigourney Weaver and Charles Dutton) and Alien: Resurrection (despite being scripted by Joss Whedon and featuring some fun characters with great potential), and you see why I don't complain much about Alien vs. Predator. The movie fell short of what it could have been, no doubt, but did it outright suck? That I don't agree with.

As for its sequel, Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, it certainly left much to be desired, as it shouldn't have continued from the rather silly ending of the first film like it did, and it was IMO put together a bit hastily to capitalize on the modest success of the first. Still, it was cool to see the xenomorphs rampaging around a modern small town on Earth rather than some unfamiliar setting as was always previously the case, and that single "Wolf" Predator who came to Earth to take the infestation down solo was pretty badass, much more so than the three teen rookie Predators from the first one. The Predalien was a nasty customer, and the only real threat to the "Wolf" Predator who waded through the standard xenomorphs with no more than minor difficulty, but it was still hardly a replacement for one of the xenomorph queens, who would have been a much greater challenge to the "Wolf" Predator. We also got a first ever glimpse of the Predator homeworld, so how cool was that? :-) Its ending also provided an important connection to the Alien mythos.

It was, IMO, a fun movie, despite how it, like the first one, could have been much better, though I agree it wasn't a great movie. However, it was still more fun to watch than Alien 3 (I will never forgive the screenwriters for doing what they did to Newt, Hicks, and Bishop before the initial title credits were finished due to simple expediency) and Alien: Resurrection (was Joss serious with that human/xenomorph hybrid who thought the Ripley clone was its mother?!), both of which had much more bad going for them than good due to studio interference in the original plans in both cases.

Nevertheless, just as it was good for the Predator franchise to get back to its solo roots with the rather good Predators last year, it's great for the Alien franchise to do likewise, even if it is a film occurring in the same universe that does not focus on the xenomorphs (I am betting they make just a cameo near the end), as it will be great to get the skinny on the mysterious "Space Jockey" whose mummified remains we saw in the first Alien. I greatly look forward to Prometheus, and I would like you to review it after seeing it, if you are willing.