The Screen Addict | AvP

My apartment is littered with props and merchandise from the Alien and Predator films. I have been a huge fan of both franchises since the terrifying deep-space monsters first burst onto screens in 1979 and 1987, respectively. My love for the films was further cemented by the fact that some of my all-time favorite directors helmed the best entries in both series.

Ridley Scott gave birth to the “Xenomorph” – the shimmering black beast’s official name – in his groundbreaking and game-changing masterpiece Alien (1979), with James Cameron and David Fincher taking over the reins for its sequels. Scott famously pitched his vision for Alien to executives as “Jaws in space”, a masterful move that resulted in a genuine work of art.

Not a lot of people will ever question the quality of Cameron’s Aliens (1986) either, but my unpopular, No. Bad. Films. opinion is that Fincher’s Alien3 (1992) is a masterpiece as well. I don’t even care that the director himself has very vocally disowned it.

As for Predator (1987), its inception was overseen by the great John McTiernan, unquestionably one of Hollywood’s supreme Action-film directors who, unfortunately, all but disappeared from the industry because of nagging legal issues – but more on that in a later blog.

I also hold a deep affection for Predator 2 (1990), directed by the underappreciated Stephen Hopkins. To me, Hopkins has always been one of those extremely versatile directors who can tackle any genre. He conquered Horror with Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child (1989), kept us thrilled with Judgment Night (1993), and took us on an adventure with The Ghost and the Darkness (1996).

I personally don’t care too much for Nimród Antal’s Predators (2010) or Shane Black’s The Predator (2018), but in the spirit of the No. Bad. Films. discourse, I am sure there are many fans of both films out there who disagree, and I welcome your passionate defense.

Author’s note – since writing this article, Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey (2022) was released straight-to-streaming, and completely blew me away.

I did very much enjoy Ridley Scott’s return to the realm of the Xenomorph with Prometheus (2012) and Alien: Covenant (2017), mainly because these films dive deeper into the background of the creature. Expanding mythology and building a connected universe is what has become film religion these days, as a result of the stupendously successful Marvel and DC exploits. When Alien and Predator combined their cinematic legacies back in 2004 however, the concept was far from a safe bet.

The idea of combining the great beasts of SciFi-Horror had existed for a while in the realm of comic books. But even more intriguing, in Hopkins’ Predator 2 the idea of the Alien and Predator existing in the same universe had already been floated when Danny Glover’s character Harrigan enters the Predator’s spaceship and discovers a Warrior Alien skull in a trophy case. As a twelve-year-old boy watching this scene for the first time, I honestly couldn’t believe my eyes. Was this film really suggesting that a Predator had hunted and killed an Alien??? For years, I told myself it was just my wild imagination and wishful thinking. Surely, the serious filmmakers of Hollywood couldn’t be giddy fanboys like me? After all, they were making art! But then suddenly, almost 20 years after the release of Predator 2, my wildest SciFi-dreams came true when the ultimate monster mash-up Alien vs. Predator (2004) chestbursted its way into cinemas.

I have since learned that Sigourney Weaver and Ridley Scott – arguably the main creative forces behind the Alien films – have always very vocally denounced the idea of combining the Alien and Predator mythologies. For me personally though, it was a f*cking dream come true. I could not imagine anything cooler than my two favorite space-creatures duking it out on the big screen. I got even more excited when I learned that Paul W.S. Anderson – not to be confused with Paul T. “Boogie Nights” Anderson – signed on as director of this ultimate space-slugfest.

I had already been following Anderson’s career trajectory with great interest before he landed the high-profile AvP directing gig. The young, UK-born filmmaker had exploded onto the silver screen with his impressive low-budget debut Shopping (1994), and had not lost momentum since. Historically, one of the most difficult and elusive genres to adapt to film is the world of videogames. Anderson however, successfully steered not one but two game-properties into cinemas with Mortal Kombat (1995) and Resident Evil (2002). Furthermore, the filmmaker had already proven his SciFi merit with the awesome existential space-Horror Event Horizon (1997), and Soldier (1998), the unofficial sequel to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982).

I remember vividly that fans of both the Alien and Predator series declared the involvement of Anderson with AvP as the end of the world and a reason to collectively commit suicide. I always felt that a popcorn film needed a popcorn director though, and Anderson, in my eyes, was the perfect choice. The match between filmmaker and material was further solidified in the fact that Anderson also came up with the story and co-wrote the screenplay. This all just demonstrated a sincere and deep love for the mythology to me.

What’s more – I think the respect and reverence really shows in the end result. There is so much to love in AvP and the premise is as simple as it is brilliant. We follow a team of scientists that discovers an ancient temple deep under the Antarctic ice. Upon entering, they learn that the structure is actually a training facility built by the Predators – or “Yautja”, as the species is officially named – for breeding and hunting Xenomorphs. Awesome.

If you have never seen this film, make sure to get your hands on the extended director’s cut, with loads of extra material and an alternative opening-sequence that explains how the Yautja have been coming to Antarctica to hunt for ages. Early in the film, there is a gorgeous, backlit shot of what you initially think is an Alien Queen, but actually turns out to be the satellite that discovers the temple. AvP is filled to the brim with ingeniously designed and executed sequences like this. It is just a beautifully made film.

Another aspect that clearly shows Anderson’s deep affection for the Alien films specifically, is the casting of Lance Henriksen as Charles Weyland, the billionaire owner of the satellite who funds and joins the mission to Antarctica. Fans of the Alien saga know of course that Henriksen played the ambiguous android Bishop in Cameron’s Aliens, and that Weyland Industries is a pivotal organization in the Alien series. By having Henriksen play the founder of the company and suggesting that the android he designed is based on his own physical appearance, Anderson creates a wonderful and tantalizing loop in the discourse that I couldn’t stop thinking about after I first saw AvP.

I have to admit that I do understand some of the disgruntlement over the Alien versus Predator franchise. I personally did not care too much for Sanaa Lathan’s character teaming up with a Yautja to fight the Xenomorphs and their queen. It just completely nullifies the threat and mystery of the species. From a story standpoint however, the idea is completely justifiable – the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Also, when the final shot in AvP teased the idea of a hybrid species or “Predalien”, it almost made my head explode. The 2007 sequel however, did quite not quite live up to this fascinating setup, in my opinion. At the risk of sounding like a broken record – you are very welcome to disagree.

I, for one, would love to see more Alien versus Predator films. But with Disney currently owning both franchises and the latest installment in the series not resoundingly successful, it is anyone’s guess if the Yautja and Xenomorph will ever share the same screen again. Hell, Disney owns almost everything else too, so who’s to say the beasties won’t rear their ugly heads somewhere in Cameron’s Avatar-universe?

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Twitter (X): Robin Logjes | The Screen Addict