ALIEN VS. PREDATOR (2004)

MORGAN'S RATING

Set in the early 21st century, this movie follows a team of drillers, scientists and archaeologists who travel to Antarctica to investigate ancient pyramid ruins buried deep beneath the ice which predate those in Egypt and Mexico, suggesting they were once the home of a great empire that ruled over the Earth first. When they finally reach one of the pyramids, however, they discover human skeltons and fossilizaed remains of alien creatures that appear to hug faces and burst out of chests, along with evidence that such aliens may still be alive somewhere in the ruins. The danger below them is frightening, but what the scientsts also don't know is that something as dangerous lurks above them...the Predators.

Sanaa Lathan (Alexa 'Lex' Woods), Raoul Bova (Sebastian Wells), Colin Salmon (Max Stafford), Lance Henriksen (Charles Bishop Weyland), Ewen Bremner (Graham Miller), Agathe Le La Boulaye (Adele Rousseau), Tommy Flanagan (Verheiden), Carsten Norgaard (Rustin Quinn), Joseph Rye (Joe Connors), Sam Troughton (Thomas Parks), Petr Jakl (Stone), Pavel Bezdek (Bass), Kieran Bew (Klaus), Carsten Voigt (Mikkel), Jan Pavel Filipensky (Boris), Adrian Bouchet (Sven), Andy Lucas (Juan Ramirez), Liz May Brice (Supervisor), Glenn Conroy (Technician), Eoin McCarthy (Karl), Ian Whyte (Scar), Tom Woodruff Jr. (Grid).

WHOEVER WINS... WE LOSE.

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

DIRECTOR: Paul W.S. Anderson (Resident Evil). WRITERS: Paul W.S. Anderson and Shane Salerno.   PRODUCERS: Gordon Carroll, John Davis, David Giler, Walter Hill and Joel Silver. ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Henning Molfenter. CO-PRODUCERS: Lawrence Gordon, David Minkowski, Matthew Stillman and Chris Symes. EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Wyck Godfrey, Thomas M. Hammel and Mike Richardson. ORIGINAL MUSIC: Harald Kloser. DISTRBUTOR: 20th Century Fox

QUOTES

FACTS

Sebastian de Rosa: This whole thing was a trap. Alexa 'Lex' Woods: They're not hunting us. We're in the middle of a war.

RELEASE DATE: August 6th, 2004 (USA) DVD RELEASE DATE: TBA 2004 (USA) BOX OFFICE OPENING: $38.2 million (USA) BOX OFFICE RESULT: $48.1 million* (USA) BUDGET: $60 million SHOOTING DATES: October 2003 -- February 2004 - Paul W.S. Anderson stepped down from helming both Mortal Kombat: Domination (2005) and Resident Evil: Apocalypse (2004) to instead write and direct this film, although he does remain as producer to the other movies. - Was rumored to be in development ever since a skull from the title characters in the Alien film series appeared in the spaceship trophy room in Predator 2 (1990). - Based on a concept introduced by the Dark Horse comic series of the same title. - The character Charles Weyland is the man who the Weyland Yutani corporation is named after. This is the same company referenced in the earlier Alien movies. - The Alien Vs. Predator story crossed over virtually all forms of media before becoming a feature film. There was a successful comic book series, toy line, multiple video games, soundtrack (of the PC game) and even a card series. -The role of Max Stafford was written specifically for Colin Salmon. - Screenwriter Peter Briggs wrote his original spec script for "Alien Vs. Predator" in 1991. The script sold overnight and made him the subject of numerous magazine and book "success story" articles. His version went adrift following studio politics in the wake of executive Joe Roth's departure from 20th Century Fox. - At one stage, Peter Weller was attached to do a cameo as John Yutani, the other half of the infamous "Weyland-Yutani" company from the Alien films. - The first film in either franchise to get a rating other than R. - The character of Verheiden was named after comic book writer Mark Verheiden, creator of the first Alien Vs. Predator comic series and first story ever involving both species (except for brief cameo of the alien skull in Predator 2 (1990).

Adele Rousseau: What did you say this room was called? [an Alien egg hatches] Thomas: Sacrificial chamber.

[To the Predator] Sven: You ugly son of a ...!

CRITICAL COMMENTS

"AvP is in desperate need of a bigger steel cage and a whole lot more smackdown." -- Bob Longino, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Going from the noisily routine to the ludicrious, AVP's final reel or so are likely to produce howls." -- Dennis Harvey, Variety

"A transparent attempt to jumpstart two run-down franchises." -- Gary Dowell, Dallas Morning News

"It's a murky, empty-headed dive into the depths of the Antarctic and the heart of monster movie cliches that leaves you praying for most of the cast to get killed off fast to put them (and us) out of our misery." -- Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune

"Anyone who ever smiled at the thought of aliens and predators battling for supremacy will certainly get their money's worth." -- Kevin A. Ranson, Moviecrypt.com

"Even a pre-release non-Alien Vs. Predator fan such as myself found plenty of reasons to give this one a high recommendation." -- Rebecca Murray, About.com