That's right this time back in 2004 this film was dropped upon us thanks to 20th Century Fox. Now before this movie came to be greenlighted by Fox it was said that Ridley Scott and James Cameron were working on a possible Alien 5 film, back in 2002 Scott was giving away plot details of what the supposed 5th movie was going to be and that would be a prequel. But as time progressed this movie would go on to become Prometheus. But Fox wanted to pursue a crossover event between the two film franchises rather than doing another Alien sequel which led to Cameron claiming this movie would kill both franchises and validity of the story he was working on with Ridley Scott so he stopped his work on the 5th Alien film altogether he even went as far as comparing it to Universal's "Frankenstein Meets Wolfman" movie saying their only trying to milk the idea of a VS. film for profit.. But it was after seeing the crossover film that he changed his standpoint on it by actually claiming it was a good movie. Ridley Scott on the other hand has a different approach to it as he refuses to ever watch the film.
Now the concept of the story originated from the Aliens versus Predator comic book in 1989, and was hinted at when an Alien skull appeared in a trophy case aboard the Predator ship in Predator 2. Yes, back in 1989 there was inklings that these two alien races had actually come face to face before but was never seen or shown to us cause no one wanted to attempt the crossover for nearly a decade and a half. Even though Peter Briggs attempted to write a screenplay for the film back in 1991 but when he pitched it to Fox back then they sat on it for nearly 11 years which they never used as they tried two different writers who placed the fight on Earth but Fox rejected this script. In walks Paul W.S. Anderson who pitched a script he was working on for 8 years and even had concept art to help win over the producers who were having trouble coming to terms for both franchises as they had problems with a film that would have two iconic creatures in the same film. He would eventually win them over and would go to work on the script after he finished Resident Evil: Apocalypse.
Now early reports were that the story was humans were using the Alien egg's to lure the Predators to Earth but this idea was shot down. Influenced by the work of Erich von Däniken, Anderson researched von Däniken's theories on how he believed early civilizations were able to construct massive pyramids with the help of aliens, an idea drawn from Aztec mythology. Anderson intertwined those theories with his own story and came up with the Predator's teaching ancient humans to build pyramids and using them for hunting grounds for them which they would return to Earth every 100 years to do a right of passage by doing the hunt for aliens on Earth. Now to explain the fact that these races were wiped completely off the map was if the Preadtor's were to get overwhelmed by the Aliens they used their weapon of mass destruction and killed everything in sight. Anderson began filming in the Norwegian Antarctic island Bouvet.
Then the casting began and the first person to be casted for the film was Lance Henricksen, who played Bishop in Aliens and Alien 3 was casted this time around to play billionaire Charles Bishop Weyland, a character that ties in to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. Anderson claimed he wanted to keep a familiar face with this film and though he tried to get Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sigourney Weaver to be in the film but Arnold had just be re-elected to governor of California and couldn't film his spot and Weaver refused to do it cause she claimed that the idea of a crossover film "sounded awful". Anderson opted for a European cast including Italian actor Raoul Bova, Ewen Bremner from Scotland, and English actor Colin Salmon. Now over a hundred actresses tried out for the role of Alexa Woods but it was Sanaa Lathan who won the role. With cast in place and location set the film began.
Now the story was set that a satellite detects a mysterious heat bloom beneath Bouvetøya, an island about one thousand miles off the coast of Antarctica. Wealthy industrialist Charles Bishop Weyland assembles a team of scientists to investigate the heat source and claim it for his multinational communications company, Weyland Industries. The team includes archaeologists, linguistic experts, drillers, mercenaries, and a guide named Alexa Woods. At the same time a Predator ship reaches Earth's orbit, it blasts a shaft through the ice towards the source of the heat bloom. Upon arrival and discovering the hole the humans enter the hole and discover what appears to be an ancient ruin and discover the chamber where the sacrifices for the birth of the aliens would happen, this triggers the Predators to kill some humans on the surface, the Queen reawakens and begins to produce eggs that are sent to the chamber and then that's when hell breaks loose when the facehuggers leap from their eggs and attach to whatever human is in the chamber with them. Soon the chest bursters erupt and become full grown aliens and that's when the fight between the three races takes place. Yes no matter what we the humans are just canon fodder in this fight. Nothing more than a casualty of war.
I will admit I was amongst the people who bought their ticket and watched this film the day it came out back in 2004. I was impressed with this film as compared to how I felt about the versus movie that came out a year before this happened, yes I am not a huge fan of Freddy vs. Jason. Now the question is do I still feel the same feelings about this film now than I did when I was 24? Yes. To me this film stands tall as a bridge between the two franchises. They did make a sequel to this film and though it did have a much more violent tone and an R-rating as compared to this film that was given a PG-13 rating and was panned by critics and considered to be one of the worst movies of 2008 but this article is not about that movie its about the predecessor. But after AVP and AVP2 Fox decided to abandon this small franchise in favor or doing a direct sequel to Predator which would be named Predators and starred Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo and Alice Braga. For the Alien franchise Fox went forward with Ridley Scott's proposed prequel Prometheus which bowed in 2012 and starred Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce, Charlize Theron, and Logan Marshall-Green.
So in all the fact that this film turns 10 today and still stands the test of time as not the best crossover film but is always referenced by people today cause the little boys and girls who grew up and wanted to see their favorite aliens clash waited til they were in the 20-30's before it happened sat there in their glory as they watched all out war happen. And if you weren't a fan of the winner of the film then you were pissed. You had to at least laughed or cheered when the famous line from the first Predator was uttered (Your one ugly motherfucker!). But in the end you like me sat there drink in hand and that little child inside of you screaming at the top of their lungs going.......
THIS IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!
By Bucky S.
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