So the general consensus seems to be that this was a terrible movie. Apparently, the aliens portrayed in the movie aren't aliens; the predator portrayed in the movie isn't predator-like; the acting is terrible; there is no plot; the special effects are lame; and the creators made this into a teen movie. But I wonder how much of this public backlash is due to genuine flaws in the movie, and how much is simply people clinging on to the words of a few professional critics, or simply going along with popular opinion.
Cultural snobbery aside, AVPR isn't nearly as bad as many claim. Sure, it has a very straightforward plot (predators aren't known for their complex motives or multifaceted personalities), and neither the writing nor acting are going to win any Oscars any time soon, but as a sci-fi action/thriller, it delivers all that it advertises.
I'm not sure what kind of portrayal of the alien xenomorphs people were expecting; they're pretty one-dimensional murder machines in all of the franchise movies. The only criteria for creating a believable xenomorph are good visual effects/costume design and well-choreographed body movements/mannerisms, and AVPR delivers in both categories. The star predator in the film is also well designed and competently portrayed. Both the xenomorphs and the predator follow closely the precedents set by previous movies. The only real aesthetic liberties the filmmakers took were in the design of the "Predalien", which actually turned out quite well (as expected, a blend of xenomorph and predator features and mannerisms). This contrasts sharply with the abomination of the alien "newborn" in Alien Resurrection.
The film did however throw a curveball with the throat-impregnation of human females. Departing from canon was a real gamble on the part of the directors, but I can understand their decision, as it serves to make up for the lack of an alien queen in this installment and creates a threat of global infestation rather than simply having 4-5 aliens running amok in a small town of little consequence. Additionally, the imagery of a litter of newborn aliens writhing in the exploded stomach of a still-live host is even more horrific than the original chestburster concept (the hospital scene is all the more gruesome when you consider the likeliness that those alien babies had consumed the unborn child they replaced).
No, AVPR did not take itself super seriously, and the producers didn't set out to create a new candidate for the Criterion Collection. But it's certainly not a teen movie by any stretch. Yes, one of the protagonists is the main hero's teenage brother. And, yes, there are 2-3 scenes portraying the life of this unpopular high school student in a small American town. But that's just part of necessary character development. Beyond that, the other 3-4 on-screen teenagers are just there for the same reasons as the gangsters in Predator 2 or the redshirts in Star Trek.
Lastly, for all the criticism AVPR takes for being a "B-movie" with poor acting and an uninspired script, it is actually a much less cheesy/poorly acted/poorly written movie than Predator 2. If one can take off their rose-tinted glasses long enough to actually compare the two films, it becomes quite clear that AVPR is far from the worst film in the Alien/Predator series. Perhaps a movie starring an LAPD police detective is more exciting than one which follows ordinary residents of a small town, but AVPR makes it work, and without cheesy props, low quality sets, and godawful overacting stock characters.
Cultural snobbery aside, AVPR isn't nearly as bad as many claim. Sure, it has a very straightforward plot (predators aren't known for their complex motives or multifaceted personalities), and neither the writing nor acting are going to win any Oscars any time soon, but as a sci-fi action/thriller, it delivers all that it advertises.
I'm not sure what kind of portrayal of the alien xenomorphs people were expecting; they're pretty one-dimensional murder machines in all of the franchise movies. The only criteria for creating a believable xenomorph are good visual effects/costume design and well-choreographed body movements/mannerisms, and AVPR delivers in both categories. The star predator in the film is also well designed and competently portrayed. Both the xenomorphs and the predator follow closely the precedents set by previous movies. The only real aesthetic liberties the filmmakers took were in the design of the "Predalien", which actually turned out quite well (as expected, a blend of xenomorph and predator features and mannerisms). This contrasts sharply with the abomination of the alien "newborn" in Alien Resurrection.
The film did however throw a curveball with the throat-impregnation of human females. Departing from canon was a real gamble on the part of the directors, but I can understand their decision, as it serves to make up for the lack of an alien queen in this installment and creates a threat of global infestation rather than simply having 4-5 aliens running amok in a small town of little consequence. Additionally, the imagery of a litter of newborn aliens writhing in the exploded stomach of a still-live host is even more horrific than the original chestburster concept (the hospital scene is all the more gruesome when you consider the likeliness that those alien babies had consumed the unborn child they replaced).
No, AVPR did not take itself super seriously, and the producers didn't set out to create a new candidate for the Criterion Collection. But it's certainly not a teen movie by any stretch. Yes, one of the protagonists is the main hero's teenage brother. And, yes, there are 2-3 scenes portraying the life of this unpopular high school student in a small American town. But that's just part of necessary character development. Beyond that, the other 3-4 on-screen teenagers are just there for the same reasons as the gangsters in Predator 2 or the redshirts in Star Trek.
Lastly, for all the criticism AVPR takes for being a "B-movie" with poor acting and an uninspired script, it is actually a much less cheesy/poorly acted/poorly written movie than Predator 2. If one can take off their rose-tinted glasses long enough to actually compare the two films, it becomes quite clear that AVPR is far from the worst film in the Alien/Predator series. Perhaps a movie starring an LAPD police detective is more exciting than one which follows ordinary residents of a small town, but AVPR makes it work, and without cheesy props, low quality sets, and godawful overacting stock characters.