Mixed Bag Delivered... Review on Alien vs. Predator

Stars: Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, Raoul Bova

Whispers about this film began after an in-house joke from Stan Winston studios found it's way into the sequel to, ''Predator I.'' From there, a slew of comic books & video games combining these iconic franchises developed. & finally, in 2004, with Paul Anderson at the directing helm, it reached the silver screen.

Preceding it's release, many people feared the worst for this dubious joint-venture, & not without reason. Anderson is a much-maligned director, & franchise-blending has rarely matched the pedigree set by it's inspiration.

True enough, ''Alien V Predator'' has all the hallmarks of a tragedy --- Anderson's trademark disregard for character development, shabby acting, a weak script. But devotees of either monsters need not despair --- there is actually quite a bit to salvage here.

The look & feel of both creatures have been suitably restored, & to great effect no less. There are some tremendous action sequences that smooth over the glaring short-comings, & the lead protagonist, Sanaa Lathan (Disappearing Acts), is quite watchable, standing out from an otherwise drab cast, with the obvious exception of Lance Henriksen (Aliens).

This was never going to have the polish of either the classic Alien & Predator blockbusters, & it makes a flat homage, but if you're looking for a typical fire-&-brimstone film that carries punch & doesn't tax the grey matter too much, you could do a lot worse.