“Alien vs. Predator” 20 years later: what went well and what went wrong?

After Prey and Alien: Romulus has successfully revitalized both franchises, 20^th Century Studios and its Disney masters are moving forward with aggressive expansion of the two universes, but will they collide again? Now, 20 years after its release, we take a look at what went right and wrong with AVP: Alien vs. Predator, and the lessons learned (good and bad).

So far 20^th Century Studios hasn’t confirmed (yet) that a new crossover is in development, but it’s becoming increasingly likely that it will happen. The Alien: Romulus sequel is pretty much done, and Predator: Badlands will be released in 2025 along with a new “secret” Predator film. All this noise has only fueled fan theories that the two alien monsters will get back together, and even the filmmakers are admitting to the noise. The near future of both series seems more traditional, but even 20^th Century Studios boss Steve Asbell is open to the idea of a remastered version of AVP.

AVP and its sequel aren’t held in high regard—and their box office returns were modest at best—but their cultural impact can’t be denied. After the Alien and Predator comics gained immense popularity at Dark Horse, they were combined to great success, spawning some of the best alien video games of all time. So, a big-screen crossover seemed like a no-brainer, but the idea took a while to come to fruition.

Two decades later, most sci-fi horror fanatics are still trying to forget about Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, but Paul W.S.’s original. Anderson has undergone some reappraisal over the years. Have we been too harsh or is it just nostalgia?

Pros: Stylish action, subtle homage and plenty of practical effects.

Screenshot from the movie Alien vs. Predator. Close-up of a Predator during a storm. They wear full armor and have long dreadlocks.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

When viewing AVP in 2024, what immediately stands out is the large number of practical effects and ambitious set pieces. This has helped it stand the test of time much better than other sci-fi blockbusters of the early 2000s (think of the Star Wars prequels and The Matrix, which started the computer graphics revolution). Of course, Paul W.S. Anderson wasn’t the most inspiring choice to direct an event film that’s been in development for a long time, but if we take into account how dull and lifeless modern blockbusters can be (sorry, Marvel), even a suspenseful film like the first one ” Alien vs. Predator” looks stylish in comparison.

The first AVP has an artistry hampered by a poor script that makes it memorable despite all the repetitive problems and awkward moments. This only becomes clearer once you look at the DVD/Blu-ray bonus features; The Xenomorphs and Yautja looked quite good and remained practical in most scenes, being more maneuverable thanks to digital shots at the right moments. The same can’t be said for Requiem, which only had brutal violence and a couple of strong ideas to make up for poor direction and terrible post-production choices.

Screenshot from the movie Alien vs. Predator. A man sits at a table in front of a laptop. He is dressed in a black robe and has a glass of water in his hand.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Plus, AVP knew how to make cheeky callbacks and visual homages to both series on the big screen without resorting to the cheap nostalgia we’re (sadly) all too accustomed to these days. In many cases, such as Charles Weiland’s hand-playing like Bishop with a big knife in Aliens, it’s difficult to discern whether they came from Anderson himself or Shane Salerno (who reportedly co-wrote the filming script) as they remain short and Easter egg in nature.

Harald Kloser’s original score also seemed appropriate and distinct, without relying too much on what came before it. AVP is not like the movie Alien or Predator. Of course, there are shades of Goldsmith, Horner and Silvestri in all this, but it has its own rhythms and tone. It’s primal and unrelenting, and often far creepier than what’s on screen. Those final moments as the Predator spaceship leaves Earth and that final surprise wouldn’t have felt as heavy as they did without Closer’s score, and Brian Tyler’s over-the-top work on Requiem never reached the same heights.

The Bad: Half-baked script and awkward pacing.

Screenshot from the movie Alien vs. Predator. The Predator (dressed in full armor and head) holds his spear high in victory. A xenomorph's head is stuck on the top of the spear.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

The “problem” with films is that an outstanding presentation can only achieve so much. Alien vs. Predator objectively suffered from noticeable script problems, and the final cut felt terribly rushed and weightless. Some fans were quick to dismiss the film because of these problems and continue to do so to this day. While we’ve highlighted a decent number of positive aspects that are worth looking at, it’s important to briefly discuss the elements that have given it a bad reputation.

We believe that both the ups and downs of the AVP fall on the shoulders of Paul W.S. Anderson. This is because, although Shane Salerno appears again and again in conversation about the script, he is not mentioned in the film’s end credits (even though he was the sole screenwriter of Requiem). But to Anderson’s credit, the film wastes no time developing characters who are clearly cannon fodder, instead giving neat little touches to the main players before all hell breaks loose. However, this balance disappears the moment the pyramid becomes fully active, the xenos are freed, and the three young Predators begin their indiscriminate hunt.

Screenshot from the movie Alien vs. Predator. Three frightened people were glued to the wall of the cave and stuck there. In front of you is a room full of opening xenomorph eggs. One poor man has an alien facehugger stuck on his face.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Up to this point, it all makes sense if you accept the pulpy tone that the director was clearly going for. First of all, an AVP movie needs to be genuinely silly and fun, and in that regard Anderson mostly delivers. However, as the plot progresses, the internal logic of the childish premise also begins to crack. Even putting aside the baffling Aztec lore, the xenomorph’s life cycle seems strangely fast with no good justification (Romulus, on the other hand, was quick to explain why). And even if modern humans had not intervened, the hunt seemed unsuccessful from the very beginning; This Alien Queen was too easy to reach and free from her shackles. Bad memories say otherwise, but there is this rite of passage. Always worked for the Predators?

We won’t even get into how the script burns through the main cast like wildfire in exchange for cheap shocks until it reaches the refreshing human-Predator alliance. This is a film that takes a while to get going, and after a flashy first encounter between two deadly species, it begins to race towards the nearest exit.

When it comes to the final cut’s nervousness, pinning the blame on the writer-director or Foxx (or both) was and still is difficult; Two decades later, trying to separate the bad from the good will be a more useful exercise, don’t you think?

Legacy: Worst sequel and untapped potential

Screenshot from the movie Alien vs. Predator. Close-up of a snarling xenomorph with sharp teeth. He has a criss-cross pattern carved on his forehead, from which green blood oozes.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

We might delve deeper into Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem at some point in the future (and you can bet we won’t be so kind), but right now we can tell you that it was a textbook example of what not to follow. about the divisive first film. As a result, both series practically died out if Robert Rodriguez did not return to the roots of the Predator series. This led to the decent-enough Predators and Ridley Scott’s ambitious but ultimately confusing Aliens prequels.

These efforts struggled to keep both projects alive, but somehow they bounced back after a brief respite with Prey and Alien: Romulus. Understandably, conservative fans are unhappy with the idea of an AVP reboot. However, given that the hype surrounding these creatures and their universes has been at an all-time high since the early days, there’s a lot to be gained and little to lose if the right creatives are involved.

Screenshot from the movie Alien vs. Predator. View of the Earth from space.

(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

Currently 20^th Century Studios president Steve Asbell hinted at a potential return to the core concept of AVP, which would be “organically created from these two franchises that we’ve continued, with characters that we fall in love with, and those characters will be combined.” Think about what the Marvel Cinematic Universe has achieved or what Star Wars is trying to do with The Mandalorian and its related series. In this case, the appearance of a new crossover is still a long way off, but it is more likely than it was a few months ago.

Implementing such a project correctly will be difficult, especially the difficult task of attracting a casual audience. A good start would be to follow in the footsteps of comics and video games. In the meantime, let’s hope the studio can find success with a few more Alien and Predator projects before considering such a massive project again. Hey, things have worked out well for Legendary’s MonsterVerse, so it’s not unreasonable to hope.

“Alien vs. Predator” 20 years later: what went well and what went wrong?

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