When this movie was released in theaters back in December, I remember reading reviews claiming it was one of the worst movies of the year.  Critics and fans of both the Alien and Predator franchises were merciless with their disdain for it.  So, due to the fact the general consensus disapproved so emphatically, my expectations were  pretty low if not altogether non-existant.  Maybe that explains why I didn't think this was the flaming bag of dog excrement everyone else thought it was.  And while this is in no way a "good" movie, I guess I'm not entirely clear as to what people were expecting.  You got aliens.  You got Predators.  And with the "VS." smack dab in the middle of the title, chances are you know they're going to throw down at some point.  

Which brings us to the plot (or lack thereof): while the back-stories involving the human characters were indeed groan-inducing, I didn't exactly expect a thought-provoking, multi-layered story here.  I mean, let's face it... the movie's called "Aliens Vs. Predator", anyone looking for anything more is just setting themselves up for disappointment.  Although more thought and creativity could have been put into the overall story-line, I didn't necessarily mind the small-town America setting as the backdrop this time around.  Granted, every single one of the characters were as weak and cliche' as they come, but that doesn't really matter when they're killed off almost as soon as they're introduced.

For die-hard fans of both franchises, I ask this: when was the last installment in either series a worthwhile addition?  "Alien Vs. Predator" (the original)?  Not really, no.  "Alien: Resurrection" (or "Alien 4")?  Guess again!  How about "Predator 2"?  Closer... but still no cigar.  So, it's fairly safe to say that neither franchise is without its flaws.   All in all, by the end of the flick I just didn't get why it's been getting such a bad rap.  I compare it to pizza (just go with me here): sometimes it's good.  Sometimes not so much.  But at the end of the day... it's still pizza!  You knew what you ordered ahead of time and while it may not have been what you had expected... it still served its purpose.  

2.5 out of 5 stars

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