I recently watched AVP: Alien vs. Predator (PG-13, 3/5 stars, closed captions available, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $7.99 to buy), and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting something kind of cheesy, over-the-top violent, with so-so performances and obviously CGI special effects. It turned out to be a pretty decent sci-fi adventure flick.
On IMDB, the movie’s described this way:
When a private satellite encounters an unidentified source of heat in Antarctica and it is found to be a pyramid buried deep underground, a search team comprised of top-of-the-line archaeologists and engineers is sent to Antarctica to find out more.
Once there, the team comes across signs which indicate that the place is inhabited by an unknown alien species. It is not long before the aliens begin to hunt the team members.
At the same time, a trio of coming-of-age Predators have arrived to collect the skulls of the aliens as trophies, and the humans are caught between a deadly battle between the two warring species .
– Written by Soumitra
Of course there’s some violence, what with all the humans, Aliens and Predators duking it out to the death, but as you can tell by the movie’s PG-13 rating, nothing gets too graphic or bloody. I liked that in this film you learn more about the warrior culture of the Predators, and it’s also deeply satisfying to see another species so confident in its dominance over the Aliens that it breeds them in order to hunt them for sport.
In case you haven’t seen any of the Alien or Predator movies, I can tell you they’re not really necessary viewing before AVP, and some aren’t truly worth viewing at all. Also bear in mind, you won’t want kids to watch any of these earlier films because they’re all rated R, and with good reason. While it’s easy enough to follow AVP as a standalone movie, I think I got a much richer experience for having known the backstory on the Aliens’ and Predators’ earlier encounters with humans. Here are the films in the franchises I recommend seeing before you watch AVP: Alien vs. Predator. All descriptions are from IMDB.
Alien (R, 4.5/5 stars, closed captions available, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $7.99 to buy)
While returning from a deep-space mission, the crew of the commercial spaceship Nostromo is awakened by a supposed SOS call from a system they are passing through. Descending to the planet’s surface, they discover a strange derelict spaceship – the apparent source of the transmission – and one of the crew descends into the hold.
What he finds are thousands of strange alien eggs. While examining one of the eggs, it hatches and the parasite inside attacks him. After returning to the Nostromo the crew takes off again to head for Earth. The alien parasite subsequently dies and all seems well again.
But what no one knows is that another alien is quietly forming within its host – and when it emerges, the crew finds itself in serious trouble.
– Written by Derek O’Cain
Aliens (R, 4.5/5 stars, closed captions available, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $9.99 to buy)
Fifty seven years after Ellen Ripley survived her disastrous ordeal, her escape vessel is recovered after drifting across the galaxy as she slept in cryogenic stasis. Back on earth, nobody believed her story about the “Aliens” on the planet LV-426.
After the “Company” orders the colony on LV-426 to investigate, however, all communication with the colony is lost. The Company enlists Ripley to aid a team of tough, rugged space marines on a rescue mission to the now partially terraformed planet to find out if there are aliens or survivors.
As the mission unfolds, Ripley will be forced to come to grips with her worst nightmare, but even as she does, she finds that the worst is yet to come.
– Written by Brian Rawlings
For those with some familiarity with the franchise: this is the one where Ripley takes on the Alien mother while operating a huge, hydraulic power lift suit.
Predator (4/5 stars, closed captions available, currently priced at $7.99 to buy)
A team of special force ops, led by a tough but fair soldier, Major “Dutch” Schaefer, are ordered in to assist CIA man, George Dillon, on a rescue mission for potential survivors of a helicopter downed over remote South American jungle.
Not long after they land, Dutch and his team discover that they have been sent in under false pretenses.
This deception turns out to be the least of their worries though, when they find themselves being methodically hunted by something not of this world.
– Written by Laygz
Predator 2 (4/5 stars, closed captions available, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $7.99 to buy)
Lt. Harrigan (Danny Glover) is a cop fighting the good war against drugs. But recently, the major drug lords have been killed off in a very brutal fashion.
His superiors tell him to stay out of it, but Harrigan knows that something is wrong. His instincts are right when he discovers that the person behind the murders is none other than the Predator, the human-hunting alien who likes to make trophies out of his victims’ skulls.
But how can Harrigan stop the Predator when it can turn invisible and kill him without him knowing it?
– Written by Will
Predators (4/5 stars, closed captions available, currently priced at $2.99 to rent and $10.99 to buy)
The mercenary Royce, the soldier Isabelle, the Russian soldier Nikolai, the San Quentin criminal Stans, the Sierra Leone militia man Mombasa, the drug lord Cuchillo, the Yakuza gangster Hanzo, and the Doctor Edwin awake in free fall but they manage to open their parachutes and land in a jungle.
Soon they discover that they are on another planet and they are prey of aliens in a deadly hunting game, and they need to join forces to destroy their predators and survive.
– Written by Claudio Carvalho
If you enjoy these films and chracters, you might also want to check out the Fox Digital Entertainment game apps:
Predators (4/5 stars, guidance suggested, currently priced at 99 cents)
Play as the Predator in this official game based on the iconic sci-fi film franchise! Hone your hunting techniques to lethal precision as you earn full membership in the Predators clan by tracking down and eliminating packs of elite human assassins, and defending yourself against even deadlier enemies…
YOU ARE THE PREDATOR
These humans are the most dangerous killers on the planet…but it’s not their planet. This planet is a game preserve and they are the prey. Pit your incredible Predator strength, stealth, and alien technology against the killer instincts of the nine deadliest human beings alive; mercenaries, assassins, death-squad soldiers, cartel enforcers, black ops snipers, and more… Prove you are the ultimate Predator. Begin the hunt and end their lives.
CLAN WARFARE
No enemy is more dangerous than your own kind. Defend yourself against 3 powerful and distinct Berserker Predators determined to exterminate your clan. Fend off the dangerous Tracker Predator with his ferocious dogs, the Falconer Predator and his vicious hawks, before facing off against your ultimate nemesis–the Super Black Predator.
COLLECT YOUR TROPHIES
Take out your targets and claim your trophies – the heads of your human prey – while unlocking new alien technologies and weaponry to complete the hunt. Strike your targets swiftly and silently, separating them from their group and eliminating them one-by-one.
ALIEN TECHNOLOGIES
Use your Stealth Generator and vanish with chameleon-like transparency, then turn on your Thermal Vision while you pull out the big guns. Use long-range cannons, lethal Smart Discs, Razor Whip, the sadistic Net Gun, and of course your deadly wrist-blade and spears. These nasty blades give new meaning to the phrase, “Get to the chopper!”
INTENSE ENVIRONMENTS
Use the elements and your surroundings to gain the “upper claw” in a campaign mode of 31 intense and hostile alien environments ranging from eerie killing grounds to dense jungle.
PRESS QUOTES:
“The Predator is just a badass.” – IGN; Editor’s Choice Award
“… all-around excellent human-slaying action.” – Gizmodo; This Week’s Best Apps
“…check[s] off all the gory boxes to satisfy even the headiest of cult followers.” – TouchArcade
“…good game that makes great use of its license…” – 148Apps
“Predators is a classic…” – GameRating UK
AVP: Evolution (4.5/5 stars, guidance suggested, currently priced at 99 cents)
The deadliest creatures in the universe face off for the first time on your phone and tablet. Play as both the Alien and Predator in this official game…
On a distant planet, the blood feud between Predator clans continues to rage. In a final attempt to eradicate the Jungle Hunter Clan, the Super Predators secure the capabilities of an unlikely and unwilling species, the Aliens. As an Alien, you must ultimately destroy the Super Predators and free your species from enslavement. As a Jungle Hunter Predator, you must eliminate the Alien Queen in order to prevent the Super Predators from annihilating your clan.
VICIOUS CHARACTERS & FIERCE COMBAT
*Two distinct gaming experiences as you engage in the ultimate battle as both the Alien and Predator
*Vicious attacks and brutal finishing moves give players a lethal arsenal to wreak havoc on the enemy
CREATE YOUR OWN ULTIMATE KILLING MACHINE
*Engineer your own unique Alien and Predator via character upgrades, enhanced abilities, and a multitude of powerful armor and weapons
*Gain the advantage in battle with Facehugger Calls, Rage Rechargers, Net Guns, Proximity Mines, Thermal Vision, Alien Vision, Plasma Cannons and much more!
CHILLING ENVIRONMENTS
*It’s kill or be killed as you advance through the Temple Arena, Marine Base, Alien Hive and many other eerie settings
INCREDIBLE GRAPHICS UNLEASHED
*Rich detail, impressive character models and distinctive lighting