mindsetsail

Its difficult to review this movie, you don't really know what it is, another Alien movie? or a comic tie-in? if its the latter then it fairs well enough after a slow start it serves up the action in high doses(albeit slightly bloodlessly, in the interests of a kiddie friendly rating presumably). there's nothing revolutionary here, the creature effects are of course improved but not supremely so, it merely reflects the improvement in FX technology over the years, and these new and improved creatures are largely wasted in the hands of a mediocre talent like Anderson. And this is the problem, the movie would stand alone fine if it was not for the huge weight of expectation that has crushed every alien movie since Aliens, there are visual ques and references to Alien here and there but they serve to remind you of what your missing rather than tying the whole franchise together. (forgive me for concentrating overly on the alien aspect rather than Predator, i was never a fan of the latter and have only watched those movies once or twice when they were on TV)

unfortunately this franchise is a victim of its own success, the 1 st movies were genuine works of genius, from 2 very gifted but very different auteurs, the perfectionists attention to detail and application of Lucas's "used Universe" of Scott's Alien stands as one of the greatest science fiction movies of all time, and when the grandiose kinetic technophile Cameron came on board he wisely shifted the direction of the movie and delivered the only truly satisfying sequel, he made an original work that did not try to be an homage to 1st film.

its a little sad that Alien movies, like star trek movies, have become forgettable multiplex fodder and nothing more, which brings us to AVP i saw it 2 days ago and can barely remember a thing about it, though i do remember thinking "this isn't that bad" while i was watching it.

all i can think of to say is if your under 25, or you liked the comics A lot! then this is for you and you won't be disappointed, but if like me your a fan of the original movies then its maybe worth giving this a miss and re-watch the 1st 2 instead, it will make for a far more enjoyable time.

To give this brief review some context i will start by saying i am neither a fan of Ashton Kutcher nor the Teen_Psycho-drama_With_Brains sub-genre, like donnie darko/final destination and their ilk, but i have to own up and say this was a pretty satisfying piece of entertainment and Kutcher acquitted himself well in this dramatic roll. Don't be put off by the snobs, cinema is art (i like my fair share of art house and world cinema) but it is also mass entertainment and as such is intended for the layman, not an initiated few who can flex their vocabulary over something they were never prepared to like in the first place. If you allow yourself the suspension of disbelief this is a worthwhile movie to give a few hours to. When it comes to this kind of movie i usually have the attention span of a gnat, but the directors create an engaging and immerse atmosphere that retained my attention throughout.

The mystery is why exactly this movie has attracted so much negative criticism, it is after all only the 1st feature for this pair of directors. some sight the exploitative nature of some of the subject matter, which simply does hold any water, and any self respecting and professional reviewer would know thats a hollow argument when dealing with matters of this particular media.

My only personal gripe with this film was the ending, which felt conveniently tacked on and a little to "hollywood", as if added to appease the studio, i understand there is a darker ending on the DVD.

i for one would have just liked it to end a couple of scenes earlier with the main character in the asylum, making the last 2 hours a window into someones private madness, but hey thats just me.

In short, its not a classic but its no where near as bad as some would have you believe.

not a mainstream comedy by any means This movie fails on nearly every front but has 2 things going for it, the cast, its an almost forgotten piece of Ackroyd and Belushi in their prime, secondly its off kilter pace and atmosphere, these alone are enough to give it a place in my collection.

If your not into either of the above then give this a wide berth as its sure to disappoint. apparently the film had a difficult gestation and this seems plausible as its very inconsistent and aimless at times, shifting gear unexpectedly. an eclectic and patchy dark comedy it should suit die hard fans who want to see more of A&B