This week’s assemblage of films includes:
Alien
Aliens
Aliens3
Alien Resurrection
Prometheus
Alien: Covenant
Predator
Predator 2
Predators
The Predator
Alien vs. Predator
Alien vs. Predator: Requiem
The focal feature will be Alien vs. Predator.
The first rule of Fight Club is not to talk about Fight Club; however, this is no ordinary fight club. If anything is going to lead to my doom, it is either going to be a Xenomorph or a Predator – not talking about it. So talk I will. If this is the first meeting you’ve ever attended, be sure to check out last week’s trip to the Twilight Zone here.
Put the Beastie Boys’ “Intergalactic” on loop and buckle up, because this is going to be quite the ride. My inspiration for choosing these films was rooted more in the terrors of my youth than anything else. Those older than me might remember the days when ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter existed in Disney World. Yes, someone green-lit this for a theme park primarily targeted at children. The whole story is quite fascinating but not relevant. Weirdly enough, all I remember of the experience is my fear. But is there a higher honor I can bestow on these films than credit for one of my earliest nightmares?
Yes, there is: this article. You might not be able to invoke that sheer terror within yourself, but you might as well marathon these films too and see how close you can get.
The Alien franchise predates Predator by almost a decade, so I think it is best to start there. Films in the franchise usually follow Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) and her unfortunate encounters with “the Alien,” otherwise called a Xenomorph. The first film, directed by Ridley Scott, was released in 1979, and its three direct sequels span the two decades after Alien’s release. The prequel series is a more recent creation, with the 2017 filmAlien: Covenant. Alien’s impact on pop culture has also been enormous, especially in regards to the character of Ripley, the android characters and their reception, and the particularly iconic scene in which the Chestburster is introduced. The film Alien itself is rather simple – in the depths of space, with no one who could help them, a human crew must try to survive the onslaught of a terrifyingly dangerous and hideous alien.
In 1987, Predator arrives on the scene with the story of Alan “Dutch” Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzeneger) and his team as they attempt to remedy a hostage situation. In the process, they become the Predator’s newest prey. While there aren’t as many Predator films as Alien films, the most recent sequel (The Predator) was released in 2018. Furthermore, that film apparently is the start of a new trilogy, although how that will play out remains to be seen.
In the films, the shared universe between these two franchises was hinted at as early as Predator 2, in which a Xenomorph skull can be seen among Predator trophies. Meanwhile, outside of the world of film, Dark Horse Comics’ run of Aliens versus Predator in 1989 by Randy Stradley and Chris Warner was the source of this future shared universe. Although the creatives involved, like Jim Thomas, thought that this was a “good idea,” it seemed highly unlikely that this would ever come to fruition. The concept was pitched in 1991, and in 2002 the project began to come to fruition. In 2004, Alien vs. Predator was released into the world.
Alien vs. Predator simultaneously has everything and nothing to do with the Alien and Predator films, respectively. Obviously, they are related, but in terms of “watchability,” I genuinely don’t think you would need to see an Alien film or Predator in order to follow this film. The film is chock full of early 2000s CGI in a way that made me nostalgic for some unknown reason, in the same way that I can’t quite explain why the scene transitions remind me of The Incredible Hulk (2008). Still, it is an obvious recommendation for the two-for-one special it offers. Although it doesn’t introduce audiences to the iconic storylines of the franchises from which it originates, it introduces the earliest history of said franchises.
In the film, Lex Woods (Sanaa Lathan) leads a group put together by Charles Bishop Weyland (Lance Henriksen) to an underground pyramid in order to claim it for his company, Weyland Industries. This team is remarkably fleshed out for being a group of stock characters. Lex herself is alarmingly perfect at times, but even she becomes more human as desperation sets in. Whether it is through random tidbits of information, such as two members of the team finding motivation to live through thinking of their children, or the simple fact that they aren’t able to instantly and correctly translate ancient script, there is an incredible realness to the cast of characters. The actors also have amazing chemistry as a team, although most of the characters are not together for long before getting caught in the conflict between two species. Sebastian De Rosa (Raoul Bova) and Lex had particularly great chemistry that helped carry the end of the film.
The premise itself is a little more tired. Predators came to earth long ago and taught humans what they knew in exchange for sacrifices. These sacrifices were used to breed Xenomorphs so that the Predators could kill them in a rite of passage that took place every hundred years. In fact, the very pyramid that Weyland discovered was made of a blend of Aztec, Egyptian, and Cambodian cultures, potentially being the point from which they originated. Or, something like that. Maybe I just wasn’t paying enough attention, but it did not seem clear. I find this plot point of aliens being the source of our technology and world wonders to be overused, but I also don’t know enough about film history – or frankly, the history of all works of science fiction – to know if this was as overdone at the time.
Regardless of my qualms with the premise and my previously mentioned thoughts on the CGI, the film was extremely effective in delivering its surprises and chilling moments. The way this film drives the audience’s anxiety is more powerful than most of the more startling and grotesque moments. From the mundane scares derived from penguin mischief to the inescapable and often voyeuristic threats, like the Predator’s heat tracking view, the film delivers in terms of its more subtle effects.
All in all, this movie was good. There were great moments, and there were moments that made me want to fast forward, but as either an introductory point or a supplementary point, Alien vs. Predator is a wonderful addition to both franchises.
Did you survive the fight? It turns out, it’s not just the aliens we have to worry about. Next week, you’ll see that some of the droids are going haywire – they’re breaking Asimov’s Laws of Robotics!
Indira Ramgolam is a freshman in Columbia College.