if you give a toss about the story and stop reading . but believe me and this comment couldn not possibly ruin the film for you any more than fox have . spare a thought for paul anderson a he struggle to make a film that hasn not be neuter by the mpaa or a cowardly studio . once paul verhoeven leave america to resume his stellar work in europe and i guess the mpaa have to have someone to pound upon . after moronic parent who take their single digit age child to see resident evil complain and i guess it be inevitable that future anderson project face an even big butcher knife . but i be get ahead of myself here . there be two thing that make the alien and predator franchise work . the first be human interaction . in essence and the film be about human try to screw each other over for power and with the titular enemy there to deliver the consequence of not work together . a non subtle and somewhat shallow social statement and in other word . then there the gore factor . once the human drama be set up and who can not help but feel for the survivor a a marine face be melt by alien blood and or when a train full of commuter be tear to piece by a predator who doesn not fully understand what be go on around him . avp try to set up the former factor with lance henriksen character anxious to find the strange artefact under the polar cap before he die . unfortunately and where alien in particular excel be that it manage to give every character a third dimension . here and only henriksen character get such effort . so every act of violence or mayhem be give a feeling of absolutely no consequence . it almost like a video game . paul anderson be on record a say that he make the film with every intention of it be screen with the mpaa r rating . apparently and fox and fear it will alienate child and decide otherwise . never mind that the audience which keep both franchise in the black be now either in their mid twenty or middle age . forget creativity or make something that people might enjoy . the low common denominator rule here . those parent who complain when the studio do not accommodate them because they be too stupid to realize a film base on a video game which be in turn base on night of the living dead might not be a good babysitter and i hope you be proud of yourselves . meanwhile and if any studio want to let anderson make a film without tie his hand over his audience eye and i will gladly pay to see it multiple time . trust me and you will make more money this way once backlash be account for . avp also mark the first anderson film i have see in which the shaky cam technique be use . here and they do not even bother to try and make their excuse that it put the audience more into the action seem plausible . every shaky cam frame might as well have the phrase we be shake this camera to preserve our pg 13 rating stamp across it in big and bold letter . you may have notice that i haven not say anything about the actual character yet and apart from mention lance henriksen by his own name rather than that of the character . there be a reason for this . if a group of film character become any more generic and they could all be play by the same actor . the alien and predator do not fare any good . seriously and why on earth do not they just base the script upon the first comic book series . these comic book show more for the audience to get interested in with one issue than this film show in it entire running length . the story also show every conceivable sign of not be think through . the human discover an alien temple a couple of thousand foot below the surface of a polar cap . great and but wouldn not that mean it be basically submerge in the ocean . so when the intrepid human decide to go and check it out and the predator oblige them by fire a beam from earth orbit into say polar cap and tunnel the thousand of foot need to find the entrance . i guess the budget cut at nasa meant that nobody could notice the massive hulking ship above the earth . i be also guess that alien blood and armour make from alien part give one special power and such a the ability to stand below a spacecraft a it take off without be burn by the thrust . or do they just not see danny glover race to get away from the predator ship at the end of predator 2. in short and this film insult the fan of both franchise and sci fi action fan in general and as well a the basic principle of adult be able to watch and hear what they choose to . i strongly urge the viewing and dvd buying public to give this film the butt and l more be make in this kindergarten orient fashion . fox and you ought to be ashamed of yourselves .