If you do not want spoilers pertaining to AVP:R, please do not read this thread.
One movie, was on my mind when I walked into the theater on opening day for AVP:R. No, it wasn't the first AVP. It was Transformers. The reason this movie came to mind was because the writers for that film did something that totally ruined it. They thought viewers would get a kick out of having the humans become the center of the plot's focus. Boy likes girl, Sector 7, Marine Rifle squad, super smart computer hacker chick, and a fat black dude dancing on DDR was not the vision I had for that movie. Transformers was just a Dawson's Creek episode that was rudely interrupted by giant robots in the end.
That was my fear coming into the movie. I had a bad feeling that writers were starting to buy into the human element, in films that feature fictional characters that in all honesty deserve the majority of screen time. Needless to say I was not disappointed with AVP:R in this regard. The humans served one purpose in that film, to die. Yes, they had a few filler scenes where Ricky is getting pounded on by jocks and how his brother is a rehabilitated X-con, but no on more than what you would see in a slasher film.
When I walk into a film called ALIENS v.s. Predator, I only want to see one thing. Xenomorhps and Predators clashing with one another. Throw some humans in for body count purposes, but give the screen time to the Aliens and Predator(s). Then I started reading some reviews, where people ultimately summarize the Alien and Predator franchises as both "dead". I won't lie, the first AVP was horrible, but this installment was entertaining enough, yet the reviewers still came to this conclusion. They said none of these installments will come close to the magic of Ridley or Cameron.
And I'm thinking....is that possible? What made the originals great? A lot of aspects come into play here, but I'm only going into one. The fact is, the original Alien and Predator films had one advantage...they could actually develop the human characters. How a single Predator or Alien interacts with the environment and the people within it give the directors a lot of room for creativity.
Now let's go to AVP:R. What if the Brothers decided to add in 30 minutes of screen time to the relationship between Dallas and Ricky? What if we got to hear, from the first cop Wolf killed, a "tearful scene" of him talking to his wife? Would you care? Would you feel "closer" to them somehow? No, you'd probably be like me, show me some Aliens and Preds.
Is it possible to make a meaningful Alien v.s. Predator film, without detracting from it's premise? Only way I could see it done is if the human element was removed completely and you instead humanize the Predators, which I personally wouldn't like too much.
What do you all think? If you center the story around the humans (Transformers) you lose. If you center the story around Aliens and Predators going at it, you lose (not Ridley approved).