Poll: AvP vs AvPR

[echobbase79]

This is why AvP is so annoying. All of its stupid back story never leads to any solid explanation for anything. 

It was cool hearing him talk about it in that featurette that they made a year prior to film's release, but the finished film speaks for itself.

[Celtic-predator]

This is why AvP is so annoying. All of its stupid back story never leads to any solid explanation for anything. 

It was cool hearing him talk about it in that featurette that they made a year prior to film's release, but the finished film speaks for itself.

Well to be fair, if you compare it to AvPR who's entire backstory is: ship crashlands onto town, leading to an EPIC BATTLE  between the inhabitants and the aliens, at least AvP gives some stupid backstory.

[echobbase79]

This is why AvP is so annoying. All of its stupid back story never leads to any solid explanation for anything. 

It was cool hearing him talk about it in that featurette that they made a year prior to film's release, but the finished film speaks for itself.

Well to be fair, if you compare it to AvPR who's entire backstory is: ship crashlands onto town, leading to an EPIC BATTLE  between the inhabitants and the aliens, at least AvP gives some stupid backstory.

But it didn't try to over explain things like AvP did. AvPR is a totally different dumb altogether. Sort of generic "I've seen this story a million times" kind of dumb.

[Celtic-predator]

Well to be fair, if you compare it to AvPR who's entire backstory is: ship crashlands onto town, leading to an EPIC BATTLE  between the inhabitants and the aliens, at least AvP gives some stupid backstory.

But it didn't try to over explain things like AvP did. AvPR is a totally different dumb altogether. Sort of generic "I've seen this story a million times" kind of dumb.

Oh, I was responding with the impression that you were somehow saying AvPR had a better backstory.

[MrLee]

You know. AVP had alot of potential with its story. And i like the Frozen Pyramid. But they just totally blew it. With the low rating, shite gore, not staying true to the Predators Ritual method (skinned bodies).
At times the aliens looked great but, some of the CGI shots of Aliens were horrid, hated how they made them move also. The cast sucked, as did the actors.  Disliked the Ninja Predator CGI. Queen wasnt scary at all.

AVP2. It brought back the gore, and i felt the Predator was more like the Predators from the Predator movies. The Aliens generally were much better to, but still some lame moments, example being a Predator grabbing to Aliens by the throat as they jump at him...lame. There was a great plot potential there (minus the horrid pointless teen drama), especially with the Marine lady and her Daughter. But again, what spoils AVP movies the most...is the pathetic run-time. The films are so short, they cant build up atmosphere, they have to rush through everything at 100 miles per hour... you dont get attached to characters. The Marine lady and her daughter see there father took by an alien...and dont even appear to be bothered by this at all!!!

The Hospital setting was great, n i loved the design of PredAlien..but again the short run time rapes it of any potential tension building. Many scenes appeared to be cut out also. Anyone remember the photo of an alien on top of a car appearing to rip the roof off, i mean holy shit how cool would that of been? But no, they cut it out. Also im sure i read they were ment to show a scene of the boys dad (the cop) holding out with the villagers in the town centre hoping for Evac. Instead he talks on the phone, shoots his shotgun n thats it.

Endless opportunities wasted for a crap run time.

dont get me started on both films rushing the Alien birth also.

But AVP2 was the better of the two, a little truer to the series than the first AVP.

[MadassAlex]

You know. AVP had alot of potential with its story. And i like the Frozen Pyramid. But they just totally blew it. With the low rating, shite gore, not staying true to the Predators Ritual method (skinned bodies).

Skinning an Alien? Be my guest.

The Aliens generally were much better to,

Oh god no they weren't. The AvP Aliens suffered from the fleshy fallout of AR, but they were otherwise very true to the basic concept - slender, efficient avatars of death with incalculable, cosmic intelligence. The AvPR Aliens were bulky, ugly, moved like sacks of shit and didn't do a single clever thing all movie.

There was a great plot potential there, especially with the Marine lady and her Daughter.

No, no there was not. The only plot that could've existed is what we got, and that was a generic zombie slasher plot. As for the mother and daughter, that was one of the worst decisions of all, as it aimed to emulate the relationship between Ripley and Newt. Unfortunately, it lacked all the setup that originally validated that relationship. The fact that the actress for the mother looks like Ripley and that the daughter has lined ripped directly from Newt doesn't help at all. A thoroughly shallow, insulting attempt to reach out to the fans.

But again, what spoils AVP movies the most...is the pathetic run-time. The films are so short, they cant build up atmosphere, they have to rush through everything at 100 miles per hour... you dont get attached to characters. The Marine lady and her daughter see there father took by an alien...and dont even appear to be bothered by this at all!!!

Predator went for one hour and forty minutes or so. The Alien movies have similar lengths.

The Hospital setting was great, n i loved the design of PredAlien..but again the short run time rapes it of any potential tension building. Many scenes appeared to be cut out also. Anyone remember the photo of an alien on top of a car appearing to rip the roof off, i mean holy shit how cool would that of been? But no, they cut it out. Also im sure i read they were ment to show a scene of the boys dad (the cop) holding out with the villagers in the town centre hoping for Evac. Instead he talks on the phone, shoots his shotgun n thats it.

Townspeople against Aliens = dead townspeople. Doesn't matter what they're armed with. The only way to make that situation work is to set up an expectation. Have the characters moving to the 'hold-out' location when the last piece of information pertaining to that location implies that the hold-out is successful. When the characters actually show up, have the location splattered with signs of battle - spent shells, blood, damaged objects and the like.
That way, what the audience thought was a secure location has now become a potential Alien hotspot. Aaaaand instant tension. It's not exactly a breeze to pull off, but it's not rocket surgery, either.

But AVP2 was the better of the two, a little truer to the series than the first AVP.

Let me count the ways it was untrue:

- Aliens. In all aspect, the Aliens were untrue. Dumb, weak, useless, ugly. Acid blood that doesn't do shit. The Aliens aren't ruthless at all, either. Any Alien (including the Predalien) could've killed Wolf with the right opening, yet none of them did.
- Dumb Predator. Wolf was going to shoot two Aliens, in his hands. Aliens bleed acid. Skinning corpses when he was on a clean-up mission. Engaging in an honour duel with the Predalien when... he was on a clean-up mission.
- Dumb teen drama. Has no place in my goddamned AvP.
- Earth setting. If it has Aliens in it, it doesn't take place on earth. Period.

[DoomRulz]

For me, AvPR, dumb as it was, will always be the more entertaining film. I would rather watch Wolf plow his way through retarded, shithead Aliens as opposed to Lex and Sebastian running down dark corridors every 10 seconds, leading up to a near make out scene with Lex and Scar.

[TJ Doc]

You seem to have forgotten just how brief the team-up actually is.

[DoomRulz]

It's still there.

[MadassAlex]

The team-up sucks. But at least it makes a semblance of sense, even if you have to go so far as to theorise that Scar was on some mad c**t drugs and not in his right mind.

Wolf skinning bodies is retarded in the opposite direction, and much more so.

[DoomRulz]

What was wrong with Wolf skinning the cop? Last I checked, that's what Predators do.

[MadassAlex]

Wolf was on a clean-up mission to destroy the Alien outbreak and remove all evidence of it.

So, he was on a specific mission. With a purpose that went beyond his own personal enjoyment.

Then he took the time out to skin a corpse, because, hell, a Pred's gotta have fun, right? The issue is that this is equivalent to your or me taking time to rub one out during a rescue mission. Not to mention that he leaves evidence of his own activity behind by doing so.

[DoomRulz]

No he doesn't. Skinning the cop leaves zero evidence that he's in the area. As far as the townsfolk are concerned, a man was robbed of his skin and left hanging in a tree. There's no indication that an alien did it.

[huntin8-t0n]

I still think skinning him wasn't a good choice. He was there to eliminate the aliens. As a veteran hunter (how else could have he been in a serious 'position' like that) he must have known how fast aliens can 'spread'. Assuming he could skin and hang the body in five (!!!) minutes, it's still a disadvantage. I don't think he could have allowe himself such luxury.

[Dusk]

We could reason he figured that he could handle a couple Aliens, after all, only a few Facehuggers escaped. He couldn't have known that Chet was a growing Queen.