MovieChat Forums > AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007) Discussion > How did this franchise fall so far?

How did this franchise fall so far?

posted 11 years ago by scabab
11 replies | jump to latest

Over the past four days I've rewatched all the Alien, Predator and AVP films (I'll watch Prometheus tomorrow) and I'm astounded as to how the franchise could fall to such a low standard.

Nine movies of which all had different directors, not one of them did multiple films (until Prometheus) possibly due to the long gaps between movies.

Looking back at the early directors though you had Ridley Scott, three time Oscar nominee. James Cameron, two Oscar nominee including one win. David Fincher, two time Oscar nominee. Sure Alien 3 wasn't very good but it wasn't his fault.

John Mctiernan never got such recognition but made Die Hard, one of the best action films ever.

Then we have the director of Predator 2, Stephen Hopkins he hasn't done anything worthwhile aside from Predator 2. The director of Alien Resurrection, Jean Pierre Jeunet went on to make a very acclaimed film Amelie a romantic comedy the complete opposite to what an Alien film should be.

AVP was directed by Paul Anderson, his best film he's made is Mortal Kombat. Why would Fox hire this guy to bring together two acclaimed franchises? AVPR was directed by the Strause Bros who had only directed music videos and commercials and went on to direct another horrid film.

They couldn't have at least got Paul Anderson back? AVP at least had some decent things going for it. AVPR was a cheap B movie with a cast I'd expect in a Friday the 13th film. I don't even get why they did that, AVP tripled it's budget, it didn't bomb so why make the sequel for two thirds the last one?

They couldn't get John Mctiernan to do it? He hasn't made anything in a decade.

Predators however wasn't bad though, the director hadn't really done anything notable either but Rodriguez was the best the franchise had got since Fincher. Movie was made for cheap but wasn't noticeable.

Prometheus had Ridley Scott back and made $400 million so I hope Fox takes another look at the franchise because it went from Oscar worthy directors making big budget acclaimed films that won Oscars to terrible films directed by hacks on a cheap budget with TV level actors.

All they had to do was make AVP in space with marines, R rated, good budget, good director and cast.

[–] Soodinum 11 years ago

"All they had to do was make AVP in space with marines, R rated ..."

They DID that. It was called Aliens. In AVP they brought them to earth (in an isolated area), and in AVP/R they brought them to civilisation. That's progress.

'Then' and 'than' are completely different words and have completely different meanings.

[–] scabab 11 years ago

Aliens didn't have Predators in it...

They needed a movie like Aliens WITH Predators in it aswell like the games had. Setting it in modern day in a pyramid/town with scientists/archaeologists/towns folk is not what they should have done.

[–] Soodinum 11 years ago

Putting it back in space and repeating the marine thing is just rehashing a past formula. The directors wanted to bring the danger closer to the audience by placing it in there here-and-now. And with the weapon being left in AvP2, it completes the circle by hinting at the acceleration of technology on earth that would lead to the Alien franchise. It seems a well thought out and balance approach, arc-wise.

'Then' and 'than' are completely different words and have completely different meanings.

[–] scabab 11 years ago

What'd be so wrong with them rehashing a past formula? Aliens had a great formula that people love. Sequels rehash formulas all the time, T2 did, it's just on a bigger scale due to a bigger budget and better technology. The same could have been said for AVP.

It wouldn't have even been that similar. There'd be Predators in it and it could have been set on a new unique world. Plus it'd have had an 18 year advantage in technology over Aliens.

In Aliens a lot of the time you see marines shooting and only hear aliens screeching or cut to a stationary alien exploding. For AVP they would have had the CGI to make them run all over the place, on the walls or the ceiling, many of them at a time which would have given it an entirely new perspective. They could have had action on a much bigger scale.

As for them wanting to set the movie closer to home that is just an excuse. It was done because setting a movie in a modern day town allows for a significantly lower budget than the movie I'm talking about which would have cost several fold more.

Being that prior to AVP the lastest Alien and Predator films didn't do very well I can't really blame them but they should have taken the chance it would have done well.

[–] Soodinum 11 years ago

There's nothing wrong with rehashing a past element if - all things weighed up and considered - it's the best choice. But space has already been done throughout the Alien flicks, with only the first two Predator movies being set on Earth.

I was watching the extras and the directors were talking about wanting to bring the fight to Earth, and when mixing two franchises they can choose elements from either to shape the current entry. I guess the 'being here' element of the AvP films is part of the Predator franchise they felt needed a walk in the park after the second half of the Alien franchise, set in space, had sort of failed. I'm not saying you're wrong about it being cheaper, but I'm trying to be a bit less cynical about it. Still, I can't claim that they told the truth, 100%.

But it needn't be an either/or; if there is another AvP outing (and I hope there is at least one more), they could take it back into space. But I don't mind there being two of all the films combined that sees the xenomorph on Earth in modern times.

Footnote: cheers for having a civil discussion lol. I might screencap this as it doesn't happen a lot at IMDb.

'Then' and 'than' are completely different words and have completely different meanings.

[–] scabab 11 years ago

Space was done in all the Alien films but 99% of those films were either spent on a ship or in a complex. They haven't shown much in the way of planets except the one from Alien and Aliens and the couple scenes at the start of Alien 3.

In Predators they were on an a game preserve where they hunted different species. For AVP they could have used that same idea and included Aliens into it aswell so it'd have revolved around mercenaries in a jungle defending themselves from both sides.

I'm sure there was a AVP book that had something similar to that.

The movie could have also been set on Earth following Alien Resurrection which left an abrupt ending that we never got a follow up on.

Setting the movie on Earth before these films can just create consistency problems. Apparently the movies aren't even canon anymore.

Either way I think they could have made it into something really good that would have brought the franchise back in a big way but instead they got a poor director to make a fairly small budget PG-13 movie and they blew it. Then far more so with the sequel.

It's good to have a normal discussion though, people tend to be to quick to jump at each others throats.

[–] burtie80 11 years ago

I am with you Scabab. I had always envisioned an AVP film set it space, on a planet, ship or space station. We could have had epic action with tons of aliens running everywhere, and it would have been easy with all the CGI they can do these days.

Okay that setting had been done before but why not do it again? But this time on a grander scale, and take advantage of modern technology to achieve it.

It could be done, although it would be a lot more expensive the film would probably do a lot better than the current AVP films...as long as they get a decent director and story to go with it.

[–] rtodd110 11 years ago

Cause fox studios clearly doesn't give a *beep* about it's franchises
They *beep* up die hard and managed to *beep* on two classic monsters in one film, then release an even worse sequel! Wtf?

I'm sure I'm missing a ton of other screw ups

[–] danniboy24242424 11 years ago

I agree with Soodinum. AVP and AVPR might be bad, but setting them in space with Marines would be too similar to Aliens.

I also think that setting it in modern times and in a town is more threatening. The people are more relatable every day people, as opposed to Marines or Mercenaries that can defend themselves better.

It's always interesting in movies when everyday townspeople are thrown into the mix with monsters/aliens/robots.

[–] raziel798 11 years ago

You could easily relate to marines in Aliens and feel bad for each of them.
And none in AVPR is any form or shape something we could relate.

[–] adrenachrome 11 years ago

In the first Predator film, the girl states the Predators are attracted to conflict and heat. It would be easy to set something up in say...modern day Iran or Iraq, US Marines fighting insurgents, when the Predator(s) arrive, forcing the two opposing sides to work together to fight a larger/common enemy.

Heck, you could set it just about anywhere that is hot, Cambodia, Laos, Rhodesia, Angola, take your pick.