An honest overview of the original four Alien and two Predator movies, and the first two movies in the AVP spinoff franchise, from a long-term fan of both series! Covering every film from the original 1979 ALIEN movie up to the 2007 blockbuster sequel ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM

ALIEN (1979)

Ridley Scott's timeless masterpiece really hasn't dated, and despite the fate of everyone aboard the Nostromo being known to film fans already, it still packs quite a punch. The iconic visuals, featuring the Alien and Alien ship designs by the legendary HR Giger, are still breathtaking, and the direction is impeccable, as you would expect from Scott. An absolute masterclass in terms of atmosphere, this is a must-see in every possible sense. This first film of the franchise quickly became a benchmark for countless other lesser imitators. The use of light and dark is of particular note- Scott tricks his viewer s into believing there is much more happening onscreen than is actually shown, which is an inspired and sorely missed aspect of classic film making. An odd mix of science fiction and gothic horror, 'Alien' is a true original. Much copied, it is yet to be equalled, and proibably never will be.

ALIENS (1986)

James Cameron helmed the incredibly satisfying follow-up. The focus was much more on action and spectacle, but Cameron's blockbuster didn't let the characters become stale, giving us real tension as our heroes are picked off one by one by the eponymous creatures. The Powerloader Vs Alien Queen scene at the film's action-packed climax is thrilling to this day, and Ripley's determination to win is amazing. The film is very fast paced and barely lets up for its lengthy duration, which really isn;t an issue as you are so engrossed in what is going on. The desperate, all-or-nothing battle at the end is compelling and has stood the test of time very well. A triumph.

ALIEN 3 (1992)

David Fincher brought us this bleak and claustrophobic third entry in the series. Set on a distant and isolated penal colony populated by killers, lunatics and various psychopaths, the reawakened Ripley again faced the feral titan. Only one Alien is present in the movie, which is great, as it makes the threat seem even more real and desperate. The finale, with Ripley's iconic suicide as the Alien Queen chestburster rips through her ribcage, is unforgettable. A highly underrated film, this is an incredibly tense piece of science fiction drama, which many moviemakers could do well to study. Boasting a mainly English cast and a very English setting (the bleak penal colony sets are superb, filthy, depressing and almost steampunk in their execution. You really believe the place could exist), Alien 3 is a tense exercise in visual storytelling. Similar in tone to the first film, it really does feel like the natural successor to the original, even taking the excellent second film into account.

ALIEN: RESURRECTION (1997)

Jeane-Pierre Jeunet was responsible for the fourth film's direction, with a script by Buffy creator Joss Whedon. While it carried an ingenious visual style and some great scenes, the lacklustre script and clunky acting from much of the cast left fan opinion divided. It is an enjoyable popcorn movie, but after what came before, it falls short of being great. The hybrid Ripley storyline may be very predictable, but it did deliver a new take on the franchise and some good thrills along the way. Sadly, it didn't perform well enough to be an enormous hit, which is what the backers wanted, and the Alien series was subsequently shelved.

PREDATOR (1987)

The original, Schwarzenegger starring combat romp was a great story of survival against a seemingly unstoppable foe. By the end of the film, there's just Arnie and the Predator left standing for the ultimate faceoff, and the outcome, while predictable, is very satisfying to watch. The original Predator in this film comes across as a lethal, ninja-like killer capable of terrifying malice, all in the name of sport. The early scenes of the creature's trail of destruction are stomach churning- who can ever forget the sight of those soldiers, their skin ripped off and their corpses gutted and hung upside down in the jungle? An iconic movie that has sadly had its potency watered down by what would later become the Alien Vs Predator franchise.

PREDATOR 2 (1990)

Danny (co-star of Lethal Weapon) Glover headed up this very by-the-numbers sequel. The action was moved from the jungle to Los Angeles, and the Predator creature is loose on the streets. Even without Arnie, this sequel is still a fun way to spend 90 minutes, even if it doesn't quite match the ferocity of iwhat came before it, or indeed the delicious tension. Where it did improve on the original film was in the higher amount of screen time given to the Predator, which was great for fans. The setting of a big city as opposed to a jungle does mostly work in the movie's favour- giving the alien hunter much more of a playground to cause mayhem in.

AVP: ALIEN VS PREDATOR (2004)

The film that had been rumoured for a decade opened to a great deal of fuss and made a ton at the box office despite its scathing (and many would say justified) reviews. Once the initial frenzy around the movie had died down, the empty plot and nonexistent script became the stuff of legend. What it did have was some very exciting set pieces that hooked less cerebral fans the world over. What the film lacked in story it more than made up for in spectacle. The battles between the Aliens and Predators are superb, if more in the vein of superhero/comic book movies than their original screen incarnations. A fan favourite for sure, but more a Hollywood blockbuster than a serious science fiction statement.

AVPR- ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM (2007)

Otherworldly horror came to a small American town in this oddly-plotted sequel. The violence was raised to an all-new level of graphic gore, as was the request of AVP1's detractors. Again aimed squarely at the popcorn blockbuster audience, it lacks a decent script (or indeed much of a script at all) and has an almost music-video style direction. The bloodied set-pieces come thick and fast, like mad tangles of unfurled intestines. While the viewer may not care one bit for the human characters (which was kind of the point with the original Alien flicks), the scenes featuring the Aliens and Predator are gripping and exciting in equal measure. No doubt a third film will be on its way before long, as there is still an insatiableappetite for these chilling extra terrestrial killers, even when the films they show up in a so below par.

Want Aliens and Predators battling for supremacy right on your shelf? There's a chilling swarm of figures and collectibles out there, and the three companies that monopolize the Alien and Predator collectibles scene are undoubtedly McFarlane, Neca and Sideshow.

MCFARLANE TOYS

Comic legend Todd McFarlane's famous action figure powerhouse has been responsible for some incredible Alien and Predator items ever since getting the licence to make them. As part of the Movie Maniacs 5 range all the way back in 2002, McFarlane Toys brought out the Alien V Predator box set, way before the first AVP movie was even announced (the set was created from fan demand alone). This became a long-running hit for the company. In 2003 came their release of Movie Maniacs 6, consisting solely of Aliens and Preadtor characters, namely the Dog Alien, Alien Warrior, Predator the Hunter, Predator and the superb Alien Queen box set. This set of figures is now out of production and thus highly collectible.

In 2004 figures from the first AVP movie were unleashed. Featuring both Scar and Celtic Predators as well as a Predator Elder, Grid Alien and Battle Alien. The figure range was a hit, figures flying out of the stores faster than they could be restocked. Expertly made and packaged, they caught the imagination of the AVP audience despite the ropey film. An Alien and Predator 'Refreshed' series also came out, featuring the Alien, Predator, Predator the Hunter, warrior Alien and 12 inch versions of both creatures. A second set of AVP action figures was released in 2005, this time presented as a collection of dioramas, looking much cooler than the regular articulated action figures. This set contained ALIEN ATTACKS PREDATOR, CELTIC PREDATOR THROWS ALIEN, ALIEN QUEEN WITH BASE, PREDATOR WITH BASE and the remarkable BIRTH OF THE HYBRID BOXED SET, depicting the final moments of AVP1. 2006 saw the last of McFarlane's Alien output with the Alien 3D movie poster, which was part of their range of sculpted renditions of famous posters and covers.

NECA

The licensed merchandise megalith NECA offer some incredible collectibles including Alien and Predator headknockers, poseable action figures and more. The headknockers, despite their humourous oversized heads, were sculpted to a very high level and packaged accordingly. The facehugger headknocker just looked weird (which it should!). The Predator came in both masked and unmasked versions, giving fans a choice of which one to have nodding away on their shelf. High quality figures from the second AVP movie (AVPR/Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem) arrived at the turn of 2008. The initial range consisted of an Alien Warrior and two versions of the Predalien hybrid creature (one with open mandibles and the other with closed mandibles). A second wave including two versions of the Predator (one masked and the other unmasked)was released in February 2008, and a third set, containing a 'Stealth' Predator and another unmasked Predator with a load of new accessories, are due this summer.

SIDESHOW COLLECTIBLES

The serious collector heads to Sideshow Collectibles. The quality of their products is magnificent. Their ranges of high-end Aliens and Predator collectible items aren't the cheapest around, but their prices are justified. The workmanship is astounding, as is the presentation of everything they produce, which has earned them their much deserved reputation. The ranges of Alien and Predator merchandise have included: Dioramas, statues, busts, maquettes and more. These have all arrived to a great deal of fanfare from fans and those in the trade alike - you simply have to visit the Sideshow Collectibles site to check out the massive range of items available. The statues are a marvel to behold - all with exquisite sculpts and original poses, fantastically produced display bases, and an unsurpassed attention to the minutiae and details of each creature.

There is a universe of Aliens and Predator collectible items out there for the serious fan and collector, all of which have their merits, and all of which can be acquired online. Some may be harder than others to find, but they are out there, skulking in the shadows, waiting to pounce and take your shelves for their own!!!