Alien vs. Predator (2004)

Two of the scariest monsters in movie history walk into a PG-13 movie, and the movie checks their teeth at the door. Alien vs. Predator is the playground argument every kid had, settled by somebody who never played. The humans are scientists and drillers whose main job is standing near walls waiting to be ambushed. The pyramid under the ice is a great idea, with rooms that rearrange on a timer like a giant puzzle box, but everything inside is lit like a basement with one working bulb. When the two species finally square off, the fights are short and chopped into confetti. Sanaa Lathan is the reason to keep watching. Her Lex is calm, capable and the only person who reads the room. It made $177.4 million worldwide on a reported $60 to $70 million, and critics gave it 21% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 3.4 because the matchup deserved a real movie. $246 says you draw up a bracket of movie monsters before bed and give the Predator a first-round bye.

What works: Sanaa Lathan makes Lex a calm, smart lead, and the shifting pyramid is a genuinely cool setting for a monster brawl.

What doesn’t: The human characters are disposable, the fights are cut too fast to follow, and the murky lighting hides most of what you came to see.

Who it’s for: Monster fans who own the action figures and need to see this matchup on screen, even done badly.