IN "Alien vs. Predator 2 (AvP2)," the iconic creatures from two of the scariest film franchises in movie history wage their most brutal battle ever – in our own backyard. "AvP2" exists in a familiar landscape – a town’s dark sewers, its rain-soaked streets, the concrete jungle of its electrical plant, and a hospital maternity ward – that become battlefields beyond the townspeople’s worst nightmare.

The sci-fi, action-thriller movie captures the magic of the "Alien vs. Predator (AVP)" comics, novels, and video games that established the "AVP" brand – while paying homage to the hallmarks of the film series that preceded it: Ridley Scott’s seminal work of sci-fi and horror, "Alien," Maes Cameron’s masterpiece of intense action and John McTiernan’s thriller about an extra-terrestrial warrior wreaking havoc in the jungle, "Predator." At the same time "AVP" introduces an intriguing element new to the franchise, by having the aliens and predator wage war in a small American town.

Bringing these elements together are directors known as The Brothers Strause, Colin and Greg, whose visual effects house, Hydraulx, is renowned for its computer-generated wizardy on films such as "300," "X-Men: The Last Stand," and "Fantastic Four."

Another element new to the long-running franchise is the character Predalien. The Predalien’s film debut in "Alien vs. Predator," along with its look, had been the subject of much fan speculation, and tight security surrounded the creature’s concept and design. The creature is not really a predator/alien hybrid. It is an alien that incubated inside a predator, taking on some characteristics of the host body. (It’s about 80 % alien and 20% predator.) It has the Alien’s exoskeleton, acid blood, scorpion-like tail and inner tongue/striking mouth. On the predator side, it has an additional predator-like mandible, and an Alien-ized version of predator’s dreadlocks. More significantly, its predator DNA has changed the alien’s method of procreation. Forgoing the creature’s traditional Queen – egg – face-hugger - chest-buster -adult cycle, the Predalien has an even more aggressive and efficient breeding system.