Are movie critics really necessary? The answer, of course, is a resounding and unequivocal yes.

Their presence is crucial to the maintenance of a free and fair democracy. Nonetheless, 20th Century Fox has gone some way towards proving that the studios, at least, can get by without them. Alien vs Predator - whose plot should require no further explanation - premièred in the US last week without any press screenings. The result? A $38 million opening weekend. This cannot be right.