Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem Review

Written by: alex1176   

A fast, loud and stylish sequel to the 2004 Paul Anderson cheesefest. Directed by the Brothers Strause (music vid guys making their movie debut), the film is everything an AVP fan could possibly hope for. It's a slam-bang action thrill ride that is perhaps the best movie in either franchise since James Cameron's "Aliens". And yes, I really do mean that.

The movie picks up right after AVP left off. But unlike that film, "Requeim" does not carry a crappy PG-13 rating; it definitely earns its 'R'. However, it's not quite as gory nor as intense as the vicious trailer implies. Still, the film unfolds at a breakneck pace and fans will certainly appreciate the skilled direction and kick-ass action that never lets up. But fans of serious cinema will probably give the plot a major thumbs down because it follows the same usual formula of disaster flicks: a ragtag group of everyday citizens ban together to survive the creatures of the night. Some of them live and some of them die. In "Requiem", that group consists of a retired Army ranger, her family, a policeman and high-school teenagers.

I really liked the moody, "X-Files"-esque photography by Daniel Pearl (who shot "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and its remake) and the updated looks of both the Predator and the Aliens. The fight sequences between the two monsters are truly awesome, but the Predalien isn't shown in bright detail. You just have to imagine how grotesque the hyrbid creature truly is. Overall, this sequel is a much better film than the original. It may not be a masterpiece, but it's a fun way to spend an hour and a half at the movies.