The increased gore and violence over the first Alien vs. Predator can't excuse Requiem's disorientating editing, excessively murky lighting, and lack of new ideas.
The increased gore and violence over the first Alien vs. Predator can't excuse Requiem's disorientating editing, excessively murky lighting, and lack of new ideas.
Visual effects specialists Greg and Colin Strause both make their feature directorial debut with this no-holds-barred monster mash that attempts to set itself apart from the 2004 Paul W.S. Anderson original by serving as a straight-up sci-fi horror scarefest. The aliens (and a predator) have landed on planet Earth, and small-town America is about to become the scene of an epic interstellar showdown. As these two breeds of cosmic killers clash in the small-town streets Gunnison, CO, the locals
are sent running for their lives. From the murky sewers to the rain-soaked streets, Gunnison has become a total bloodbath. Nowhere is safe, especially from the unstoppable new hybrid known as the "predalien." Now, as the once-quiet community of Gunnison is overrun by Aliens, the only hope for humankind is a fierce hunter from the deepest reaches of space. But this predator is far from a benevolent savior of the human race, because he'll kill any man, woman, or child who gets in the way of his mission to destroy every last alien under these stormy Colorado skies. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Occasionally, the filmmakers reveal a cheeky willingness to upend genre conventions, particularly when bending the rules regarding who lives and who dies in this sort of pic.
The action is rendered with such disconcertingly low light levels -- and of course there is heavy rain for the climatic sequences -- that it can be a strain to simply see what is occurring on-screen. Then again, maybe that's for the best.
Aliens VS Predator - Requiem is the second film in the over hyped and under performing crossover series, which brings nothing new to the table while tarnishing the franchises' original films.
Well, it's official: the Road to Hell is pretty much paved over ... the Strause Brothers ... expressed their [good] intention to return to the dark, scary tone of 1979's Alien, yet Requiem is just about as bad as its 2004 predecessor.
Too underlit to qualify as splatter, too bloodless to qualify as fun, too unaware of its own idiocy to be enjoyed Grindhouse-style, AvP:R is a real education in the finer stratifications of badness.
There's also [in the add'l release material] an informative look at the Predator Homeworld, which is something never before seen in any of the previous franchise offerings.
The 'unrated' moniker may lead you to believe that there is a whole lot of extra gore in this DVD version as opposed to the theatrical cut. This is not the case.
I'm left wondering why I felt like I was watching two different movies that never quite came together as a parallel arc beyond the clunky "They're all fighting personal wars" motif...
Aliens vs. Predator - Requiem is literally shrouded in darkness, and the only explicable reason for this pitch-black visual schema is that the filmmakers understood it was better if no one could see the **** they were shooting.
With a spike in the gore quotient, hardcore fans left baying for Paul WS Anderson's blood after the first AVP may be happy. Those interested in anything more than a barely comprehensible bitch-slap between two ill-treated icons should take a rain-check.
This feature directing debut from former visual effects men Colin and Greg is enjoyable enough in rudimentary tension/splatter/scrap terms, but it still doesn't live up to its heritage.
Possibly good action movie and gorefest was hammpered by poor acting and one of the worst visually shot films in decades. Way too dark and almost impossible to make anything out.
I'll credit Requiem for bringing the much needed gore that Alien vs. Predator didn't deliver. But yes, it is pretty much the first film again and basically a very disorienting dull film otherwise anyway. Two rights have made a wrong yet again.
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