ALIENS VS PREDATOR: REQUIEM
Directors: Colin and Greg Strause Stars: Steven Pasquale, Johnny Lewis, Reiko Aylesworth, Kristen hagen, John Ortiz, Sam Trammell, David paetkau, Tom Woodruff jr, Ian Whyte, Robert Joy
Reviewed by GREG KING
In what is becoming an alarming trend, yet another video game adaptation hits our screens. Taking its cue from the popular video game, the original Alien Vs Predator pitted the slimy, nasty creature from Alien against the vicious alien creature from Predator in a battle to the death. That confrontation took place under the Antarctic ice shelf.
For this unnecessary sequel the battleground is the town of Gunnison, in the American heartland. The population of this typically peaceful small town becomes collateral damage in the violent battle waged between the aliens and the predator. While the National Guard rush to the rescue and are quickly wiped out, a small band of townsfolk gather together to battle their way out of town.
The natural leader of this small group is bad boy Dallas (played by Steven Pasquale, from tv series like Six Feet Under, etc), who has just returned home after being released from prison. The group also includes his younger brother Ricky (Johnny Lewis), Jesse (Kristen Hagen) and Kelly (Reiko Aylesworth), a soldier who has just returned from a tour of duty in Iraq, and her young daughter. Most of the rest of the characters are walking cliches just waiting their turn to be slaughtered in horrible fashion.
Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem is pretty nasty and unpleasant stuff, and was not previewed before its release, which speaks volumes about its quality. However, it delivers plenty of gory action and thrills that will please the fans of this sort of thing and those familiar with the whole Alien Vs Predator mythology. The film has been efficiently directed by Colin and Greg Strause, who are jointly credited here as the Brothers Strause. They hail from a background in commercial and visual effects, having worked on films like The Fantastic Four, 300, Titanic and The Day After Tomorrow, etc, and it shows in their sometimes slick handling of the undeniably formulaic material.
**
Reviewed by PETER MALONE
Aliens bad. Predators good. Victims humans.
In Alien V Predator in 2004, film-makers drew on the popular series of Alien films as well as the less distinguished Predator films. The two strange monstrous groups engaged in battle in the Antarctic with collateral damage for humans.
This special effects dominated sequel re-runs the same basic plot except that the attack is in Colorado and (with the help of the IMDb synopsis outline rather than the confusing film itself much of which occurs in the dark) aliens come to earth, destroy all but one predator who then tries to turn the table on the aliens who are infiltrating humans, killing them off as well as doing multiple repeats of that famous scene in the original Alien where the monster emerges from John Hurts stomach.
There is a group of less than interesting humans along with a poor sheriff who is trying to make sense of what is happening. But, this is one of those films where nice people (and children and a pregnant mother) are attacked by the aliens not just the nasty characters.
Lots of special effects (this has been the previous career of the two brother directors), some shock editing and a rousing highly orchestrated score. It is really only for those obsessed with this kind of science fiction.
Reviewed by MARCUS SINCLAIR
It is absolutely amazing that a film of the calibre of Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem got made. Sure the sets and settings are superb, but from start to finish it is almost unintelligible. The basic story line level is exceptionally thin. Characters are introduced with a bit of background history, the impression being that they will be parts of a sub-plot that will eventually merge into the main, but it never happens. They are just "named" fodder for the Nasties. Also, filmed either at night or in the rain with quick sharp editing, it is often difficult to see and grasp what is actually going on and why. And to add to this confusion, the monsters are look-a-likes (especially in the last "great battle" scene).
The framing is tight throughout with an abundance of close-ups of various body parts, the emphasis being on mouths laden with fangs; and there is a deluge of suffering - ranging from babies, pregnant women, children, and men and women of all ages. Blood and gore flow like water as in a winter(?) downpour. Yet the strange thing about it all is that it doesn't shock - it bores. The directors, Colin and Greg Strause, may be fanatical Alien and Predator fans, but they have a long away to go to sweep audiences along with their enthusiasm.
The session I was at was poorly attended. The six or eight hoons sitting behind only stopped talking for a few moments during the swimming pool scene, panting in expectation, and the sweet young thing sitting three or four seats down kept switching her mobile phone on and off for the entire session. The other patrons just seemed to be sitting there dozing in the cool well away from the searing heat outside. All, even yours truly, would have been better off elsewhere anywhere than at Aliens Vs Predator: Requiem.