ALIENS VS. PREDATOR (aka AVP) was a disappointment. The sequel, ALIENS VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM (aka AVPR), is a disappointment on some levels while being better in other areas than AVP. I did enjoy watching AVPR in the theater, but it is so easy to take apart. It has definite problems.

First, I'll tell the basic plot. The predator ship from the end of AVP crash lands in the forest oustide of some American town (as the result of that Preadtor Alien wrecking havoc on the hsip). The first victims of the aliens are a hunter and his son and some homeless people. A lone predator is sent to dispatch the aliens (I wonder why only one- they should have explained that one). So the aliens start causing problems to the town in no time as the military get ready to deal witha way to contain it.

AVPR is fast and action-packed. It can make you jump and the alien fights against the humans and the predator work sometimes. However, the script is full of cliche characters belonging to some other film. You have the teenager infighting plot and the cex-con brother trying to find a job and so many other clutter that I could tear apart all day. They don't even bother to develop the military mom home from Iraq in any detail. They could have used her character to do more instead of focusing on an ex-con and his younger brother (who pines over a blond who gets killed anyway). AVPR could have used more character development and more suspense (slow the movie down, Strause Brothers). The little fanboy nod at the end is cool. As a mindless popcorn action movie, AVPR works great. As a follow-up to AVP and the other Alien and Predator films, it is a little weak. Maybe it is time for Fox to restart the Alien and Predator film series instead of another potentionally lame AVP sequel. The script read bad and the trailer looked cool. It just that AVPR could have been so much better.

this movie review is (c)1-2-2008 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com  


look for additional content at http://enterline-media.tripod.com  and http://enterlinemedia.livejournal.com