Back in 2004 the first movie to combine Alien and Predator was unleashed upon the masses. When that project was first announced it had fans of both series (including me) excited. Unfortunately the R-rated universe was cut to PG-13, and the possibility of an epic struggle between two classic cinematic monsters was reduced to the equivalent of a video game. What should have been exciting, action packed, suspenseful, and, again, epic, wound up being anything but.
Sure, the film was fun at its base level, but there is such great potential that felt wasted. Now, three years later, the big-screen conflict has been renewed with Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem (or AVP-R for the spelling impaired). Is it better than the first? Yes and no. It does go about correcting some of the things that didn't work in the first, but it has plenty of its own problems to deal with.
This movie takes place shortly after the end of the first film. The Predators are leaving with their wounded comrade, but before they can get too far, an Alien/Predator hybrid, a Predalien if you will, bursts from within and the small craft they are on crashes into the woods of Colorado. Word of the crash reaches the Predator homeworld and a lone warrior jets off to Earth to clean up the mess. While the Predator is en route, the Predalien is running roughshod through the woods, while the facehuggers that were on the crashed ship start hooking up with whatever hosts they can find, spawning more of the gooey critters.
While the travel time elapses and more Alien critters burst forth from random human hosts, we are introduced to this entry's human characters. Among them are recently returned ex-convict Dallas (Rescue Me's Steven Pasquale), his annoying younger brother Ricky (Johnny Lewis), recently returned Iraq vet Kelly (24's Reiko Aylesworth), lost looking sheriff Morales (John Ortiz), and Ricky's love interest Jesse (Kristen Hager).
Now, ask me if I care about any of them. Let me give you the quick answer: I don't. I do not care about any of these so-called humans, particularly when they start spitting the drivel someone gave the label of “script.”
Article comments