Reel Review Roundup

Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem (MA)

Directed by: Colin and Greg Strause

Starring: Johnny Lewis, Reiko Aylesworth, Steven Pasquale

One star

Review by: Julian Wright

One has to wonder what has become of cinema when we have to endure a sequel to a horrible film that pitted two creatures from separate franchises against each other. When Freddy Vs. Jason became a runaway hit, 20^th Century Fox put Alien and Predator together, an idea that had been kicking around Hollywood for years.

They were lucky to find success and thanks to the countless teenage boys that saw Alien Vs. Predator four years ago, we now have another one. Virtually ignoring the plot from Alien Vs. Predator in which we discovered both species are at war with each other, this sequel begins with a predator ship crash landing on earth.

One of them was impregnated with an alien that burst through its chest and ran amuck causing the ship’s descent into bushland near a small Colorado town. Now the aliens are loose on earth for the first time and multiplying. Added danger comes from the new breed Predalien, a hybrid of both species.

The unsuspecting town’s folk include Ricky (Johnny Lewis), a troubled teenager who has a crush on the town hottie. Unfortunately, she is going out with a jerk who likes to beat Ricky up and torment him for fun. Kelly (Reiko Aylesworth) has just returned home in full army uniform to her husband and daughter. Her daughter does not feel close because of her mum’s constant absence.

There is a handful more that eventually band together when the action hits home. They must try to survive the war between the two gooey creatures and get out of town alive. But to call these cardboard cutouts characters would be a gross exaggeration.

The first Alien Vs. Predator trashed both franchises by putting them in a film with lousy dialogue and weak characters. The only thing it had going for it were the impressive battle scenes between the creatures and the special effects that brought them alive. Technology has come a long way since a skinny African squeezed into a rubber suit for the first Alien 30 years ago.

This lame sequel does little to out-do its predecessor, resulting in a dull rehash. Despite more gore, violence and a higher body count, the action sequences are boring and unimaginative. They are filmed entirely in semi-darkness and pouring rain making it difficult to see what is going on.

The only thing this film strives for is the world record for most kills with people getting bumped off every two minutes. But with no character development, there isn’t a shred of suspense.

As appeared in Examiner Newspapers, January 2008.

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