Review of Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007) by Trainmaster-3 — 26 Nov 2020

I'll have to agree with other reviews I've read that the plot is kind of poor, but when you've got the Universe's most virulent biological weapon loose on Earth, being hunted by Rasta on super steroids, and puny humans caught in the middle, who needs a plot? BTW fellows, if your wife wants to have another child and you ain't thrilled with the prospect, take her to see this movie. Even as a long time fan of the Alien franchise, I found the nursery scene to be a bit unnerving!

Touching on the weak points first, aside from the absence of plot, there were a couple of other things that I have to pick on. First off, since when did the gestation for the Aliens get so short? In the last two AvP movies, it looks like minutes instead of hours or even days like in the original Alien movies. Two, other than Alien fodder, why were such useless characters like the Blond girl, the Stoners, and the Careless Guy, put into this movie? It was obvious from the moment they stepped on screen (and from the trailers) that caring in any way for those characters was going to be like getting to know the Red-Shirted Ensigns from Star Trek!

But, as I indicated by the rating, there is more to like than to dislike. There are a few "shadow" scenes that vaguely reference the other movies in the Alien and Predator franchises: The Predator "praying" over a fallen comrade (Predator 2); an Alien "examining" a potential victim (Alien 3); the Predalien peering through the medical curtain at it's next victim (Alien 3); an Alien plays fish in the town swimming pool (Alien Ressurrection); the Aliens scream, screech, and move like the ones from Aliens. The action scenes were perfect, and I actually found the tension building and the heartbeat hastening during the earth-shattering final confrontation! Also, the way the Predator showed off his hunting skills, which were far superior to any of the Hunter's we have seen before, made you almost want to cheer for the him.

I don't know if there will be another movie in the Alien, Predator, or AvP franchises, or even if we need another movie, but AvP Requiem is a fine addition, worthy of it's name.