Review of Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007) by Godgrinder1 — 26 Nov 2020

I'm going to preface this review with this disclaimer: I have been a rabid Predator and Aliens vs. Predator fan since I was 11. When I first saw the Alien skull in the trophy case in "Predator 2," I often held out hope that one day the budgeting, the special-effects wizardry, and a gigantic performance actor (R.I.P. Kevin Peter Hall) would be available to bring my favorite comic book franchise of all time to the silver screen. I got my wish in 2004.

The first AvP was a bit of a let-down (PG-13????!!!!!) in some respects, but a valiant effort in others. Paul Anderson did what he could to incorporate many aspects of the AvP mythos into the plot line (the first comic series, the video game, etc.), but it still kind of fizzled out in a lot of ways. The plot holes and crappy acting aside, I was beside myself seeing these iconic monsters battling it out before my eyes. And the emergence of the Predalien at the end literally left me salivating for a sequel.

Fast forward 3 years and now we have "AvP:R." I'm not going to lie; when I first saw the trailer on YouTube last August, the thought of waiting four months to see this movie was almost too much to bear. That's how good it looked, even compared to the first AvP. This film picks up directly where the first left off, which spares us the agony of "plot development" and instead dives straight into the balls-out extra-terrestrial ultra-violence that we all paid to see. And for those who complain about the "lack of plot," when you view the two parts as a whole, the first movie ended as the plot was still building. Maybe that helps, maybe it doesn't.

All in all, most of the criticisms levied against this film are dead-on; two-dimensional characters, phoned-in performances, violence for violence's sake. Big deal. If you're the kind of person who experienced some sort of existential crisis when "Dumb and Dumber" didn't provide the answers to all of life's burning questions, then watching this movie is going to be extremely painful for you. The rest of us just want to have fun. Besides, look at the source material: While the premise was great, the comic book series aren't especially well-written (not counting, of course, the very first series from 1991 and Chris Claremont's "Deadliest of the Species" series from 1993-1994). Bottom line: This ain't Sundance and it sure as hell ain't Shakespeare in the Park, okay? The deficiency of the human actors notwithstanding, I really enjoyed some of the stuff they did with the Predator character this time around: A glimpse into their homeworld, dual shoulder-cannons, and an overall badassitude delivered in spades as the Aliens are dispatched in the nastiest manner possible. Very, very entertaining to watch and it had the little Predator-nerd in me jumping with glee.

My only REAL problem with the film was the ending. The climactic showdown between the Predator and the Predalien was a bit anti-climactic. And the fight doesn't really matter anyway because they both get caught in a fireball after the Army orders a nuclear strike to "contain the area" (since when does the Army have the authority to dispatch F-22's?.....Oh, and in case you were wondering, the Colorado National Guard is not based in Colorado Springs. I live in Colorado Springs. I know.). At any rate, the nuke was a chicken$#it way to end the movie. I would have liked to have seen the Predator kill the Predalien and then find a way to stow onto the helicopter (GET TO THE CHOPPA!!) so as to escape the blast. But NOOOOOOOO. That wouldn't be fair to the Alien fans!! Pfft.

All in all, this isn't the worst sci-fi movie ever made. I think that title could definitely be reserved for "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" or even "Supernova." This movie is fun, it's flashy, and it's gory. Don't read too much into it because you'll only be disappointed.

A couple of side notes: Being a Colorado native, I would venture to guess that the decision to make Gunnison the backdrop for this film is quite appropriate being that the town is a major hub for hundreds of elk "hunters" from all over the state and the country.

Also, if you've ever been to Gunnison, you know that there are worse ways to end a movie than having that town get blown up by a nuclear bomb.