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A movie directed by Colin Strause and Greg Strause
< read all 10 reviewsThanks goodness I'm not the only one who thinks they need to watch this with night vision
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May 21, 2008
- by MzJen_2_review
Rating:
This is one of the worst films I have ever seen (try to see) and a shameful abuse of one of the greatest movie monsters of all time. The Alien is no longer scary. Gone is the elegance. Gone is the menace and chilling patience. Made by people who know how to make FX but have no real idea about how to make a movie. I sometimes wondered if they were making fun of what had gone before, like a Zucker/Abrams flick as it seemed to veer into what could be construed as parody. Sadly, no.
-3
I knew going in it would be bad, and that it would probably be yet another nail in the coffin of my favorite sci-fi sequels ("Alien" in my case, though I do enjoy the "Predator" films). I had seen the "redband" trailer, and stared in horror at its frenetic menagerie of 80s teen slasher clichés; I even watched the "exclusive" online clip of the film's first five minutes, and hoped that they had been edited down from a better-paced original (as it turned out, they had not). But even so, I gave the movie a shot. Why? I'm not sure. Perhaps because if a beloved artifice that one has admired for years is to be systematically dismantled and thrown on the trash heap, one should be there to watch it burn. At least, I thought, with my expectations this low, this movie's directors would have to try very hard to undercut them.
They did. I mean really, they must have tried hard. It takes some kind of effort to take two of the most durable mythologies in modern scifi and make them a backdrop to a pizza guy's coming of age. Seriously. That is the only discernible story-arc in this entire film. Truth be told I could forgive even that if the characters hadn't came pre-assembled right out of the teen movie stock barrel. Instead this film spends 40 minutes trying to make us care whether Smarmy Teen gets it off with Hot Blonde before Blond Bully Ex-Boyfriend finds out. Thank God he has Troubled Ex-Con Brother (who trumps in along with his buddy, Nice Cop) to help him out once the aliens (who arrive courtesy of "disturbing" evisceration of Happy Hunting Dad and his son, Curious Preteen) start to take out the population (such as Mumbling Bum Who No One Will Ever Believe and Dense Cop Who Keeps Looking In The Dark After Everyone Else Has Left). They soon meet up with Screaming Bereft Mother and Military Chick, who saves her daughter Cute Little Girl after her husband Wussy New Man is vivisected in line with tradition.
Honestly, with this zoo of automated plot-bots to manage, how do the aliens and the predators (actually a Predator) get a look in? Well in truth, they don't. Very little time is spent developing either character (and let's face it, since neither character actually talks, that isn't surprising) and any tension built up between them is quickly dissipated as the film returns to the interminable "I Know What You Did Last Summer" slasher plot. I'm not sure what sort of budget this had but you can see that money spent on each subsequent Alien or Predator film is getting less & less, with average special effects, no name actors, bland locations & surprisingly cheap looking production values. Please stop embarrassing yourselves even further.
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woopak_the_thrill
October 22, 2010
Hi, Jen-jay!
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More ALIENS VS. PREDATOR Requiem reviews
Sorry folks, no review, mostly because I'm lazy and this movie doesn't deserve one. This movie is just another contribution to the downfall of two awesome characters who captured the imaginations of moviegoers, turning genuinely awesome movies into a series of slasher movies. Requiem makes no effort at all to hide what it really is. The characters are cliched, the scenes are cliched and shot in inky, rainy darkness and seizure-inducing blinking lights, and everyone has to meet somewhere for a last … more
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Compliments (3)
review by A1CJonathanLane.
February 23, 2010
Man, good thing I don't read all the reviews for a movie before seeing it, because I may have skipped over this film altogether. What is all the complaining about? How is this film anything but good? Sure it does get a little cheesy at points, hence why I docked it a star, but for the most part I enjoyed this movie immensely. After the disaster that was AVP - Alien Vs. Predator (Widescreen Edition) I was really looking forward to seeing this film take a bad franchise that had promise and fulfill … more
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review by NicanorJourney.
December 14, 2009
Aliens Versus Predator - Requiem (or AVP: R for short)...where to begin with this piece of cinematic garbage? First I'll begin with saying that I am a huge fan of the Alien franchise of movies and find the Predator franchise fun, but nothing really more than blockbuster films. Secondly I'd like to say most movies I find some redeeming value in, be it silly, or serious. From Ed Wood to films to many others of that nature there are bad films that you might find entertaining in their sheer absurdity. … more
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Compliments (12)
ALIEN VS. PREDATOR had a fairly successful box-office take; good enough to spawn this sequel; ALIEN VS. PREDATOR: REQUIEM. Purists were very disappointed with W.S. Anderson's version being rated PG-13 (Fox tried to make amends with an unrated dvd) and that the film didn't follow the essence of past Alien or Predator films. I am not defending Anderson's take whatsoever, but his version had a "comicbook" feel because hey, the idea came from a comic book by Dark Horse Comics. AVP: Requiem … more
Comments (4)
Compliments (39)
review by Husher315.
February 23, 2009
This was one of those movies that I would have regretted spending ten bucks on at the movie theater, but was a lot of fun to watch at home on a big t.v. and a nice surround sound system. It had a lot of awesome action which included the Predator kicking a lot of alien ass. The however came the scenes with humans and an attempt at a plot. Ya, not so much. That was one thing I enjoyed about the original AVP; they didn't really pretend to have plot with that movie, it was a just a lot of … more
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Compliments (7)
Pros: Yay special effects Cons: The rest of the movie The Bottom Line: I hoped for so much more. Nothing "good," but certainly not this. Plot Details: This opinion reveals everything about the movie's plot. We all knew the first Alien vs. Predator was going to be lame. It was. But it was still ridiculously fun. And we all knew AvP: Requiem would be lame. But I think many of us underestimated just how craptastic this movie would … more
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Compliments (36)
Sometimes the second time around is better. In the case of Alien Vs. Predator-Requiem, the second time around is about the same. Sure, the gore, violence, language and terror get an upgrade, but there's still something missing. This sequel picks up the story from the very end of the first film, where the alien/predator hybrid, dubbed the "Predalien" by the cool kids, wreaks havoc on the Predator ship and it crash lands in a sleepy little Colorado town. Once it crashes, Alien facesuckers quickly … more
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Compliments (12)
When it comes to the Alien vs Predator films I have come to realise that if you're a hardcore Sci-Fi fan or a hardcore AVP fan then you will not like this movie. The Story: The predator ship is crashed back into Earth after the Predalien hybrid kills all the other predators on board. The ship crashes in the middle of a forest next to a small town which is unaware that it is to become the victim of a war between different Alien species. After the crash a predator elder sets … more
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review by garethvk.
December 26, 2007
Pros: Good FX and action. Cons: Paper thin characters and linear plot. The Bottom Line: While better than the last, the film is hampered by a thin plot and weak characters. Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie''s plot. Two of the biggest creature franchises in cinematic history clash again this Christmas in the new film "Aliens VS Predator: Requiem". Picking up where the … more
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Compliments (12)
About the reviewer
Jen-Jay AKA:JJI (MzJen_2_review)
Ranked #35
Ranked #35
Married into the military for over a decade and it does has itpros andcons. The lifestyle is great and Ido enjoy it. I'm able to do things and see things that I thought I wouldn't dream of. My kids loves … more
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About this movie
ALIEN VS. PREDATOR relegated its intergalactic grudge match to Antarctica, keeping most of humankind gleefully ignorant. This time around, though, the destruction takes place in suburban America, and those who have been waiting for it finally get to witness facehuggers, alien hybrids, and the dreadlocked Predator wreak some homeland havoc. Directors Colin and Greg Strause (billed as "The Brothers Strause") don't seem concerned with achieving the tension of the original ALIEN and PREDATOR films, instead using their visual effects backgrounds to create a steady stream of monsters, gore, and goo. Picking up where AVP ended, REQUIEM sees Predator on a homebound spacecraft when a baby alien/Predator hybrid bursts from his chest, causing the ship to crash in the Colorado woods. Several facehugger specimens escape, planting eggs down the throats of a hunter and his son. Soon, baby aliens emerge from their bodies and head for town, where ex-con Dallas (Steven Pasquale), Iraq War vet Kelly (Reiko Aylesworth), piz...
For those who found 2004'sAliens vs. Predatortoo lightweight in the gore-and-guns department,Aliens vs. Predator: Requiemoffers a marked improvement in both categories, as well as a respectable amount of rumbles between the title extraterrestrials. Set in the 21st century (which predates the story to all of theAlienfeatures),Requiemsends a crippled Predator ship crashing to Earth in a small Colorado town; unbeknownst to the locals, the craft is loaded ...
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For those who found 2004'sAliens vs. Predatortoo lightweight in the gore-and-guns department,Aliens vs. Predator: Requiemoffers a marked improvement in both categories, as well as a respectable amount of rumbles between the title extraterrestrials. Set in the 21st century (which predates the story to all of theAlienfeatures),Requiemsends a crippled Predator ship crashing to Earth in a small Colorado town; unbeknownst to the locals, the craft is loaded ...
Cast:
Robert Joy,
Reiko Aylesworth,
Steven Pasquale,
Shareeka Epps,
John Ortiz,
Johnny Lewis,
Ariel Gade,
Kristen Hager,
Sam Trammell,
David Paetkau,
Tom Woodruff, Jr.,
Ian Whyte,
Chelah Horsdal
Director:
The Brothers Strause
Genre:
Action,
Adventure
Release Date:
December 25, 2007
MPAA Rating:
R
DVD Release Date:
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (April 15, 2008)
Runtime:
1hr 40min
Studio:
20th Century Fox
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