Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem

Let me preface the following by saying that I am a huge fan of the franchises, particularly Aliens. I got excited to see this flick when I first saw the preview back in October. However, with directors Ridley Scott, James Cameron and David Fincher creating the first three installments, it is hard if not impossible to fill those shoes with any relative success. Predator on the other hand is an interesting concept, but perhaps should have been retired after Arnold Schwarzenegger did the first movie. That said, the critical reviews that I've seen thus far are much too hard on the first-time directors. This genre is science-fiction, and yes, the special and visual effects and creatures themselves are the main characters. So, to say that inadequate character development occurred is a misnomer in that there isn't enough time in the day to develop the humans' characters who ultimately are going to be alien or predator fodder.

The story begins where the abysmal AVP left off, with a predator returning home on his spaceship only to have an alien burst through his chest. The hybrid predator/alien is far more convincing than in past films (Alien Resurrection = ruined the franchise) due to the subtlety of the anatomical differences. This alien of course kills the predators on board and causes the spaceship to crash back on earth, and while the facehuggers escape looking for new hosts, the baddest of the predators is called and sent to earth to clean up the mess.

Still with me? As this is occurring, we are given brief glimpses into concurrent story lines, none of which are all that interesting. It is the obligatory back story and critically panned character development, but really it's a "get to know the victims" sequence. The commendable thing about this is that there is no hero established from the start. Many different characters could be a survivor, although you could probably guess who makes it and who doesn't. There is a bit of nostalgia in what other critics call an homage, but I would call it conformity to the aliens paradigm. A young child, a strong woman, a man who has a sordid past, etc. I can't blame the directors for this, but overall there isn't too much of a concern for anyone's well-being.

Alien 3 was originally going to take place on earth, but the logistics and budget didn't fit very well, so they did the traditional desolate planet scenario. I found AVPR to be refreshing in its attempt. There wasn't a memorable sequence like there was in each of the other films; an elaborate build up for some gruesome or special-effects laden pay off. There also wasn't a lot of escape. The confrontations usually ended the way they would in reality, which is also unfortunately one of the downfalls of the film.

Where Alien and Aliens, and even Predator to some extent succeeded was in the lingering suspense. The knowledge that there is a terrible creature right around the corner, or lurking somewhere in the jungle. This film had virtually no suspense. Predictability prevailed, and with so many people running around and no real vested interest in their safety, it became a bloody gore-fest. This is the directors' specialty however, having been behind the scenes of many of the action films shot over the past decade. They beautifully maintained the integrity of the creatures' idiosyncrasies and personas, and all the while had some stunning visual sequences.

This was not a scary movie, or even a great movie, but it did deliver entertainment, which is seemingly more difficult than ever with the science-fiction genre. The bar has been raised so high that critics often forget the context in which the film has been made in the first place. Mission accomplished, I found it to be an enjoyable treat, and although there were some flaws (the Sheriff was terrible, and the townsfolk were a bunch of sheep) it was a fun trip. I would slide it somewhere between Predator 2 and Alien Resurrection on the all-time list for the franchise collaboration. I also have to give this one 2 ratings; one from the sci-fi fan boy that I am; 7/10 and one from the critic in me; 5/10. If you happen to be new to the franchise, see Alien and Aliens and you won't be disappointed.