Film

What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases

AVPR: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Director: Colin Strause, Greg Strause

Time Out rating

Average user rating

96 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out London

Fans of the ‘Alien vs Predator’ sub-franchise will be relieved to learn that Colin and Greg Strause’s ‘AVPR’ is only nominally a sequel to Paul WS Anderson’s (un)original ‘AVP – Alien vs Predator’. Although it picks up where ‘AVP’ left off, this is not a toned-down futuristic action movie, but a gory sci-fi/horror film featuring new incarnations of the extra-terrestrial monsters. Sadly, this semi-sequel is even more spasmodic, boring and incoherent.

After a hybrid Predator-cum-Alien runs amok on a Predator spaceship, it crash-lands near a small American town. As the cross-fertilised ‘Predalien’ slimes its way through the sewers, a battle-scarred Predator is sent to clean up the mess. Caught in the cross-fire between the alien antagonists are the disposable, wooden townsfolk – played by second-string actors from TV shows such as ‘24’, ‘Rescue Me’ and ‘ER’ – whose sole function is to run around like headless chickens until they are gruesomely dispatched. The sheriff is ineffectual, so hopes rest with ex-con Dallas (Steve Pasquale), his semi-delinquent brother Ricky (Johnny Lewis), and an aggressively maternal Iraq War veteran, Kelly (Reiko Aylesworth) – a poor substitute for Sigourney Weaver’s Ripley.

Scriptwriter Shane Salerno’s dialogue is unspeakable, the visceral horror all too familiar, and the ideas distinctly second-hand. Cinematographer Daniel Pearl, who shot the original ‘Texas Chain Saw Massacre’ and the recent re-make, occasionally generates scares by hiding the creatures in dark shadows. But the visual effects-trained Strause brothers know that it’s all about the last waltz. So the mayhem inevitably culminates in a dance of death featuring the mutant, dreadlocked Predalien and a leaner, smarter Predator.

Author: Nigel Floyd

Time Out London Issue 1952 - January 14th 2008

Email Tweet Share

User reviews of this film

andrew said...

Posted on Dec 25 2010 00:13 Might have been a good film bu they may as well have just made it a radio program or talking book since i couldn't see a thing for most of the film cos the cameraman must have forgotten to take the lens cap off. either that or the film producers are idiots thinking it would be a good idea to make the film so dark I got a headache from straining to view it even with the contrast and brightness optimised. a potentially good film made rubbish and a complete waste of my money.

Report as inappropriate
CR said...

Posted on Jul 13 2010 04:59 I hope there is a sequel. The alien v. pedator theme is excellent. Even though I had to adjust the contrast and lighting on my HDTV, I thouroughly enjoyed this movie. I love the way the movie ends, setting up a sequel for sure. I was wondering when 30 minutes was left how they were going to end the movie with all the human hosts in the hospital. The helicopter escape was suspenseful and had me at the edge of my easy chair.
It is the fact that I had to adjust the lighting that this movie does not get a four and the fact that I felt the movie was too short. The bomb was a lazy close for such a great film. I also feel they need to use more pedators like an army. I would like to see them work in concert against a new human commando team armed with new technology. That is what I see coming anyway.

Report as inappropriate
Dan said...

Posted on Jul 13 2008 00:23 Can someone please explain how the Predator can travel from its home world to earth IN A DAY? Wouldn't it have made more sense for the distress signal to have been sent to the mother ship in orbit? One more thing: when they get 'round to making AvP3, could the directors (hopefully someone new) please TURN ON THE LIGHTS so we can see what the hell is going on? Jeeeeez.

Report as inappropriate
Tin Tin said...

Posted on May 20 2008 20:05 Due to the fact that my 6 year old son will not sit still for more than 3 seconds, I did not get to see this movie at the cinema................I did, however, purchase the single disc version from Asda today and it is going straight back for a refund in the morning!..............I don't know if it was just the DVD version, but it was so dark that I could not make a single thing out whatsoever, in fact , I was straining to see the picture so much that it gave me an headache..................I ended spending most of the movie fidddling with the contrast and brightness levels to no avail.............I dread to think what would happen if someone were to buy a £1,500 LCD TV and played this as their first movie!!!!!

Report as inappropriate
Asif said...

Posted on May 07 2008 09:29 AVP-R one of the best movie, I like only the technology use by a Predator. All series of Predatir are excellent. I like to advise that keep continue of such movies parts like Predator, Predator 2, AVP & AVP-R.

Report as inappropriate
qstvcl said...

Posted on May 04 2008 07:28 After long anticipation of this movie, I saw AVPR with my brother on a visit over Christmas. I travelled a long way to visit family and friends (TX to WI). I should have stayed with them longer. This movie had no plot. The best part of the movie is that my brother and I shared a couple of beers prior.

Report as inappropriate
qstvcl said...

Posted on May 04 2008 07:13 Horrible. Enough said.

Report as inappropriate
zeke said...

Posted on Apr 21 2008 23:21 this movie sucked compared to the others, it just disgraces predator, and how is it that in avp one alien killed to predators but in this movie one predator killed all the aliens?? and why did the predator get 2 guns?, did they expect it to make him look cooler?? it was just retarded, this movie sucked comparetivly

Report as inappropriate
Bradshaw said...

Posted on Apr 21 2008 08:57 Oh yeh the helicopter scene at the end was almost just like Resident Evil.

Report as inappropriate
Bradshaw said...

Posted on Apr 21 2008 08:46 What the fuck did I just watch? I would be ashamed to be the director of this film. Not one of the human characters are believable or relatable. Why would you cast such a horrible crew? I'm a fan of both alien and predator film and justice hasn't been served. The movie itself was way too dark. I'm not talking about scary dark. I mean you could barely see shit. The action was cut way too fast. As a consumer I want detail! I want to see scars sweat blood chipped teeth. I want to see a dude getting his head ripped off at half speed not a glimpse of a neck then a tail then a shot of the floor. It's do or die time buddy! Some horror movies can get away with showing somthing scary get close to somone then pan away as the real shit goes down. I get it! Leaving somthing to the imagination can be even scarier. Not here! Putting the predator music on whenever you showed him might have worked out too, but once again no dice. Oh yeah, one predator is retarded. In avp werent there multiple preds that were fucked up by normal aliens? These are supposed to be hybrids man! While on that note you tried too hard in creating the pred alien. I've seen scarier shit in Harry and the Hendersons. No doubt you made a grip of cash making this movie, but at what cost? Letting the world know that character colaberations will never work out? I spent one dollar on renting this movie and it's sad to say I want it back. I'm not saying dont make anymore I'm just saying make a good one! AVP was pointed in the right direction even though it still could of used a bit of work. Were you just trying to clean up at the box office or what? This film could have made a dent in movie history, but you kinda fucked that shit up huh. It's pretty bad that Rob Zombe is the only one thats been tearing shit up lately! Oh you can't leave out Tarantino he's always been a crafty sob. I guess all I'm saying is try harder next time. If you let me down that means there are millions of others that feel the same way I do.

Report as inappropriate
joker Ramirez said...

Posted on Apr 09 2008 03:42 best moive Ive seen sence i came to LA It great come out with a nother moive like predator 3 or alien 5 keep making sci-fi moives u guys rock.

Report as inappropriate
steven a ramirez said...

Posted on Apr 09 2008 03:25 THe movie is great I like that they pick different people when does it come out tell me.

Report as inappropriate
jt said...

Posted on Mar 25 2008 20:13 Heres what i say. see the the film, if you dont like it thats fine, if you do like it thats fine too.despite the bad reviews I personaly liked this film. Sure it had alot of problems but i didnt pay to e a masterpeice i payed to see the two species tear each other apart which is what i thought i got. Just remember a reveiw is 1 persons opinion, so see the film for yourself.

Report as inappropriate
sarb said...

Posted on Mar 11 2008 12:05 awsome

Report as inappropriate
bob said...

Posted on Mar 05 2008 08:21 that was an alrite ,ovie definately better than the first but dude its called alien vs predator for a reason they should let the aliens and preds b the main characters not the humans. hu cares about them. on the other side lots of gore and good sound effects.

Report as inappropriate