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AVPR: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

Director: Colin Strause, Greg Strause

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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 2008-01-15 15:54:50

Time Out London Issue 1952 - January 14th 2008


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User reviews of this film

  • devon.l said...
    Posted on Feb 16 2008 09:12 i thouht it was fantastic all the fighting and the killing i like stuff like that but the fighting was mostly in the dark so i couldent realy see much of it
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  • matthew said...
    Posted on Feb 11 2008 13:35 NO!!!!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE IT WAS ULTRA CRAP, THERE WASN'T A PLOT!!!!!
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  • alex dorahy said...
    Posted on Feb 07 2008 07:57 oh yeah and who cares about the acting the plot was on alien+predator not getting tom cruise and will sithe.c.t thats what went wron in the last movie were paul anderson was spending me money on props actors and gadgets then on the origanal concept
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  • Alex dorahy said...
    Posted on Feb 07 2008 07:49 people dont like this film because they dont understand it 100% i found it so interesting seeing new pred tech and the predalien into action its really not a bad film. the directors beleived they could intoduce new pred tech and the did but people dont aphreciate i do they even showed you a bit of there planet which has not been done before.
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  • craigyboy said...
    Posted on Feb 06 2008 18:59 cant understand the poor rating more action than all the others put together not gonna win an oscar for acting but predator kicks butt
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  • Ash2 said...
    Posted on Feb 03 2008 12:29 I actually did enjoy this film, the best bit by far was the blonde girl stripping to get in the swimming pool.
    Joking, but it really was a good film, lots of action and stuff, only bad thing was all the fighting was in the dark so you miss most of it
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  • dragster said...
    Posted on Feb 02 2008 14:48 As someone who liked the orginal A and P films, and did not dislike AvP this makes a good attempt at burying the franchise. There is a teasing glimpse at the beginning of (one of?) the predator home world(s) but the rest is just not interesting, with to my mind a formulaic and simply or predictable plot, the acting isn't up to much either. From previous comments I understand this may have been based on a comic book, shame they did not choose a better one.
    If you thought that Doom the movie was more fun than the game it was based on then this film is probably well suited to you.
    Hoping that this does not nail the lid down on A or P, unless of course the next outing is even worse.
    Not worth the entry fee, it will be on TV soon enough.
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  • matt said...
    Posted on Feb 02 2008 14:41 I thoght its the best yet with a great ending so go see AVPR!!!!
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  • gem said...
    Posted on Feb 02 2008 14:09 brilliant film, i only went 2 c it because me m8 dragged me there, his choice lol. i was dreading it but oh my god this film is brilliant, some of the graphics aswell are great, i could watch it over and over again. i loved it !!!!!
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  • mlee said...
    Posted on Feb 02 2008 12:59 Thought the film was very good. LOADS of gore!!!!!!!!!! Look forward to the next one.
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  • brandon f said...
    Posted on Feb 02 2008 11:23 i think this film was good lots of blood lots of dead people good graphics this film is not overated
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  • Toyah-Kate said...
    Posted on Feb 01 2008 21:13 This film was excellent, a lot better then the last Alien Vs Predator movie, it doesn't deserve a 1 star at all.
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  • Tom Moxon said...
    Posted on Feb 01 2008 16:16 did anyone else not notice the lack of life in ALL the Aliens!! They were ridgid, great idea in theory, appauling execution.
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  • Predator25 said...
    Posted on Feb 01 2008 15:11 The movie rocked! totally better than the first one. but i dont know why they redid the hybrid chestburster scene again? but the movie ROCKED! i recomened you see and it!
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  • Dan Browne said...
    Posted on Feb 01 2008 00:17 THIS 'fdgdfg' OBVIOUSLY HASN'T GOT A LIFE. all he can do is post the same old shit again and again. typical unsociable lowlife :D anyways yep the film was okay, bit too fantasy like but was nail bitting at times.. i mean looking at these made up creatures/'aliens' makes me cringe thinking bout them.. but yeah would go and see if ur into fantasy!!
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