AVPR: Better Creatures, Lousy Movie

Alien Versus Predator: Requiem is the second movie of the match-up, the sixth movie of the Alien series, the fourth movie of the Predator series, and the only since Aliens and the first Predator to be original. Although it has originality and improves, it looks like no one wanted this to expand from the original Alien/Predator fanbase, and hence it was made cheaply.

AVPR picks up where the first match-up, AVP, left off. The Predator's spaceship is flying off, carrying one of its fallen. Unknown to them, a face-hugger grabbed ahold of the dead predator and infected him with an a seed, creating a baby alien with predator features (Fangoria calls this the "Predalien"). The Predalien crashes the ship into a backwoods town, where plenty of shallow, one-deminsonial characters are infected by the facehuggers and aliens swarm. A distress signal is sent to the predators' homeworld, where an experienced hunter seeks to claim the Predalien as a trophy. Naturally, the predator kills only those that pose a threat, although saving any humans isn't even on his list of things to do while hunting.

The downside to this movie is it is afraid to be rated R, making it hold back on the gore and blood that made the individual series popular. There is something startling about aliens jumping out of chests that would still open itself for one good surprise or another, while the predators head-exploding is more cruel and merciless when we actually see the explosion (although the graphicness isn't needed, no style is approached to compensate).

The second problem the movie faces is its victims. The Predator and Predalien storyline is more interesting, if for no other reason than we want to see what each side does next in trying to takedown the other. Predator sets traps, introduces new weapons, while the Predalien sends numberous aliens and facehuggers out. Seeing new things come how shifts the movie from the usual horror to sci-fi action. For the first time since Predator, it appears one side or the other could actually give Schwarzenegger a run for his money. (Keep in mind, after Predator, Schwarzenegger went on to kick ass against Satan, Terminators, Terrorists, and still outlived competing governor Jesse Ventura of Minnesota in Predator).

Back to the victims... There is a full cliche and no surprises. The bullies die shortly after the ones with no names die, splitting up is a bad idea (you can guess for which half), and military is useless against aliens unless they just give up and blow up everything.

Is it entertaining? For fans, they'll like some of the new gadgets/moves, but outside of that, it isn't.

Is it for everyone? Just the fans.

Is it memorable? Memorable is Ridley Scott directing Alien and action star Schwarzenegger at his best against Predator. This is far from it.

My suggestion: Alien is classic, good horror. Predator is great macho action. AVPR is neither.