Movie Review: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Movie Title: Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Genre: Horror. Subgenre: Aliens
*laugh* well I haven't posted a review since Abominable and that was 05/21/2006. Well I have seen plenty of movies since then I might have to update my backlog...who knows.
Unlike many of the movies I go to see, I went to go see AvP:R with a certain amount of "should I really be spending my money on this" in my heart. So much so that I actually almost didn't go see AvP:R. In fact the only reason I did go to see it is that I am a big fan of both the Aliens and Predator movies so I feel a bit of an obligation to see a film with them in it.
AvP:R is the sequel to Aliens vs. Predator, which I also saw and my main reaction to AvP:R is: Well at least it wasn't as dumb as AvP.
My biggest complaint about AvP:R is that it feels like its a movie that was made to satisfy some fan-boys who don't really care about a good story they just want to see the Alien and Predator on screen doing what they do best, cause massive damage to everything and everyone near them.
The thing that gives the film this feeling the most is the fact that so many of the scenes are mirror images of scenes from either the Alien or Predator films. Granted I realize this film makes the 6th on-screen appearance for the Alien and the 4th on-screen appearance for the Predator but I hoped that there would be something...new.
Also, as this is a sequel to AvP it features the fast-breeding Aliens where you go from Facehugger to Alien Drone in about 15 minutes. I understand that this is a necessary evolution of the Alien mythos if you are to go from Egg-to-Drone fast enough for there to be a film. However I still think there should have been a way to get around that without making it seem like the Aliens have the fastest lifecycle in the known universe. They also brought back the Predalien (the Alien-Predator hybrid) from AvP. I have to say that I disliked this idea when I saw it in AvP, and I am still not a fan of it in AvP:R.
Overall AvP:R is a bit of a disappointment. The one thing they did manage to do well is to crank up the "disturbing" factor in this film. There are several scenes in which the Predalien attacks and impregnates (a new trick for AvP:R as previously only the Facehuggers could do the impregnation and they died shortly after) pregnant women. If that were not disturbing enough the result of the impregnation was several "wombbursters" which later matured into Drones.
I dislike this new trick because I think it violates not only the previously laid down canon for the Alien lifecycle (facehugger -> chestburster -> drone/warrior/queen) but it also drags the Alien into the sordid realm of other horror films where the monster preys on women. I don't really want to get on a soapbox about this but I have always liked that the Alien films were one of the few sources of Female Equality in Science Fiction. The main characters have frequently been strong women and the monster was an equal opportunist when it came to its prey.
AvP:R tramples all over that idea by making pregnant humans a "better" source of reproductive material than non-pregnant humans.
Meh.
I'm hoping that someone/somewhere will get a hold of the Alien vs. Predator material and make a good film, but I'm not holding my breath.
Most Memorable Moment: The Predalien looking in the babies in a maternity ward. (shiver)
Coolest Quote: "So are you looking at me, or the clock."
Overall Rating: D-
Genre: Horror. Subgenre: Aliens
*laugh* well I haven't posted a review since Abominable and that was 05/21/2006. Well I have seen plenty of movies since then I might have to update my backlog...who knows.
Unlike many of the movies I go to see, I went to go see AvP:R with a certain amount of "should I really be spending my money on this" in my heart. So much so that I actually almost didn't go see AvP:R. In fact the only reason I did go to see it is that I am a big fan of both the Aliens and Predator movies so I feel a bit of an obligation to see a film with them in it.
AvP:R is the sequel to Aliens vs. Predator, which I also saw and my main reaction to AvP:R is: Well at least it wasn't as dumb as AvP.
My biggest complaint about AvP:R is that it feels like its a movie that was made to satisfy some fan-boys who don't really care about a good story they just want to see the Alien and Predator on screen doing what they do best, cause massive damage to everything and everyone near them.
The thing that gives the film this feeling the most is the fact that so many of the scenes are mirror images of scenes from either the Alien or Predator films. Granted I realize this film makes the 6th on-screen appearance for the Alien and the 4th on-screen appearance for the Predator but I hoped that there would be something...new.
Also, as this is a sequel to AvP it features the fast-breeding Aliens where you go from Facehugger to Alien Drone in about 15 minutes. I understand that this is a necessary evolution of the Alien mythos if you are to go from Egg-to-Drone fast enough for there to be a film. However I still think there should have been a way to get around that without making it seem like the Aliens have the fastest lifecycle in the known universe. They also brought back the Predalien (the Alien-Predator hybrid) from AvP. I have to say that I disliked this idea when I saw it in AvP, and I am still not a fan of it in AvP:R.
Overall AvP:R is a bit of a disappointment. The one thing they did manage to do well is to crank up the "disturbing" factor in this film. There are several scenes in which the Predalien attacks and impregnates (a new trick for AvP:R as previously only the Facehuggers could do the impregnation and they died shortly after) pregnant women. If that were not disturbing enough the result of the impregnation was several "wombbursters" which later matured into Drones.
I dislike this new trick because I think it violates not only the previously laid down canon for the Alien lifecycle (facehugger -> chestburster -> drone/warrior/queen) but it also drags the Alien into the sordid realm of other horror films where the monster preys on women. I don't really want to get on a soapbox about this but I have always liked that the Alien films were one of the few sources of Female Equality in Science Fiction. The main characters have frequently been strong women and the monster was an equal opportunist when it came to its prey.
AvP:R tramples all over that idea by making pregnant humans a "better" source of reproductive material than non-pregnant humans.
Meh.
I'm hoping that someone/somewhere will get a hold of the Alien vs. Predator material and make a good film, but I'm not holding my breath.
Most Memorable Moment: The Predalien looking in the babies in a maternity ward. (shiver)
Coolest Quote: "So are you looking at me, or the clock."
Overall Rating: D-