Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem (Unrated) (DVD + Digital Copy)

After the travesty that was Alien vs Predator, I wasn't really expecting much from Aliens vs Predator: Requiem. In all honesty, I was expecting more of the same. The last film had a lot of in-excusable flaws, (which I won't go into detail about here. This is, after all, a review of AVP: R, not AVP.) and not to say that this film isn't flawed, but it is a big step in the right direction for this franchise. In Aliens vs Predator: Requiem, the Brothers Strause pick up the ball that Paul W.S. Anderson fumbled with the last film. The raw, gory, effects are here, which were sorely missing in AVP. The Aliens are in the shadows again; not out in plain sight and harsh light, as in the original. The Predator(s) actually look right in AVP:R; instead of the bulky, NFL-linebacker-like look in AVP, the Preds in AVP:R look like they're supposed to; lean, sleek, and stealthy. As I said before, the Aliens in this film lurk in the shadows, like they're supposed to. In the glimpses you do see of them, they look great. Going back to the ridged-head-design from Jim Cameron's Aliens was a very nice touch and a treat for the fans of the franchise. To put it bluntly, 99.9% of the special effects in this film are perfect.The fights between the title creatures are perhaps the film's greatest improvement over AVP. Instead of being derived from something you'd see on a pro-wrestling program, here the creatures are allowed to shine in all their glory. To put it simply: Everything you wanted in the first film, action-wise, is here. At the end of the day, the best thing that AVP:R does is show how incompetent of a director that Paul W.S. Anderson is. The Brothers Strause vastly improved what was, seemingly, a sinking ship. I said before that the film is not without it's flaws. The story and characters within aren't all that great; On one end, you have standard, teenie-fare. On the other, you have a family drama. (Which is obviously derived, and a nod/homage, to the Newt/Ripley relationship from Aliens). Along the way, these two story lines cross; interwoven with the aforementioned, and very awesome, Alien/Predator carnage. Previously, I mentioned that 99.9% of the special effects were perfect. It would be wrong not to mention the .1% that was slightly off. The CGI in this film isn't terrible, but one or two flubs may catch your eye. Another thing that I've noticed is that the transfer on the DVD is really dark (and, from what I've heard, it was also dark in theaters.) and it's hard to see what's going on in a few spots. For some reason, I don't consider this a technical glitch. If it was merely a glitch, I'm thinking that they would have fixed it for the DVD release. The most plausible answer would be that cinematographer Daniel Pearl lit the film a bit too dark. As for the acting, overall, it's pretty good. However, the only real stand-out performances are from John Ortiz (previously seen in Michael Mann's Miami Vice), who plays the not-so-sure-of-himself town Sheriff, and Ian Whyte as The Predator. (Who also portrayed the Predator(s)in the first AVP.) The story is very basic. A couple of lose ends aren't tied up but, overall, this film delivers and is a very fun watch.

I'm a fan of the series, so it couldn't be bad. No big name stars, no Ripley, but the usual Alien, Perdator gore & slime. If you like the series (Alien & Predator), I believe you'll want to see it!! I'm told the NR rating is because there are children who are victims. It is definately NOT a "kids" movie! Oh yeah, the ending proves once again, the series can live on!! Let's hope so.