Aliens vs Predator: Requiem

Though it’s been saddled with a more appropriate R rating (as opposed to Alien vs Predator‘s head-scratching PG-13), Aliens vs Predator: Requiem ultimately doesn’t fare a whole lot better than its underwhelming predecessor – as the movie has been suffused with a myriad of questionable elements that are exacerbated by the pervasive darkness in which the storyline unfolds. Said storyline, which follows several hopelessly bland figures as they find themselves caught in the middle of the title creatures’ ongoing battle, boasts exceedingly few attributes designed to capture (and sustain) the viewer’s interest, with the emphasis consistently placed on subplots that couldn’t possibly be less enthralling (eg the arrival of the vicious monsters forces several squabbling teenagers to put aside their petty differences and work together). Directors Colin and Greg Strause’s decision to infuse the proceedings with an almost egregiously slick sensibility, something that’s particularly noticeable in the overuse of computer-generated effects, results in an experience that’s akin to watching someone play a video game, and the aggressively underlit atmosphere effectively ensures that virtually all of the movie’s action sequences come off as hopelessly incoherent and frustratingly unwatchable (with the climactic fight between the two central beasts subsequently rendered unintelligible). The end result is an utterly needless sequel that’s sure to disappoint fans of both franchises, although, admittedly, it’s hard not to get a kick out of a third-act callback to the first Predator film wherein one character yells to another, “get to the chopper!”

*1/2 out of ****