Summary
At a panel atSan Diego Comic Con 2024whereScreen Rantwas in attendance, the director ofAlien: Romulus, Fede Alvarez, provided at least some defense for what is widely regarded as the worstmovie in theAlienfranchise. The sequel to the first grisly showdown between the Xenomorphs and the Yautja,Alien vs. Predator: Requiemhas gained a reputation as one of the worst horror movies of all time. While there are plenty of reasons to criticize it, it does have one thing going for it.
TheAlienandPredatorfranchises are two of the most storied sci-fi series in movie history, and while both have seen their share of poor sequels, the concept of the two extraterrestrial species battling it out madeAlien vs. Predatorseemed promising. That movie was a bomb, and was panned by critics and audiences alike. Its sequel, however, somehow found a new low for either franchise as far as critical acclaim, or lack thereof, is concerned. The upcomingstand-alone sequelAlien: Romulusalready looks far better than any recent sequel in the franchise.
Alien: Romulus Filmed Chronologically, Director Details Practical Xenomorphs & Teases “Many Deaths”
Director Fede Álvarez and star Archie Renaux talk about Alien: Romulus' practical sets and effects, and teasing the “many deaths” to come.
Aliens vs. Predator Requiem’s Kills Are The Best Part Of The Movie
The gore and violence is dialed up
AfterRidley Scott asked Fede Alvarez to rank theAlienmovies, the director ofAlien: Romulusnoted that the worst movie wasAlien vs. Predator: Requiem. However,Alvarez did note that the sequel did have some top-notch killsthroughout:
I think the not-as-good one would be Requiem. There’s some really good kills in that movie, by the way… Let’s say that.
While that’s certainly not the most glowing endorsement of the movie overall, Alvarez did bring up a good point. WhileAlien vs. Predator: Requiemhad little else going for it, some of the various on-screen deaths for humans and extraterrestrials alike had far more imagination than other movies in the two franchises. While the weapons of both the Predator and the Xenomorph (in its multiple forms) are well-known,Alien vs. Predator: Requiemfeatured new ways for the two species to brutally end lives.
While certain kills, like Jesse being cut in half by the Predator Wolf’s shuriken, were imaginative,many of the kills were variations on kills already seen in earlier movesin the two franchises. For example, the Predalien who terrorizes the movie’s characters proves to be able to implant multiple offspring into a person at once, leading to a triple-Xenomorph belly-burst as opposed to the traditional chest-burst kill. Similarly,Alien vs. Predator: Requiem’s elevated levels of gore made the Yautja’s plasmacaster seem far more diabolical, as it showed (in gruesome and bloody detail) multiple characters having their heads blown off.
Aliens vs. Predator Requiem Is Still The Worst Alien Movie
It’s poorly made and poorly written
The kills inAlien vs. Predator: Requiemmight be imaginative, as Fede Alvarez alluded to at San Diego Comic Con 2024, but that doesn’t come close to making up for the many, many other flaws in the sequel. Perhaps the most common complaint isthe movie’s gross negligence when it came to lighting, which led to 90% of the most entertaining scenes being too dark and muddied to see clearly. It’s difficult to appreciate the two iconic characters slugging it out when the battle is hidden in shadows and discoloration.
A thirdAlien vs. Predatormovie was discussed during the production ofAlien vs. Predator: Requiem, but predictably any plans were put on hold indefinitely following the movie’s release.
There is also absolutely nothing going on as far as true plot development, or expanding the lore of either franchise. It’s a hastily-slapped together plot that begins with a ship crash-landing in a small town, and ends with the town being (literally) nuked into oblivion, with some poorly-lit battles and kills in between. There is also astunning lack of human character development. While the sequels for both franchises have suffered from a lack of strong human characters,Alien vs. Predator: Requiemsets the (low) bar.Alien: Romulusalready looks more promising in that regard after only a couple trailers.
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem
Cast
Aliens vs Predator: Requiem picks up with a PredAlien crashing near a Colorado town, unleashing a deadly wave of Alien offspring. Chaos ensues as a lone Predator arrives to eradicate the infestation and prevent further devastation. Set in the Alien and Predator franchises, this film explores their intergalactic conflict.
