Time to recall two of the least-fondly remembered franchise instalments, and look at what might be ahead...Ridley Scott's Alien franchise has certainly acquired an iconic status the likes of which barely any other science-fiction saga bar perhaps Star Wars has ever hoped to attain. This week, we'll be looking at just whether all of the praise heaped upon this legendary cult series is deserved, with reviews of each and every one of its instalments up to and including the new movie Prometheus. Today's post is a double-(or rather triple-)barreled piece where we'll provide a retrospective on the two Alien VS. Predator movies then preview tomorrow's big new movie in full...
ALIEN VS PREDATOR: In terms of mass uproar targeted at a specific film in the past decade or so, Alien VS Predator nearly tops Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. That's quite a feat, but strangely enough when I sat down with this much-hated horror 'team-up', I couldn't help but be enthralled by the dark and anticipated conflict between the world's most famous extraterresterials and its most famous invisible hunters. It is clear that the opening- where a team of experts is called in to investigate a strange underground pyramid- parallels the other Alien flicks in the most blatant way possible. From there, though, things really get shaken up, and viewers truly won't know which way to turn as the intrepid team of explorers rile the almighty Predators, who in turn spark the attention of everyone's favourite blood-spilling Xenomorphs, leading to a devestating war where inevitably the human race seem at a major disadvantage. To see the archetypal characters of the AVP franchise unite on the basis of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend' is a captivating turn of events for what had up until now on both fronts been becoming a predictable series where the odds were never in our favour, and certainly it lends a degree of scale and danger to the finale that really pays off in a way that none of the other Alien films ever did. Technically, the film reaches new heights, pulling off some stunning CGI battles that won't fail to captivate newcomers or fans alike, and the cast (while by no means perfect) do a markedly better job than either of the lacklustre rosters of Alien 3 or Resurrection. The disjointed pacing of the piece does mean that Alien VS Predator is by no means perfect, yet to me it stands in a higher position of quality than either of the final two standalone Xenomorph entries, almost peaking to the same heights as Ridley Scott's original over a decade after its release.
3/5
AVP REQUIEM: If Alien VS Predator had given me hope yet for the franchise, though, then its unnecessary sequel Requiem quickly dispells such optimism with a flick of its ugly tail. Picking up the narrative from where AVP left off, as an Alien-Predator hybrid hatchling tears apart the spaceship of the latter species and begins to wreak havoc in a small American town, this second 'team-up' instalment seems lacking in direction right from the outset. Essentially it all boils down to a series of grisly stereotypical-horror setpieces, all of which contribute little to the haphazard plot that was clearly pieced together in the hope of attaining mass earnings back in 2007. It's fundamental to realise that the financial success of Alien VS Predator would have proved a key deciding factor in the choice to make a sequel, and so the writing team don't seem to have a care in the world as to whether fans enjoy this simply because they knew their fanbase would go and watch the film regardless of warnings and the signs. This time around, I can't praise either the SFX or the cast, all of whom are forgettable and feel as if they were picked up on the barest of contractual legislation. Whereas AVP most certainly has its moments and is watchable fanfare, Alien Vs Predator 2: Requiem is a dire piece of cinematic storytelling that fails to live up to any of its minor promises and as such can completely be regarded as the notable failure that fans are so fast to mention when recalling the overall Alien franchise.1/5
PROMETHEUS PREDICTIONS: And so we reach Prometheus, the latest entry in the Alien franchise from Ridley Scott himself. Scott has teased recently that this prequel to his 1979 original will "tangentalise" upon the series' lore, investigating the Space Jockey who was glimpsed in his stunning initial epic. I would imagine that this so-called Guardian discovered on the planet LV-426 by the crew of the Nostromo was either crafted by or used by a higher intelligence in order to fulfill a greater purpose, such as protecting the galaxy from the Xenomorphs. Perhaps it was those famed alien creatures who, as seen in the trailers, wanted to use the Space Jockey's ship to reach Earth, and thus for some reason the only way the Guardian could stop them was to sit upon the fabled seat we see him entombed on in the opening scenes of Alien. I would not advise that we expect a full resolution or tie-in to the original here, seeing as it looks as if Scott will pose both philosophical and franchise-related questions here, but if Prometheus performs successfully at the box office, then we might see more revealed in a sequel. Reception so far to the film has been mixed (Den Of Geek awarded it just 2 stars, while Total Film went for 4/5), with an average score of 63% having been found by Metacritic, yet you'll be able to get the definitive, exclusive movie-goer's verdict tomorrow on the day of release right here at On-Screen. Look out for the review tomorrow night, and prepare for Prometheus to land...
No comments:
Post a Comment