ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ

Dreadlocked Predators and slavering Aliens go head to head again in this yawn-inducing sequel to the 2004 sci-fi crossover that's as bad as it is dumb (i.e. very). As a super-mean Predalien hybrid escapes from captivity and crash-lands on Earth, the scene is set for yet another extra-terrestrial, inter-species showdown with humans, led by ex-con Dallas (Steven Pasquale), stuck in the middle as a small American town becomes ground zero for more xenomorph mayhem.

Directed by SFX whizzes The Brothers Strause - who worked on 300 and Fantastic Four - this brings the monsters in from the cold of the Antarctic as the Predalien outbreak infests Gunnison, Colorado. Fortunately the infestation is being monitored on the Predator homeworld and a battle-scarred "Cleaner" (think Mr Wolfe from Pulp Fiction, but uglier) is despatched to clear up the mess. Meanwhile, Dallas, Sheriff Morales (John Ortiz) and army chick Ripley clone Kelly (Reiko Aylesworth) call in the National Guard to kick some E.T. butt. It doesn't go well...

"BRAINDEAD TOSH"

"The Strause Brothers live, eat and breathe the Alien/Predator films," claims screenwriter Shane Salerno, bigging up his directors. Judging by AVP-R they also excrete them. Badly shot and poorly acted, this is braindead tosh. The dialogue's so dumb it would fail its 11-Plus exams while the Predalien is a disappointment (basically an Alien with dodgy dreadlocks) and filmed in such total darkness your eyes will ache from squinting. One disturbing scene brings serious chills as the Predalien invades a maternity ward to lay its eggs, recalling the birth and motherhood anxieties of the Alien franchise. It's a rare glimmer of sinister intelligence in what's otherwise just a '50s creature-feature rebooted as a marketing exercise in brand awareness. Fans deserve better.

Aliens Vs. Predator - Requiem is out in the UK on 18th January 2008.