5.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.4 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
The Alien vs. Predator war continues. A Predator scout ship crash lands in a small Colorado town. The Aliens on board escape and kill all the Predators except one. Now this lone warrior must destroy all the Aliens as well as the Predalien that survived from the species' first encounter, while the people of the town are helplessly caught in the middle of all the mayhem.
Starring: Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis, Ariel GadeAction | 100% |
Thriller | 80% |
Sci-Fi | 69% |
Horror | 48% |
Comic book | 31% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (448 kbps)
English, English SDH, Spanish, Cantonese, Korean, Mandarin (Simplified), Mandarin (Traditional)
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy (on disc)
Bonus View (PiP)
D-Box
Region A (locked)
Movie | 2.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
People are dying. We need guns.
I'm a huge fan of the Alien and Predator series of films (well, the good ones, anyway) and I received news
of the original Alien vs.
Predator film with opens arms. Although it failed to live up to its potential, it proved to
be a decent enough picture, certainly better than the abysmal Alien: Resurrection.
When news spread of and trailers were released for Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, I
was once again ecstatic. There's no way they'd make two mediocre films in a row, right?
Certainly a movie set in a sleepy Colorado town where Aliens and Predators wreak havoc on the
locals should make for a fantastic movie, right? The plot had me thinking of 30 Days of Night, a
somewhat similarly-themed film where Vampires lay waste to the locals of a small Alaskan town.
So, now that I've seen the film (I tend to avoid theaters and wait for the Blu-ray these days), did
the filmmakers fall into the trap of making yet another mediocre AvP film? No
way! They made this one worse!
This movie is so dark, I rarely need to use my cloaking device.
I was mostly impressed by what I saw (or should I say, could see?) of this 1080p, 2.35:1 image from Fox. Though definitely not a weakness of the disc but rather a stylistic choice of the filmmakers, Aliens vs. Predator Requiem is a dark movie, a very dark movie in fact, perhaps one of if not the darkest I've ever borne witness to. Even brightly lit outdoor scenes are dark and slightly murky in appearance. That doesn't mean the image looks bad, just a bit obscured. Detail, what we can see of it, is sharp and clear. The nuances seen on the predator's face reveals information I've never noticed before, whether that is a result of the high quality of the disc or a slight updating of the makeup I don't know, I just know it looks great. Black levels are fantastic, but sometimes the movie is so dark that its hard to clearly see what is on screen. Just for kicks, when we think it cannot become any darker, the power goes out all over town at night. When we do see some glimpses of color, be it during select daylight scenes or, say, by the flashing sirens of police cars at night (not to mention the red and blue of the sirens themselves), they look very good. Because the film offers such dark images, it is somewhat difficult to evaluate, but the most impressive aspect of this transfer is definitely the deep, dark, maybe even scary black levels. They never waver, artificially brighten to reveal information, or cause much crushing, if any. This is an impressive transfer, one that every fan of this style of filmmaking will fall in love with.
This DTS-HD MA 5.1 track is another "name your superlative" type mix, one where the senses become overwhelmed by the power of the thing. This one starts out with a bang, rattling your eardrums from the second the movie opens, and it also nicely combines some of the popular sounds from the Alien and Predator movies, such as that of the tracking device from Aliens and the sound of the predator as he adjust the sighting of his visor. This is a very loud and aggressive mix. The surrounds and subwoofer are used in full force; even the breathing of the aliens makes the subwoofer quiver. Spaceships zoomed and whizzed around the room (all too briefly, I might add) and all of the action found its way into the back channels. No doubt my sound system wanted to run and hide during this entire movie. It's that powerful and loud, and I still cant wipe the grin from my face. Surrounds are even active for really great ambience as insects chirped and crows cawed in the movie's opening minutes. Almost everything has a surround presence, from the shrieks of the aliens (reminiscent to the sound they made when they died in Aliens) to a blaring claxon that sounds at a refinery. Gunfire during the battle in chapter 18 sounded amazing as it created a war zone in my media room, coming at me from all directions. The sound of the M4 rifle firing on full auto (I want one), especially as heard in chapter 24, is really, really deep, powerful, and realistic. I loved it. Dialogue reproduction caused no issues of note for this ear, an ear (two, actually) that had an absolute blast listening to this soundtrack.
Aliens vs. Predator Requiem comes loaded with special features. Two feature length
commentary tracks highlight the proceedings. The first features co-directors Colin and Gregg
Strause ("The Brothers Strause") and producer John Davis. An enjoyable track, we learn of the
brothers' love for both franchises, the processes involved in creating the numerous visual effects
seen in the film, and challenges to the brothers' desires for the film versus what the studio
executives wanted (or wanted to pay for, as the case may be). Sequences and themes removed
from the final version of the story (such as character traits the "Predalien" acquired from each
species) are also discussed, as is how some of the good looking props and vehicles were made on
the
cheap. The trio also talks about the ideas and thematic elements revolving around the film's
unexpected ending, as well as an alternate ending they thought about filming, the ending I
frankly expected as the film closed. The second track features Tom Woodruff, Jr. and Alec Gillis,
both co-designers of the Alien and Predator effects. This pair discuss their history with the
franchise and many of the technical aspects of the filmmaking process. We are informed almost
on a scene-by-scene basis what is digital and what is real. It becomes a bit tedious, but this is
definitely worth a listen for budding effects artists or those very interested in such matters.
Moving along, Weyland-Yutani Archive is a bonus-view (Blu-ray profile 1.1)
accessible-only, text-based feature. Once selected, we are prompted to choose which species we
want to learn more
about, "Xenomorph" (Alien) or "Yautja" (Predator). This database contains a wealth of
information, from the biology of the Xenomorphs, their behavioral patterns, and the history of
our encounters with the species. For the Yautja, viewers can study up on Predator arsenals,
their culture, and their biology -- most impressive. Five featurettes are next. AVP-R:
Preparing
For War: Development and Production (480p, 15:52) is your standard feature that
showcases a look at the evolution of the script with a detailed look at the Predalien hybrid.
AVP-R: Fight to the Finish: Post-Production (480p, 12:3) looks at both the editing
process and digital renderings created
during post-production. AVP-R: The Nightmare Returns: Creating the Aliens (480p,
7:37) examines the creation of the standard (read: non-digital, "real") effects scattered
throughout the film. AVP-R: Crossbreed: Creating the Predalien (480p, 8:21) focuses on
this new creature, its evolution, creation, and integration into the story. Finally, AVP-R:
Building the Predator Homeworld (480p, 6:37) shows us the vision and creation of this short
yet fascinating scene and its origins from what we've seen in previous Alien and
Predator films.
Next up is a series of still galleries, broken into seven categories: Designing the Predator,
Designing the Alien, Designing the Predalien, On Set: The Rooftop,
On Set: The Sewer, On Set: The Hive, and On Set: Cast and Crew. Two
theatrical trailers for Aliens vs. Predator Requiem are next (1080p, 4:29). Concluding
the supplements we find trailers for
1080p trailers for Alien vs. Predator, Behind Enemy Lines, Planet of the Apes, and The Transporter, all offered in 1080p. This disc is also D-Box enabled
and
a second disc includes a digital copy of the film, allowing you to install it onto a personal computer
or portable video device. For more information on digital copy, please see the supplemental
review section in the review for Hitman.
Aliens vs. Predator Requiem is a case study in wasted potential. The film has its moments, make no mistake, but those moments are much too far and few between to really matter. The movie drags along from most of the first act and most of the second, and chaos reigns the rainy night in the third, making for at least a good start to what I was hoping to see for the entire length of the film. At least the disc offers Blu-ray quality at its finest. Sporting dual 5-star audio and video ratings, I was thoroughly satisfied with the experience each offered, making this a reference-quality disc. There is also a substantial amount of extra material that is sure to keep the most ardent Aliens vs. Predator Requiem fans busy for hours. I really wanted to be able to recommend this disc, and I can for the high quality of the picture quality and audio quality, as well as the wealth of supplemental material. It is only with the movie itself that I found cause for disappointment, and even then it's one worth watching for fans of either or both of the franchises pitted one against another. Aliens vs. Predator Requiem is a disc I recommend purchasing for Blu-ray fans seeking first-rate picture and audio quality, or for diehard fans of Aliens and Predators.
2004
1997
Ultimate Collector's Edition
1986
40th Anniversary Edition
1979
1990
1987
1992
3-Disc Set
2010
2002
2009
Special Edition
2000
2011
2004
2008
Unrated Extended Edition
2005
2008
Movie Only Edition
2012
2009
バイオハザード:ディジェネレーション / Biohazard: Degeneration
2008
2008