Alien Versus Predator: Requiem

In sharp contrast to the amazing I Am Legend, Alien Versus Predator: Requiem hits the cinema screen without pretending to be anything other than scary popcorn fodder.

But it's not bad. It really isn't.

Following on from 2004's disappointing Alien Versus Predator, the plot continues the vendetta between the universe's greatest hunter (Predator, star of the '87 Schwarzenegger hit Predator) and the xenomorph known only as 'Alien.'

This time, the action takes place in Gunnison, Colorado, a quiet town in the woods and mountains. A crashed Predator ship releases dozens of alien-producing 'face huggers' and a dominant alien/predator hybrid who then prey on the unsuspecting townfolk.

It's more disaster movie than horror movie. In the same set-up we saw in Airport and The Towering Inferno, we're introduced to a bevvy of characters and then watch them get picked off one-by-one by the terrifying aliens.

But this film is a huge improvement on the first Alien vs. Predator movie. From the moment the movie opens - with a father/son hunting party falling prey to face huggers - it's pretty clear that nothing is sacred and none of the characters you've come to love [Love? Are you sure? Even like would be a push - Editorial Bear] will be safe.

Another improvement is the Predator. Considering Aliens and Predators are two of the movie industry's most famous baddies, it's tough to pick which one to 'root for.' In the original movie, the Predator was presented as an honorable hunter, who teamed up with humans against the aliens. In this movie, directors Colin and Greg Strause go back to the source material and give us back the amoral, human-skinning predator we loved when he faced off against Arnie in the original.

Nothing here will rock you - but you won't be disappointed, either. Unlike the previous chapter, Alien Versus Predator: Requiem sticks tightly to the established 'canon' and delivers a movie that satisfies sci-fi fans and pop-corn munchers in equal measure.

When you bought the tickets, you knew what you were getting. If your expectations go no higher than that, you'll find Alien Versus Predator: Requiem to be an entirely satisfying movie experience.