Aliens vs. Predator 2

Das Drehbuch ist für so einen Film ausgezeichnet. Zwar ohne Ideen und eine Charakterisierung der Figuren, dafür aber actionreich und ohne langweilige Stellen. Das, was die Regisseure damit gemacht haben, ist aber traurig. Die unübersichtlichen Actionszenen mit einem schlechten Schnitt, die 80 % der Laufzeit bilden, erinnern an einen DVD-C-Movie mit Michael Paré. Besonders die Schießereien mit der Armee lösen ein Kopfschütteln aus. Das ist sehr schade. Mit der reichhaltigen Vorlage, den soliden Produktionswerten und dem Kult-Hintergrund hätte man einen sehr effektvollen B-Movie drehen können. (02.01.2008)

It's as if you were walking around a fair's House of Horror with exclusive exhibits, but you couldn't see anything because there’s a blackout. In the night scenes (which make up two-thirds of the film), the Straus brothers deliver confusingly edited action sequences drowned in darkness, in which many times you have no idea who is killing whom, who is shooting at whom, and whether this creature is a predator or an alien boss. The brothers prove with their script that they can squeeze some water out of a rock, but they shouldn’t have got behind the camera. (20.04.2008)

I had the same problem as with the first one: it became boring after a few minutes. That’s surprising because there’s something going on almost all the time – the aliens killing someone or fighting with the predator – but it’s executed in such a sterile and dull way that it almost makes you sad when you imagine how it could have been if… If the action scenes weren’t confusing, if the characters uttered sensible dialogues, if the extraterrestrial monsters were shown in full at least for a bit, or if it focused more on the atmosphere – in other words, if someone else had directed. The final impression is a little bit better than with the first one, but still weak. AvP 3 this time in space and without Straus, please. (31.01.2008)

What bothers me most about this crossover series is the fact that the creators have sucked the soul out of two icons of horror sci-fi, leaving us with only a marketing product. It’s dressed up and packaged to attract the masses and neutered enough to hurt anyone drawn to the series with any sort of sympathy. The Brothers Strause understood the task perfectly, but in looking at the individual parts, they didn't understand a single one. And so they ride a wave of references (mostly to Cameron), which they intersperse with fashionable zigzags between the boundaries of correctness (dead children and pregnant women, an interesting kill list). The result is an unwanted B-movie dominated by... the Predator. His sovereign hunting instincts entertain about as much as the Aliens have been relegated to the role of expendable insects. I’d say that kids would be entertained, but my 13-year-old brother told me that it would be better to adapt the game than to create this... shit (I added). (08.08.2009)

Another lobotomy of the alien race, accompanied this time by perfectly bad performances of the Earth's population. The creative brotherly duo deserves respect for not restarting anything and honestly picking up where Anderson left off, but apart from the impressive Predalien, they don't please with anything at all. The grateful gaming and comic series remains cursed in terms of film. (20.01.2013)

I didn't expect anything extraordinary from this, yet the result negatively surprised me. Even in the context of the genre, it's a desperately clichéd spectacle that resigns to nothing more than a run-of-the-mill shooter that steals from the sci-fi genre. It is definitely not a horror or sci-fi, just a cheap action movie. I don't know the budget they had, but the majority of the film is drowned in darkness, and such poor lighting is quite rare - only a total blackout at the production site could excuse this. The editing is chaotic, at times the viewer has no idea who is shooting at whom, who is screaming, and whose blood is splattering everywhere. I haven't seen the first film, and after watching this, I have no desire to. I get the feeling that after this discrediting of the subject matter, no one will ever make Alien 5... Overall impression: 10%. (20.01.2009)

My mom summed it up with a pretty accurate statement: “They messed up the whole thing with those people." And I agree with her (it reminded me of those two episodes of General Hospital I saw), and I just want to add that they messed up a lot more things. To start off I would add a little more light. Just remember the first or the second Predator, which played out during the day for the most part. Well it is what it is. The main Predator is a nice guy as always and the aliens are revoltingly revolting as usual. The problem is in the Strause brothers’ directing, because they didn’t manage to create the right atmosphere. The plus is, that they fulfill some fans’ fantasies. The Predator planet and children used as incubators are probably the most interesting ones. And for that its three stars. (08.02.2008)

The beginning is so fast that you can't even properly take a look, turn off the lights, and grab popcorn, and we already have alien embryos attacking the faces of poor people. This sequel strictly follows its predecessors in terms of classic trademarks and other specifics – from the sounds of fights to typical gimmicks on both sides. As a bonus, we get to see from time to time the planet of Predators (amazing) and some new cool gadget and weapons we didn’t see in the previous movies. All of this in sharper camera shots because we're no longer in the 80s, technology is advancing. Unfortunately, the plot is nonexistent and the characters, with a few exceptions, behave like morons. There are classic clichés (group division, heroic acts), but fortunately, the people don't play the main role here. The monster fights are nothing special, lacking clarity in action and a proper drive, but the emphasis on the physical abilities of each monster is intriguing (breaking through walls, destroying everything around them). As a detailed showcase of legends, it's very entertaining and technically quite decent. As a tribute to classics, it is acceptable because many scenes are basically replicas in a modern attire, but as a pure slasher, it's rather weak. Therefore, better focus on the hunter and the slimeball, and then you’ll feel better. (20.07.2008)

Dieser B-Movie hat einen ausgezeichneten Start. Der Anfang auf dem Predator-Schiff, der Absturz, das Toben der "Alien-Facehugger" in den Wäldern, der Predator-Planet, der coole Predator, der sich auf den Weg zur Erde macht. Das alles ist wirklich perfekt. Dann geht dem Film aber die Puste aus. Die Stimmung wird nicht mehr aufgebaut und in der Stadt kommt es zu einem Stromausfall. Die Dunkelheit ging mir schrecklich auf die Nerven. Alles, was im Dunkeln passierte, war unübersichtlich – vor allem die Kämpfe des Predators mit den Aliens, die einen chaotischen Schnitt hatten. Dann wird es langweilig. Ab und zu wird jemand aufgefressen, erschossen oder enthäutet (ich muss zugeben, dass es effektvoll aussieht). Der Höhepunkt ist eine ziemlich solide Szene im Krankenhaus. Am Ende wird Aliens vs. Predator 2 wieder flotter. Aber ehrlich gesagt hatte ich dann keine Lust mehr auf den Film. Zwei Sterne für den tollen Anfang und das solide Ende… (21.02.2010)

The potential is there, both space monsters are still an irresistible attraction for viewers, but the resulting dud is something that even those for whom the names Alien and Predator never meant much do not deserve. The level of B-ness was truly unbearable, whether it was the routine and impotent direction or the utterly insane and chaotic editing, where probably even the crew couldn't find their way around. Thank God that Rodriguez fixed everything with his Predators. (03.02.2013)

Das offene Ende des ersten AvP verlangte nach einer Fortsetzung, die wir ein paar Jahre später auch bekamen - aber leider mit einem qualitativ geringeren Wert. Der zweite Film ignoriert die Geschichte völlig, versucht nicht, ein Universum um die beiden gefürchteten Monster herum aufzubauen, und konzentriert sich einfach auf die Action, die zwar reichlich vorhanden ist, aber billig und überladen wirkt. Die beklemmende Atmosphäre ist verschwunden, und dieses Mal wird jeder auf der Stelle ermordet - das Motto der Macher: "Je mehr Löcher im Kopf, desto besser!". Die Charaktere sind flach, unglaublich dumm und, so könnte man sagen, nur Füllwerk - die Hauptakteure sind hauptsächlich die beiden Monster (sogar mit dem Hybriden), aber in diesem Fall fehlt ihnen der Großteil des "Kultcharmes". Was die ignorierte Geschichte betrifft, so haben die Filmemacher mehrere Handlungsstränge (Familie, Beziehungen und Missbrauch von Technologie) zusammengeschustert, die aber nur mit viel Willenskraft zusammenhalten. Als stumpfsinniger One-View-Actionfilm kann man diesen Film vertragen, doch das ist wirklich schade, denn das Material war solide. (04.08.2020)