Product: Alien Lockdown
Rating: 2.0
Requiem for a sequel
If Alien vs. Hunter was an obvious rip off of the first Aliens vs. Predator, Alien Lockdown is a rip off of its sequel Requiem. The plot has more in common with Species - scientists discover an extraterrestrial stone and use it to create a killing machine "to replace ground troops." Surprise, surprise, the thing gets loose, killing most of the scientists in the top-secret government glacier base. Enter our victims, a top commando team whose purpose is to show how ineffective Earth's puny weapons are against the genetically mutated menace.It's surprising how much Alien Lockdown talks. And talks. And talks. Be it the narrator blathering on about the stupid green stone, lead scientist Woodman (John Savage) describing how the pinnacle of killing perfection that is the "alien," or computer geek Charlie Dryfus (James Marshall) whining about how all their efforts are futile, Alien Lockdown is eager to convey its plot in great detail. It's awfully insecure for a movie about a monster eating people.The monster in question is a hybrid between a Predator and Alien. It has the overall body structure of the Alien and the head of the Predator, a lot like the Predalien from AVP: Requiem, only you actually get to see it. Alien Lockdown has more visuals of its monster than Requiem had in the entire film.It's also interesting that the leader of the commando team sent to put down the monster is Asian action chick Talon (Michelle Goh). The original Aliens vs. Predator comic series had Machiko Noguchi, who became an honorary Predator by the end of the film. Noguchi has gotten the short end of the stick - they just don't make sci-fi movies with Asian female protagonists these days. Director Tim Cox appears to be a fan (Not that Talon gets any more respect -- early on, one of her teammates accidentally clocks her in the head with his rifle).Alien Lockdown is like a fan film of every Alien movie rolled into one. It's got an asexually-reproducing killing machine of Alien, tactical nukes and Colonial Marines of Aliens, a mad scientist who sees the creature as his children from Aliens: Resurrection, and backstabbing spies from all the movies.Alien Lockdown is entirely filmed with a green lens, but at least it's competently produced. The musical cues are actually synced with on-screen events, the "alien" makes enough appearances to satisfy our monster-craving, and there's plenty of gunfire from frightened soldiers. None of these points should be considered a compliment, but it just goes to show that if you keep the bar low, Alien Lockdown looks pretty good next to Alien vs. Hunter.