Predators begins with Royce, a mercenary played by Adrian Brody,
waking up while in free-fall over several hundred feet above the ground. He’s got
no idea where he is, or how he got here, but before he knows it, an automatic
parachute deploys, slowing his decent to the jungle floor below just enough for
him to survive the landing. Once he’s on the ground, Royce discovers he’s not
alone. Other people, all professional killers like himself, have been dropped
into the jungle in the same fashion that he had been--including Isabelle, the
lone woman of the group who’s a sniper with the Israeli Defense Force.
All of them are armed with their own weapon of
choice. And as they traverse the landscape, it soon becomes clear that, wherever
they are, they’re no longer on earth. It also becomes apparent that they’re being
hunted. Which is very bad news. Because, even fully armed, this bunch of human
monsters are no match for the alien monsters who’re coming after them. Robert
Rodriguez produces and co-wrote this direct sequel to 1987’s Predator, which
starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ignoring the silly Predator 2, this film ably
restores the hulking alien Predator back to its original status as a major movie
bad ass.
Directed by Nimród Antal, who keeps things moving at a deft pace, Predators is
an enjoyable flick in the action/SF/horror vein that’s also somewhat predictable.
If you’re expecting a different twist on an old genre formula--such as in
District 9, or Monsters--you won’t find it here. Rodriguez and Antal are solely
interested in just reviving the Predator franchise, and they do this with a lot
of enthusiasm and style. Antal wisely keeps the Predators off screen for as long
as possible, steadily building them up, as well as the tension, as the film
moves along. And for those of you who may wonder if Adrian Brody has what it
takes to be an action star, he handles himself very well here.
Alice Braga is also very good as Isabelle, as is Topher Grace as the
dorky doctor. Robert Rodriguez’s favorite actor, Danny Trejo (Machete), shines
here as the Mexican cartel enforcer who finally meets his match. And Laurence
Fishburne makes the most of his cameo as an unhinged survivor. The rest of the group that Royce
leads are basically a collection of action movie archetypes who aren’t
fleshed out as much as they could be. And there are some off-the-wall moments,
such as a samurai-sword battle with a Predator, that feels out of place. But it’s
great to see these villains on the prowl once more. And with Predators' ending practically screaming
for a sequel, here’s hoping they return soon.
--SF
