While Predator is one of those perfect "when I was younger I used to love..." movies the idea of Predators struck me as odd. The idea of bringing the series back with spindly Adrian Brody as an ass kicking lead sounded like an idea destined to fail or, at the very least just be odd visually. I was wrong on that note with Brody pulling the role off quite well. I could do without his gravely attempt at a Christian Bale-esque "Batman voice" but beyond that he plays the role of a no-remorse badass quite well.
This is not a horror movie really, it is more pure sci-fi. I never felt the sense of tension that made the original a classic. In effect Predators is a sci-fi slasher film. We get the diverse (a bit overly diverse but we'll come back to that) group of soldiers dropped into a "game reservation" of sorts where they are hunted so the predators can determine their own weaknesses and correct them. It's a creative idea and one that sets up a minor sense of dread as there is a feeling of no way off the planet.
The group of soldiers represent everything from mercenaries to Yakuza to Mexican drug lord protection to African death squad soldier and so on. I don't know why and as I do this on a site likely to never be read by more than 10 people I don't have to explain it...but the over diversification of the cast bothered me. Also, how you can so badly misuse Danny Trejo I'll never know.
Predators is fun, it's competently acted and really doesn't have any huge problems but it also isn't something that "wows" you. The idea of a sequel where they'll run wild with the "predator planet" is appealing and this will likely be a movie I watch several times in a year when I'm up late at night and it's being cycled on HBO or Starz or whatever. But it's not something I'll ever go out of my way to watch again. It's no Predator, but it's sure as shit also no Predator 2.
Final Score: 3/5
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