Predators (2010)
It's alright
Oh, okay then. Adrian Brody is woefully miscast. He and Laurence Fishburne have a gruff voice-off that's bound to become the high point in drinking games in years to come. A bunch of characters you'll struggle to remember when you leave the cinema get picked off in mostly unoriginal ways, except Walton Goggins who's awesome in everything. There's a twist featuring one of them that you'll spot a minute after they appear on screen and is exactly what you expect. The dialogue is risible ("I'm alive" got an audible laugh). There's a bunch of nice practical effects and a dreadful CGI explosion. There's some lovely cinematography in the second half and a lot of dreary, by the numbers shots looking up at tree tops in the first. Speaking of which, I know what a jungle should look like (I've watched Predator) and that wasn't a jungle. That was a lake district forest I kept expecting to see hikers turn up in. There's no new weapons, one of the most fun parts to Predator 2. There's way too many nods to the original Predator and even some to Aliens. The ending doesn't. And there are some fun, albeit brief, set pieces.
Aliens was a brilliant sequel to Alien because it took the series in a different direction (horror to war movie), expanded the mythology of the creatures (the alien queen) and featured Cameron's regular themes of nature verses technology and the nuclear family. Predators? Well, Predators features some alien dogs and a predator with a bigger set of mandibles. We're not exactly talking earth shattering advancements here. And there's no chance we'll see a repeat of the Oscar nomination for best female actress Sigourney picked up.
Movies should suck you in and make you forget you're in a darkened cinema surrounded by strangers, taking you off to new and interesting worlds and lives and ideas. Sometimes you go along with the ride even though it's not a good movie (see Killers). Sometimes you never buy into the experience. Sadly, Predators was the later for me. Maybe next time.
2/5
