Well, you get Predators - and it ain't half bad!
"If it bleeds, we can kill it". It's a phrase that has ingrained
itself within the pop culture psyche (and convinced boofhead failed Ex-AFL
footballers that they can "coach") and rightfully so - Predator was one of the most kick ass action movies of the 1980s. So how does the new chapter in the saga fare? Predators is a bold new chapter in the
Predator film universe (we're basically meant to assume that duds like Predator 2 and the AVP series don't exist) and stars Adrien Brody as Royce, a cold-blooded mercenary whose
only allegiance is to those who pay him.
After falling from the sky and landing in the middle of a thick jungle, Royce must reluctantly lead a group
of elite warriors who have quickly come to realise they've been brought together... on
an alien planet... as prey.
With the notable exception of a nerdy Doctor (That 70s Show's Topher Grace), every single person dropped (no one can remember how they got there, they just remember falling) is a cold-blooded
killer (Mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death row inmates).
However, they don't have much time to figure out what the hell is going on - because these human
"predators" are now being hunted and eliminated by bigger, badder, alien Predators.
Let the games begin.
Unlike the sequels and spin-off's, Predators
gets back to the basics (almost to the point where it seems like it's
not so much a "reboot" as it is a "shot for shot remake") and the film
is a lot stronger for it.
With Brody taking charge (he really is
an under-rated star), the tension is surprisingly thick and consistent
throughout the flick. After all, the whole movie feels like one giant
game of paintball - with the audience right in the thick of the action. It's a sensation that really comes through and (without even realising
it) you will be completely engrossed from beginning to end.
Yes
the dialogue is fairly "Action Movie #101", the gore is strangely
absent, and without Adrien Brody or Topher Grace on board this could
quite easily be mistaken for a non-franchise-specific Straight-to-DVD
monster flick - but it's a hell of a lot of fun.
Well worth checking out as Predators doesn't disappoint when it comes to Popcorn charm - "GET TO DA CHOPPER!". DVD Special Features
There is a crazy number of extras on offer here - especially if you opt for the Blu Ray Edition.
Included
here is a Commentary by Robert Rodriguez and director Nimród Antal as
well as featurettes "De-cloaking the Invisible : Alien Terrain",
"Moments of Extraction" (in which Robert Rodriguez presents exclusive
prequel vignettes voiced by the cast of Predators) as well as some
pretty cool Motion Comics.
This is a must have for any action fan, and especially fans of the franchise. It's the best Predator movie... besides Predator.
Conclusion - Movie: 80% Extras: 75%
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