It was good to see a new "Predator" movie without the "Alien" cross-over gimmick and, once again, set in a rather nostalgic jungle setting (fans of the original will agree), but there was really nothing here that got me THAT pumped up...
The set-up is a lot like the 1987 film, with a group of assorted G.I.s and other professional killers, all gaining consciousness while free-falling onto an unknown planet. The first is the 'beaked one', himself, Adrian "The Almighty Schnoz" Brody, followed by another recently busy actor, Danny Trejo. Other confused, marooned people include the one tough chick, the Russian, the quiet Asian mobster, the big but cool-headed black guy, a scrawny doctor, and a smart-ass convict. Stereotype galore! And if you think I'm kidding, just wait til you see the Asian guy turn into a samurai... Turns out they're there to be hunted by the Predators... The entire audience knows that right off the bat so I was thankful that the characters were able to jump to this conclusion just on a whim. The Preds end up unleashing their "dogs", which are actually these heavily horned, four legged creatures used to expose the humans' "tactics" before the "hunters" can jump in and start killing them off one by one. Lawrence Fishbourne pops up at a certain point as a bad-ass survivor living in an abandoned structure and turns out to be a complete nut case...
"Predators" IS a very enjoyable movie, but after the Arnie/Ventura version, the Danny Glover/Bill Paxton sequel and two "Alien vs. Predator" outings, I really just didn't feel like I was experiencing anything to "eventful". The Predators are always cool and there has never been a boring frame of screen-time containing them, but otherwise this isn't anything all that new other than the flimsy concept of there being two breeds of Predator - one "classic" and the other "super" Predator - as well as the "dogs". Overall, it's enjoyable, plus it's the ONE fucking movie out right now that doesn't require you to wear those bullshit 3-D sunglasses. "Predators" is worth an hour and half or so of disposable entertainment, for sure.
It was good to see a new "Predator" movie without the "Alien" cross-over gimmick and, once again, set in a rather nostalgic jungle setting (fans of the original will agree), but there was really nothing here that got me THAT pumped up...
