Through The Rear Window: MOVIE REVIEW ... PREDATORS

Sunday, July 18, 2010

MOVIE REVIEW ... PREDATORS

MOVIE REVIEW ...

PREDATORS

My most abiding memory of watching the first Predator was of the second feature which followed. With the tactful title of ‘Revenge of the Nerds 2: Nerds In Paradise’, its’ silly capers were a stark contrast to the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic. Not that the drive-in in 1987 could have cared less, as such cinematic odd couples were a staple of those now near extinct places. Thankfully Predators’ action armada erases any thoughts of bespectacled geniuses, as it effectively expands on the background of the beastly predatory warriors.

Royce (Adrien Brody) is a mercenary who has been captured by an alien race known as Predators. Masters in the art of combat and deadly in tactical skill, they use him as a tool in its latest round of warfare. Released onto their planet with seven other people, he becomes an unwitting pawn in an ultimate game of survival. With Predators on their tail and trust a low commodity amongst the band of miscreants, the hunt is on to find the victors amongst the most savage of war games.

A question arising from any sequel is: does it add anything new to a franchise? In Predators case the answer is yes, as it reverses the earth bound setting of previous films to land the humans onto their alien territory. This works in re-setting the rules in how the monsters behave and restores their menace which gradually diluted with the recent ‘Alien vs. Predator’ series. There’s no witty banter with these creatures - just a pure military precision making them very unpredictable foes. The way they toy with their human prey – who each have a different set of fighting abilities – shows a dangerous intelligence lurking underneath their horrific appearance.

Given it’s a continuation rather than a remake, Predators reflects the times like the others. Where the first had gung-ho action and the second had an urban city setting, Predators has a grungy realism mirroring its choice of cast. Adrien Brody is almost the anti Arnie, with his whippet frame the opposite to the ‘Austrian Oak’s’ biceps. Although he tries a little too hard with the ‘serious raspy voice’ most he-men affect, he makes for an engaging lead as do the other actors who give their all. Nimrod Antal’s direction moves the story along whilst having fun with the guns and crawly monsters at his disposal.

Predators is a decent sci-fi monster movie which does the job as expected. Although it can never compete with the original, it gives it a good go with some sequences returning the nasty beasties to the gallery of notorious alien races.