Predators is a science fiction, action adventure movie directed by Robert Rodriguez’s and stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Danny Trejo and Laurence Fishburne, as elite killers, where each becomes target practice for the local aliens’ right-of-passage.  The film begins with Brody’s character, Royce, free falling from the sky, unconscious and at just the right moment, awake in time to launch his parachute to survive the fall.  He was not the only person that landed.  There were several others whom under the same set of circumstances, survived the parachute drop.  With everyone together after not so friendly introductions, soon realize that they were some place, completely unfamiliar and were being hunted by aliens.

Predators stayed loyal to the original (1987) film, with familiar one-liner’s and similar characters, that made the first film unforgettable:  a character, who wielded a smaller version of the gatling gun that Jessie (the Body) Ventura toted in the original film.  Also, there is a scene where Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien), does a samurai sword like stand-off, just like Sonny Landham character did in the original film, only this fight scene lasted a bit longer and had a more epic fight between the Hanzo character and a berserker predators.  Actually, there were three different classes of predators in the film:  a berserker predator, like before mentioned, a tracker predator who uses a type of wicked looking alien hunter-killer dog, which he uses for the hunt and finally the original predator, familiar from the first film.

Although the actors performed brilliantly in their roles, the overall story line was awful.  Poor character development within the film’s plot.  It was hard to find out the purpose for the mismatched band of humans.  The one that stood out the most was Topher Grace’s character, Edwin.  He was highly intelligent, so I found it odd why he would even be a part of the murderous ensemble, the purpose for his character was reveled much too late in the film and by that time, I did not care anymore.  Laurence Fishburne’s character, Noland, had serious issues that were remedied early on–way before you get a chance to understand his intended use in the film.

I knew this movie was going to be a disappointment early on when Danny Trejo‘s character made an early exit.  Even with an all star cast, it was just not enough to save this film, star’s do nothing for any film, with an incomplete, poorly developed story line and theme overall.  There were a few explosions here and there which is typical of Hollywood.  They even use the same music from the original film, which did nothing to help the movie anymore than the familiar one-liners did.  Please, do not get me started on how the film failed ending.  If you are looking for a non-cerebral type film, Predators win it, hands down.

According to Google news, it seems that Adrien Brody would be on-board for another Predators(2) remake.

Tsk-tsk-tsk.

Robert Rodriguez’s sequel to the Predator/Predator II films was an overall failed attempt that was not in need of a big Hollywood remake in the first place. Scratch that, it would have been well to see a decent remake of the original film.  It’s just that Robert Rodriguez created an urgent need for a better remake.

Predators DVD Special Features include:

• Commentary by Robert Rodriguez and director, Nimród Antal.
• De-cloaking the Invisible: Alien Terrain.
• The theatrical trailer.
• Motion Comics:  Moments of Extraction: Robert Rodriguez presents exclusive prequel vignettes voiced by the cast of Predators. Witness the secret adventures that turned two of our world’s most ruthless killers in the ultimate Predator prey.
  • Isabelle
  • Mombasa

• Crucified–The film’s mystery is revealed in this expanded universe by Motion Comics.

Article first published as DVD Review: Predators (2010) on Blogcritics.