1987's "Predator" is an all-time guy movie classic, one of those movies that basically spawned an entire genre and remains legendary among fans and industry types alike. The original takes place in the dense, inhospitable jungle of Costa Rica and follows an American special forces team sent to rescue some VIPs who went missing in an area overrun by rebels. In this jungle, they find a lot more than they bargained for as a deadly alien hunter who hunts men for sport is hot on their trail. The original epic spawned a sequel where the Predator took to the streets of Los Angeles, and a rather unfortunate crossover series with Fox's Alien franchise. It took 23 years for the Predator series to return to its jungle roots - a setting that is perfect for sci-fi/horror. I am a huge fan of the original, and have been excited about this one since seeing the talent behind it. This is a pretty stacked cast - Adrian Brody, Lawrence Fishburne, Topher Grace and Danny Trejo are the highlights. Robert Rodriguez EPs. Count me in. The first hour or so of this movie is incredible. It opens up gangbusters and doesn't let up for quite some time. The tension is palpable, and it really keeps you on the edge of your seat. You're right there with the characters as they try to unravel just what the hell is going on. The film opens with Adrian Brody in free-fall, his shoot opens, but not high enough to prevent him from taking a pretty rough fall. As he struggles to find his bearings, he discovers other humans are dropping all around him. Gradually, our merry band discovers that they are all elite warriors and killers in their own right, and they have been brought to an alien world/game preserve as quarry for a group of Predators on a hunting excursion. The film quickly becomes a struggle for survival, as the Predators take apart the human survivors 1 by 1.
Is this a perfect film? By all accounts, no. However, it is a damn good time and a worthy sequel to the 1987 classic. The film ultimately fails to live up to the promise of its first hour, as by the end it devolves into rather standard fare chase-horror. That is not to say it isn't well done however. The film looks great, hard to believe it was made for only $40 million. Brody and the rest of the cast are strong (of particular note is Walton "Shane from the Shield" Goggins), and do a hell of a job selling what could potentially be a preposterous premise. I do have criticisms - one is that Brody is acting a whole hell of a lot tougher than he looks or could possibly be - another is that the characters make rather large leaps in understanding that don't seem possible given the information given to them. Granted, I understand that these are necessary to further the plot, but they seem a bit off-putting. That being said, this flick is a whole hell of a lot stronger than any Predator film since the original and well worth your time if you're a fan of the sci-fi/horror sub-genre. It's a can't miss if you're a fan of the Predator series, and one of the better flicks I've seen this summer. 7/10.
No comments:
Post a Comment