Movie Review: Predators

By Michael Vass | July 14, 2010

When a movie franchise hits the 3rd film in a series you can never be sure what you will get. Some franchises get better with time, like James Bond. Some get worse like all the Friday the 13th films. And then there is the hit and miss pattern of Star Trek and Alien. Where does Predators fall?

Well first let’s clarify a thought. Aliens vs Preadator films really should not count. They violate the rules of both the Alien and Predator films. It’s just a teen slasher film with aliens. They were a tasteless abuse of Hollywood using a great idea (that already had a history in the Dark Horse comic books and 2 video games) to cash in on the dream fight of fans. Like Highlander 2, I don’t count those films.

But how is Robert Rodriguez’s vision of the Predator concept? Pretty good actually.

Visually it captures the essence of the original Predator film. A landscape that while familiar it is alien to the average viewer. It’s alive and yet dangerous. It provides shelter and hidden dangers. It’s lush and inspiring and gives the prey as much help as hinderance.

In terms of the plot, he hits the mark well. The small group of humans picked are all killers, and a doctor. Why a doctor? To help heal the group? To help keep them from poisonous plants? We find out towards the end.

The pace is great too. We start off with a rush. Falling from grace as it were. By the time the audience starts to capture where the film is taking place we are thrust into mystery. Which then kicks up a notch as all the players are assembled and they piece together what is going on. By the time they have a solid hold on what is happening, they are again thrust into intense action. And it keeps rolling from there.

I have to say that I am upset by the order that characters die in. Without giving up too much, I think that Danny Trejo (a regular cast member in Rodriguez’s films) wasn’t used well enough. Mahershalalhashbaz Ali breaks the traditional role that most Black characters in action/sci-fi/slasher films get – by a few minutes. Oleg Taktarov gets to play the heavy with a heart again, the man is typecast.

Laurence Fishburne surely isn’t typecast. His role in this film is a bit funny and definitely twisted. Younger viewers might not get the joke about the Air Cavalry (referring to his first film role). His character’s break with reality makes complete sense, given his circumstances and the conditions he initially needed to qualify to be placed on the planet. It’s not the best role for Fishburne (and it would have been great to see more of it) but it fills out the film nicely.

Topher Grace (whom I believe should have stayed in television) does a great job in the film. He is annoying, amenable, and surprising almost in that order. It may well be the best acting he has ever done. And you can’t appreciate that until well into the film.

Adrien Brody on the other hand is stiff. His character just seems to figure out too much. He is too sneaky and manipulative in an environment he is clueless about. His plans are too well played. In effect he is just too much of the leader/hero to be believed fully. It detracts from the film a bit, but not enough to kill the film.

One of the things that really will keep fans of the series talking is the new elements that Rodriguez created for the film. There are 2 types of Predator. The classic Predator that we are familiar with. They travel to hunt their prey in its habitat. They are social. They are honorable, so if their prey defeats them they allow it to live and provide it a reward. They won’t hunt pregnant women, not attack unarmed prey.

The new “Black Super” Predators don’t follow any of those rules. In fact they will hunt the classic Predator. It seems that the species are all too human, as the 2 types of Predator war against each other – even in this preserve.

The great thing about this film is that it really opens up what might be the future of the Predator series. If there are 2 types of Predator there may be more. They have “dogs” they hunt with, so they may have other pets. The species is constantly evolving new weapons and strategies. All of this and more can be employed in the next film, which there certainly will be.

Predators is a good film for fans. It will definitely keep the Predator franchise alive. It’s worth seeing in theaters, and the DVD will hopefully contain a few tidbits on the new Predators that will make it worthwhile too.

The only question now is how will the next film move forward?

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