The first ‘Predator’ (1987) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger set the tone for the theme, our planet being used as a hunting ground in the remote jungles and aliens from other worlds, visiting and hunting humans for sport. ‘Predator 2’ (1990) starring Danny Glover had the aliens returning, with the same idea, hunting humans with the setting in a big city rather than jungles.
There’s been a few ‘Predator’ themed films in between which were variations on the original concept. ‘Predators’ takes us back to the original theme. This time around, its back to the original concept, with one twist, a select group of humans are on a ‘game reserve’, trying to survive as ‘Predators’ are hunting them.
From the opening sequence which also takes place during the opening titles of a Para-military man in full armament in a ‘Halo’ (High Altitude-Low Opening with a parachute) free fall toward the ground, its high-octane scenes on one level to non-stop psychological involvement on the other, ‘Predators’ is comparable to the first, a rare feat to achieve in filmmaking.
I can only think of one other movie in this genre where a sequel is equal to the original, ‘Alien’ (1979) and the sequel ‘Aliens’ (1986). An addition for this reviewer is actress Alice Braga whose role is not the usual ‘damsel in distress’, rather her character is also ex-military and a highly trained sniper with deadly accuracy for moving targets! I thoroughly enjoyed this latest addition to the ‘Predator’ franchise, a very good addition to my ‘guilty pleasures’ list!
Starring Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Oleg Taktarov, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Trejo, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Mahershalalhashbaz Ali, Carey Jones, Brian Steele, and Derek Mears.
Directed by Nimród Antal. Written by Alex Litvak & Michael Finch. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation release. Rated R for strong creature violence and gore, and pervasive language. Runtime: 106 minutes.
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