Predators

Last time we saw Fox’s extraterrestrial hunters, they hunted down Fox’s extraterrestrial terrors in two Alien vs. Predator films. Now, twenty years after they had a film for themselves, the Predators have returned in, drum roll please, Predators!

The brainchild of Producer Robert Rodriguez and realized by director Nimrod Antal, this film drops a whole bunch of soldiers, criminals and even a “pharmacist” (Topher Grace) into the jungle in the first few minutes. Led by Royce (Adrien Brody), our “heroes” quickly discover that wherever they are, they are not on Earth. Just as quickly, Royce realizes their new surroundings are a game preserve with themselves as the prey. And then the real stars of the show come in…

And, that’s it for plot. Then again, all it is supposed to be is an action film.

Yes, the film is gory, but it doesn’t really drown itself in a sea of blood. Instead, the film provides plenty of suspenseful action to go along with the blunt set pieces that highlight the film. In a way, this puts it on similar ground as Ridley Scott’s Alien from 1979.

These characters maybe stereotypical, or at worst, unsympathetic, but somehow, these characters are appealing at best. The cast highlight is Grace, as the pharmacist who starts off a hapless nerd, but is really more than he lets on. And in a cameo role, Laurence Fishburne is a nice surprise.

Unlike a few other summer films, Predators doesn’t flash the latest in visual effects and the loudest of noises. In fact, the titular creatures are effectively created by practical makeup effects. And really, there’s nothing wrong with simplicity. This is why Predators is quite worth the trip to see this summer.