"If it bleeds...."

Okay, so here's my review of Troublemaker Studio's latest film addition to the Predator universe, "Predators". WARNING: SPOILER ALERT

In 1987, John McTiernan directed what is, in my opinion, one of the best science-fiction action movies ever. In the original film a special forces team led by their commander Dutch, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is sent into the South American jungle under the impression that they are rescuing a cabinet minister only to find out that they're actually busting a major arms operation, much to Dutch's dismay. After a ridiculous series of explosions the team dashes into the jungle to escape more South American bad guys, but things suddenly take a turn for the worst when an invisible enemy starts killing off the team one by one. As the events unfold we learn that the invisible assailant is non-other than an intergalactic head hunter with a face only a mother could love. The movie delivers some tense moments thanks to the extremely effective soundtrack as well as some wonderful characters and great one liners.

Since the first film, Predator has seen a few more moments in the spot light, but non that compare to the initial incarnation. Predator 2 was met with mixed reviews, though I think it's a fine movie. The AVP films are, for the most part, pretty bad, but I'm easy to please and just seeing the big, dreaded, fishnet wearing hunters on the big screen makes me giddy.

Despite the lack luster successors to the 87 science-fiction classic a firm fan base has remained and now, thanks to Robert Rodriguez's Troublemaker studios they have a film worthy of the gnarly space hunter. This latest film contrasts with the original in the best way possible. It's much grittier. Even, dare I say, more realistic. As least as realistic as such a fantasy can get. The action sequences are fast, loud, and tense. I was quite pleased with the fact that they used some of the soundtrack from the original movie as well as composing some of their shots in the same way. One big difference, not to the film's discredit, really, is that the original film introduced a set of characters that, for the most part, the audience loved. You liked the team in the original movie and you felt bad when one of them got all exploded. In this new film, that's not really the case. I'm not saying you don't like the characters, but they're nowhere near as endearing. In a very real way these characters deserve to be in the situation they're in. However, the few well placed one-liners are quite brilliant. One of my favorite moments in the film is when the death-row inmate, after it seems he's been killed, jumps up onto one of the Predator's back and starts stabbing him repeatedly while shouting, "Fuck you, ya Space Faggot!" In a lot respects this movie is a much more effective action flick. It slows down very little and delivers some really tense, well executed, combat scenes. One moment pits Hanzo, a Yakuza enforcer, against one of the Predators Samurai style. Overall, this film is fantastic. It was every bit as entertaining as the original and in some ways, a lot cooler. It seems like a natural place for the franchise to go. I, for one, hope this breath new life into one of my favorite Sci-fi badasses.