Review | Predators
Hoping to put the dread back in dreadlocks, the universe’s favourite big game killers return in a human-hunting safari that seeks to return to the series’ pulpy sci-fi roots.
A second attempt to kick-start the flagging series after the tragic Aliens vs. Predators debacle, Predators was born from a decade-old pitch by Robert Rodriguez. But those hoping to see the cult director’s exploitation flick leanings applied to the series are out of luck, though the production remained under Rodriguez’ creative control directing chores went to Nimród Antal.
The film opens with groggy soldier Royce (Adrienne Brody) slowly waking to the realisation that he is falling through the air with the ground rushing to meet him. Stumbling away from a rough landing, Royce soon discovers a grumpy group of fellow free-fallers who have just as little knowledge of their situation. Nobody knows where they are, how they got there, or who anyone else is.
A curt round of introductions soon establishes that each of the mysterious strangers (except Topher Grace’s weedy Doctor character) is some sort professional badass – be they military, mercenary, or career criminal. Which turns out quite handy because some impossibly accurate sleuthing soon reveals they have been dropped onto a terra-formed alien world to be hunted by alien thrill-killers.
The B-grade premise is the fun sort of ridiculousness that lends itself well to the Predator’s own brand of over-the-top ultraviolece, but unfortunately the film leans too conservatively in its action to really approach the necissary grindhouse feel.
Instead we get a conventional action flick that bops along to the same safe beats, from predictable group tension, honourable sacrifices, incongruous budding romance and the sudden but inevitable betrayal. The closest the film ever gets to being surprising is when Little Richard’s Long Tall Sally fires up for the end credits.
A decent cast, including Danny Terjo, Laurence Fishburn and Walto Goggins, and a nice approach to alien design isn’t quite enough to warrant getting the Predator suits out of storage once again.
