Saturday 10 July 2010

Film Review: PREDATORS (2010)


Director: Nimród Antal
Running time: 106 mins (approx)
Certification (UK): 15

UK Release date: 8th July 2010

Watched at the cinema Saturday 10th July 2010.

PLEASE NOTE: THERE MAY BE SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW.

Since my local cinema only has two screens and, as a provincial picture house, has to make a profit, at times they have a limited choice of films. This week was a case in point. Just the two very popular films showing this week meaning I have to travel in order to see my personal choice. A bus, some legs, a train and some more legs later I find myself standing in the queue at the multiplex. Having purchased my ticket and waited for the screening room to be cleaned up form the previous showing we are let into Screen 2.

The film opens with a man dressed in battle fatigues falling, he is unconscious, but comes round. Shortly before impact with the jungle covered ground below a parachute opens, but he still lands with a bone-crunching thud. Others land around him and are, at first aggressive towards each other until the first one persuades them it would be better to band together. They are all from the less desirable side of the tracks, there’s a mercenary, a convict, a sniper from Guatemala, a yakuza, a freedom fighter from Chechnya, a kidnapper, a religious fighter and a doctor. It soon becomes apparent that they are not on Earth and that they are being hunted by an unseen enemy. One by one they are eliminated by this foe. Eventually a plan is formed to defeat them and get off this planet.

Very reminiscent of the original film, Predator (1987) starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, but maybe without the same impact. All very well done with some excellent special effects and CGI. Decent performances from all involved. Honourable mentions go to, Adrien Brody as Royce, Topher Grace as Edwin, Alice Braga as Isabelle, Walton Goggins as Stans, Oleg Taktarov as Nikolai, a nice cameo from Laurence Fishburne as Noland, Danny Trejo as Cuchillo, Louis Ozawa Changchien as Hanzo and Mahershalalhashbaz Ali as Mombasa.

Although not as good as the 1987 original, I quite enjoyed this sequel. Having seen several films featuring the Predators since then, they don’t have the fright factor they used to. But it was an entertaining film with some great action sequences and a nice twist at the end. It’s not the best film in the world, but over all recommended for those who like this sort of thing (I did). Oh, and it ends wide open for another sequel.

My score: 7.3/10

LINKS:
IMDb Site: http://uk.imdb.com/title/tt1424381/
Official Site: http://www.predators-movie.com/
Trailer: http://uk.imdb.com/rg/VIDEO_PLAY/LINK/video/imdb/vi2220360729/

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