Predators Review

Directed by NIMROD ANTAL

Starring ADRIEN BRODY, ALICE BRAGA, WALTON GOGGINS,
LAURENCE FISHBURNE, and DANNY TREJO.

Predators: If you love the Predator franchise (not to be confused with the Alien/Predator franchise, which frankly sucks), then you'll love this movie. This film is clearly one big homage to the original (and still the best) 'Predator' film.  And like too much frosting, they lay on the homages really thick, but it works. The filmmakers manage to update, while at the same time, follow the first film's winning formula.

The film's casting is a little unusual.  Adrien Brody plays the lead character/all-around tough guy. Either Adrien is that good of an actor, which he is, or the writing's that good, or both. This is an action movie's, action movie, but it's smartly written and intriguing enough for the non-action fans. 

Plot - The action starts from the very first scene and it doesn't let up until the very last scene.  Royce, a mercenary (Adrien Brody); a sniper, Isabelle (Alice Braga); and a whole assortment of unsavory characters, including a drug cartel enforcer, Cuchillo (Danny Trejo); a Spetsnaz soldier, Nikolai (Oleg Taktarov); a Revolutionary United Front Officer, Mombasa (Mahershalahashbaz Ali); a death row inmate, Stans (Walton Groggins); a Yakuza, Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien); and surprisingly a rather normal emergency room doctor, Edwin (Topher Grace), are all stranded on a foreign planet.  They have no idea why they are there or how they got there.  The group later encounters Noland (Laurence Fishburne), a fellow soldier who has managed to survive on the planet for quite sometime.  Royce steps up to be the natural leader as they slowly piece together what they are there for,why they were chosen, and what's hunting them.  Like the first film, this is an ensemble cast and the chemistry between the cast is great.  

THREE - 1/2 STARS OUT OF FIVE