Predators

Welcome Back to the Jungle
"Predators" is back to basics return for the "Predator" franchise, they have juggled the elements that made the first film successful but couldn't seem to get right for the sequel or the "Alien vs. Predator" movies. "Predators" starts with the original premise of the first movie. Eight people of different ethnicities (if not occupations) are thrown into a living green hell of a jungle except they all don't know how they got there or where they are. The only thing they're sure of is that they were involved in some war, they saw a light and the next thing they remember is waking up as they fell into the jungle.

As the eight get to know each and their surroundings, "Predators" relies on the camaraderie of the individuals and the stress of the situation for each character to reveal themselves to each other and the audience, and they discover every one may not be what they seem. There's also a nice bit of gallows humor to lighten the moments and was one of the things that gave...

Justice
It has taken a string of awful sequels for someone such as Nimrod Antal to step up and take the Predator franchise back to its roots of gore, suspense and plain fear, but does it do these things well? "Predators" sets it story deep within the nostalgia of fans with a jungle setting similar to the original. We are introduced to an unconscious Royce, a hardened, ex-military mercenary played by Adrien Brody, free-falling from the sky over the jungle. After a warm welcome from fellow drop ins, the newly formed team of eight begin to make sense of their surroundings.

"Predators" builds the tension between the characters similarly to that of the original with fear and uncertainty clouding their minds. The eerie-ness and unfamiliarity of the environment and it's contents are also set just as in the first film. The building of this tension plays out smoothly and doesn't rush itself to get to it's point (the whole alien planet/we are being hunted/"If it bleeds, it can be killed"...

Knock Knock...They're Back
I don't get out to the theater much, so when my 9 and 11 year olds suggested we go to the movies on a hot and rainy Sunday, I thought it would be a nice way to spend the day with the kids. "So what'll it be boys? Toy Story 3? Despicable Me?" Their reply in unison: "PREDATORS!!!" Actually I wasn't at all surprised since lately they've been spending most of their video game time online with Aliens vs Predator. Truthfully I couldn't have been happier with their choice because that's really what I wanted to see most too.

In the end no one was disappointed. Predators is a great action movie that not only pays homage to the original, but brings the Predator franchise back to the brutal violence...

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