This is the reboot of the classic sci-fi movie that was ruined twice by a lame sequel (Predator 2) and by the lame Aliens vs Predator movies. The movie is based on a script by Robert Rodriguez (Machette, Desperado, Spy Kids) and directed by Nimród Antal (Armored). The movie stars Adrian Brody (yes, that's right, he's in the Schwarzenegger role) and Laurence Fishburne, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, and Danny Trejo.
The story: a group of bad a**es from all different areas -- warriors, soldiers, etc -- are dropped into a strange jungle. They group together and learn that they are being hunted by a group of predators and must fight the aliens and try to get back home.
Was it good?
Sort of. There is some fun here, but not enough for me to recommend the movie. The problem is two-f0ld. First, the plot is weak. The basic idea is that these bad a**es are dropped on an alien planet that is like an animal preserve where they can be hunted by the predators. That's not bad, but then nothing special really happens. It turns out the predators use dog-like creatures, but only once so they aren't that big of a deal. We meet another human who has been surviving who turns on the group (no real surprise). It turns out there are two different types of preds, big and small, who fight each other...but why would they fight each other in the middle of a planet designed to hunt humans? And while the pred apparently hunt humans, I don't remember any other aliens...so there's an entire planet and they only hunt humans?
So there isn't any really interesting about the predators and there isn't really anything interesting about the people. In fact, I really didn't like most of the humans. It hurt the movie since I didn't really care if they lived or died.
The first movie had this great twist where these special forces guys go out to save prisoners, but find out they have been betrayed and they were sent to destroy a camp not save some prisoner. Then on their way back they become hunted by something even more dangerous. Here, there's nothing like that so the movie comes off as being flat, and with the characters all being a*holes, it's a movie that has moments but never draws you in.
*** AVOID ***
Recommend instead: watch the original PREDATOR. It's a classic. Simple, but soooo good!
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