Predators (2010) Director: Nimród Antal

Predators is a ridiculous film. BUT a highly enjoyable, ridiculous film. Die-hard Predator fans may be disappointed but I found the addition of Predator dogs and pimped-up new Predators rather exciting. Plus Adrien Brody with a six pack. Nice.

The film follows a group of not-very-nice crims and people who are parachuted into a jungle. It’s like an extreme version of I’m a Criminal; Get Me Out of Here. They, at first, go to turn on each other, then realise that they need to rapidly work ‘together’ (ah, harmony, co-operation, this is what Sesame Street teaches us!) as they are the ones about to be turned on – this is rapidly evident when they see lots of planets and moons and things and know they’re not in Kansas anymore (Pandora, anyone?), and then some big Predator meets Avatar dog creatures come to munch them up. They are the hunted. They are the game. For a bunch of pimped-up new Predators.

What follows is an exhilarating ride of action, gore and adult hide-and-seek as the humans try to outwit and survive the pimped-up new Predators. Have I mentioned the pimped-up new Predators? They’re pretty bad-ass. Turns out they also hunt the normal Predators as game. These dudes can microwave, hoover, can-open and everything. If you’re a Predator fan, you’ll be pleased to hear there is one spine-ripping and a huge Predator roar. It’s rather marvellous.

If you keep your level-head well away from Predators, you can enjoy it fully for what it is. Sheer bloody entertainment and good, good fun. Adrien Brody is hilarious as main character Royce – Royce, what a name! To battle the Predators, he takes off his top to reveal a buffed-up chest. You will literally go ‘Woah!’ – where did that come from? He also feels it necessary to speak very deeply in action mode, trying to make the battle of man Vs alien creature more ‘luvvie, darling’ – one of the beauties of this film is that he tries so hard, but doesn’t realise he’s thoroughly entertaining...all for the wrong reasons.

As part of the Predator franchise, it stands up there and is respectable in its own right. The Predators are taken to a whole new level and wear some nice bling. I liked them.
4/5