2010’s Predators, directed
by Nimrod Antal.
Starring Adrian Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, Walton
Goggins, Louis Ozawa Changchien, Oleg Taktarov, Mahershala Ali, and Laurence
Fishburne.
What is it about?
Predators is about
a group of lethal but unconnected individuals who wake up while free falling
from the sky, before parachuting into an unknown jungle. The hastily assembled
group, mostly comprised of soldiers from various places, are able to avoid
killing one another long enough to realize that they are on an alien planet-
and that they’re being hunted by a race of creatures that prey upon humans for
trophies. Lead by cynical mercenary, Royce (Adrian Brody) and semi-maternal sniper,
Isabelle (Alice Braga), the group, with Cartel member, Cuchillo (Danny Trejo),
Soviet soldier, Nikolai (Oleg Taktarov), African soldier, Mombasa (Mahershala
Ali), Yakuza member, Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien), and doctor, Edwin (Topher
Grace), have to figure out how to avoid becoming objects of taxidermy on a
spaceship wall.
Why is it worth seeing?
Predators is the
third film in the Predator franchise. With the previous 2 films taking place on
earth, the creators do something novel and bring the humans to where the hunter
creatures have home field advantage- it’s a smart move. It’s just a bummer that
they forget to bring along characters worth caring about, exciting action, or
even geek intrigue.
Similar to Predator 2, Predators helps us to
learn more about the predators, an alien race of creature that feature futuristic
technology- and a win or else mandate. By learn more, I mean we are introduced
to different classes of Predator, as the large creature is dwarfed by an even
larger creature. It reminds me of Transformers
in the way there is little concept of scale for the unlovable Rastafarian
looking aliens. We also get more toys (drones) and even alien dogs to help hunt
their quarry. The problem is that the predators just aren’t that interesting.
Part of the brilliance of Predator was that the film was a bit
like Jaws in that it believed in less
is more, and it took a while to figure out just what was this thing following
the group was. It’s difficult to get that much character out of butchers at a
slaughterhouse. As well, the sense of slick coolness for the efficient hunters
has all but disappeared- making me pine for the original- or even part 2. But
what of our protagonists?
Adrian Brody has a interesting filmography, and has even won
an Oscar (2002’s The Pianist). Here,
it’s difficult to take him seriously as an alpha male. He’s shown that he can
be a jerk (Harrison’s Flowers) just
fine, but here he just doesn’t have the frame. His attempts to emulate Christian
Bale’s rumble growl from the Dark Knight trilogy doesn’t help. His reluctant
co-star, Alice Braga, fares better, as the sniper who values human life- but it
feels like she’s in the wrong movie, since the creators of the film don’t seem
to. The rest of the cast, save for Walton Goggins, really fail to make much of
an impression either way. I guess that’s why the movie is named after the
antagonists.
Regarding action sequences, director Nimrod Antal tries to
bring the pain, but he just doesn’t have the chops of 80’s auteur John
McTiernan. Throughout the film, there is a distinct lack of geography during the
action, leading to confusion as to what is happening where- with the notable
exception of a sword fight between 2 characters. Featuring clarity, simplicity,
and a high degree of art, its charms are frustratingly placed within a dreary
project that after a sequence or 2, becomes a joyless slog (another death in
the movie, is the killing off of the coolness of my favourite weapon of all
time, the handheld M134 minigun). The same goes for
how the jungle of the alien planet is presented. It really misses the chaotic
and mysterious vibes of the original, here replaced with something non descript
and unable to leave an impression.
All of these factors come together to create something that
can feel pretty aimless at times, and its final scene makes us grateful the
ordeal is over (for us). Featuring fresh meat that’s not that captivating to
hunt, directionless directing for the action scenes, and a step down for our
alien levels of intrigue, Predators
can feel like the Lawrence Fishburne character: confusing, dreary, and out to
lunch. Can I go home now?
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