predators (2010) review
Predators is one of those harmless and nondescript sequels that inspires casual indifference. Virtually no one truly hates the film but you'll rarely see it recommended. Directed by Nimrod Antal, It attempts to present familiar setting and story beats to the original film while introducing ideas that expand the mythology of the predators (Yautja, to the initiated) without crapping all over the existing canon. It doesn’t fully succeed, but it’s also not a complete and utter failure. Armed with the knowledge of how far the 2018 Predator sequel would stray from the source, it would not be a stretch to say this film is comparatively quite good. Produced (and depending on who you ask, partially directed) by Robert Rodriguez, Predators leans the hardest of any of the sequels into reminding us of why we love the 1987 original. We appreciate it for that. It’s the reason you rarely bump into anyone who out and out hates the film. Adrien Brody, bulked up and playing against type, is fine and wholly believable as a beleaguered mercenary ready for retirement. The general consensus on the internet is he didn’t have the screen presence to take up the Schwarzenegger/Glover mantle. I disagree. He brought his own more cerebral gravitas and it worked. The idea of a more aggressively dangerous and less honorable group of predators warring with the classic predators also works. It makes complete sense that in any social group you might have those that don’t follow norms. It was also smart to introduce specialized Yautja. The Falconer and his shoulder-mounted deployable scout/spy drone stand out as logical evolutions of predator tech even if the designs of the new masks were a bit busy for my taste. The simplest predator masks always look the best. Predators is a fun watch and ages well. Seeing the OG jungle predator strung up to a tree and presented as a sympathetic character is more interesting than anything Predator-related on the big screen since.
Predators receives a score of 6.5/10 for general audiences and a 7.5/10 for Predator/genre fans. The only really good Predator stuff since is in the comics.