Film Review: Predators – Directed by Nimród Antal
July 9th, 2010 Filed under: Reviews - Film by admin
Movie Review – Predators
Directed By Nimród Antal
20th Century Fox
In lieu of originality; reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels and revamps are what Hollywood thrive on these days. Take an established Hollywood franchise (healthy or not), and some schmuck will attempt one of the aforementioned treatments. Chances are he or she will screw it up totally and walk away with the undying love and admiration of the lost masses spoon fed on limp, predictable modern American movies. Thank FUCK (in large bold letters strewn across your local cinema marquee) for Predators, director Nimród Antal’s rebooted, revamped and remarkable redirection of the Predator franchise
Eight strangers dropped into an unfamiliar jungle terrain and forced to work together for reasons of survival may not seem like the most original of plot ideas, but as the facts of their predicament are slowly revealed to both the characters and audience alike, it becomes clear this isn’t your usual Predator fare.
Mercenary soldier Royce (Adrian Brody) leads the rag tag group of strangers on the quest to find out where they are and why they are there. The ‘where’ is shown (but never fully explained), while the ‘why’ becomes evident as members of the party are systematically bumped off by forces initially unknown.
Joining Royce are silent Yakuza assassin Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien), Mexican drug cartel enforcer Chuchillo (Danny Trejo), IDF sniper Isabelle (Alice Braga), RUF officer Mombasa (Mahershalalhashbaz Ali), American Death Row inmate Stans (Walton Goggins) and American doctor Edwin (Topher Grace). They are all cold-blooded killers forced to work together while each maintains a devious sub-plot of their own. Laurence Fishburne’s lengthy “ham at the bar mitzvah” cameo as Noland, a U.S. Air Cavalry Soldier, almost upsets the entire thing, but thankfully his appearance is short lived… pun intended.
Exceptionally well directed, the camera work and slow overhead panning shots used here work brilliantly, while the simple yet effective plot gives Predators an eerie, suspenseful atmosphere. Original, inventive and highly entertaining, director Nimród Antal, writers Alex Litvak & Michael Finch and cinematographer Gyula Pados (as well as a lack of fake looking CGI) are truly the stars of this film. Well done all around!
By Grimm “I’d Probably Die First” Culhane
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