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Predators strive to be the necessary sequel to the 1987 film Predator by John McTiernan, and I suppose it is better than the other versions although I am not sure that means much. After Predator 2 and the AvP films, the expectations are pretty darn low. But still, give some credit to director Nimrod Antal’s new attempt at the franchise It makes an effort. It does. It’s more than you can expect from any of the other sequels. The affection for the recognizable alien hunters is very clear and the affection for the original film which they are trying to completely remake is even stronger. It’s sufficient to make it worth watching but not as much as this franchise’s audience truly deserves.
This attempt at Predator Resurgence does at least have a basic premise that could redeem it. It begins with a man plummeting from a great height and is seemingly unconscious. He then wakes up in mid-air and begins to scream. Now that’s a perfect way to start a movie. Or a perfect way if this scene was anywhere close to being scary. The wind is howling and the camera zooms past him pulling off his screaming face. He is continuously falling from exceptionally high places. This scene is supposed to be horrific. If it’s not horrific, it should at the very least be adrenaline-pumping. It achieves none, and it is just one of many examples that on first look sound amazing, but then have the great misfortune to be brought to life.
The reason the original Predator is so good is one of the scariest films ever made. Although you never really get to know the characters in it intimately, you’re rooting for them to survive, which is quite different than many other horror films out there. Screens tend to sprinkle with blood and gore, depicting violence that enhances the reality of the film. You really believe that some sorta powerful killing machine stalks Dutch and his crew, and it is utterly terrifying. His deep talks with soldiers do not keep you invested, rather, he remains a badass throughout. From start to end, Predators struggle to replicate these scenes and fail to do so.
For a film that is said to be scary, Predators is nowhere close to achieving that. It lacks all the key elements needed to make it horrifying and quite frankly, it is not even a little frightening. The moments never end up exciting, remaining borderline below average after the initial freefall scene. Antal does not appear to be one of the best directors in this specific genre. To build thrill, he places his camera on the action spectacles but never seems interested in other crucial features such as suspense.
Perhaps we’ve watched way too many Predator movies, as it does look obvious from the start what’s going to happen. In this case, take the original plot and add a few more aliens while subtracting sympathy for the human characters. On its own, it should not have been this closely aligned. We’ve been reminded throughout the film that this particular plot is distinct from others. The original movie is about a special forces unit that gets deployed into the jungle and encounters a Predator, but this one revolves around a band of murderers who get abducted and dropped on an alien planet to be hunted for sport. While some of the battle maniacs act out of their usual character, they are truly no different from any other military organization. Other than one scene where a plethora of strange moons are observed, the alien planet resembles the same old jungle that we saw Dutch running around back in 1987. The film has multiple Predators, which is supposed to make it more diverse, but you can never really see more than two onscreen at any given time, and most of the movie’s battles still take place between one Predator and one lonely human.
Predators try to honor the original movie by closely following it. But, instead of paying homage, it just ends up copying the original film. While the movie is nicely finished, there is no fun, tension, or excitement to be derived from it. The intricate details are much better than just a bland, explosion of CGI. Thank goodness for that, but the aging look is really not great.
If you are a fan, I guess buying a ticket will not be a complete waste of money. The purpose of seeing these creatures back in action is served, even though it is not in ideal conditions. The insight from Laurence Fishburne gives life to the movie, which will keep you interested. What the movie lacks is excitement, but there are some interesting ideas. Samurai and Predator? Terrible for some, a sci-fi fan’s best fantasy novel. So, sure. You can see it, somewhat enjoy it, then completely forget about it. If you want to pair it against the original? There is no point. You may be right, and it may very well be time to rest the Predator.
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