Now let's just get this out of the way before I get into any details for the film:
'Predators' is NOT better than the original 'Predator' film. It might be better than 'Predator 2' as I haven't watched that in a long time but remember not thinking that much of it when I was 12 so I would imagine I probably won't think any more of it now.
'Predators' with the "clever" "S" on the end making it a plural as apposed to a numbered sequel which would be 'Predator 3' or 'Predator 5' depending on whether you count the god awful 'AVP' films as anything - still suffers from everything sequels suffer from.
Mainly lack of originality. O.k. yes it's a sequel so it can't be as original as the original film is but it can still get by on adding it's own new original merits to the mythos can it not? Well....yeah, sorta. But instead - what we get is pretty much a carbon copy of the first film with many unnecessary 'copied' scenes!
Example: so we're back to jungle settings now. Congrates to the film makers for that as the "concrete jungle" for Predator 2 just wasn't scary in the slightest. There's a bunch of soldiers/mercenaries/murderer/tough guys with personalities which resemble that of the tough guys in the original film who this time make their way through the jungle whilst the 'Predator/s' watch from the trees learning there movements and speech phrases also like in the original. A few action scenes; "oh no! we're on another planet etc." some running from aliens which consist of some giant predators for some reason. Now this is where the film makers really break into their own originality: instead of just ONE person falling down a water-fall - we'll have the WHOLE CAST fall down it instead!!!! O.k. I accept that. Moving on.
Laurence fishburne's character is introduced into the film. Finally the film gets interesting. Fishburnes character is the best in the film. Sadly, we can say bye to Fishburne 15 minutes later and go back to running from all sorts of different colour/sized Predators who in this film don't seem to mind attacking un-armed individuals.
So far - there has been zero suspense in the film and besides a few mediocre action sequences and some not-THAT-gory murders, the third act of the film is upon us.
Now we can look forward to a ridiculous sword fighting sequence which was not even well shot or choreographed and looked like it was done in one take. It was just bad and completely irrelevant.
Anyway, final act comes. Some plot "twist" thrown in to make things interesting. Brody and giant Predator face-off Arnie-styles, mud and all! Brody wins. Grabs the girl. "Let's get the hell off this planet!" hint at inevidable sequel happens. Little Richard sings us the credits. The end.
'Predators' ultimate downfall is the typical Hollywood idea that "Bigger is better"! Adding too many things and expanding on already existing themes makes the film too muddled and just silly in parts. It takes away from the suspense the film should have but loses due to too many changes and silly alterations made to the Predators themselves. There does not need to be more than one type of predator. Why do the big predators hunt the little ones??? Why do they all look different, we don't need to decipher between any of them - they have no personalities!
Besides all my complaints, I did still enjoy the film. It's hard as a male not to enjoy pointless carnage at the hands of mutated alien man-hunters on another planet.
It just lacks suspense and has a few too many "Hollywood" moments in it for my liking.
Could have been better.
Could have been worse too......'AVP' worse!!!
'Predators' is NOT better than the original 'Predator' film. It might be better than 'Predator 2' as I haven't watched that in a long time but remember not thinking that much of it when I was 12 so I would imagine I probably won't think any more of it now.
'Predators' with the "clever" "S" on the end making it a plural as apposed to a numbered sequel which would be 'Predator 3' or 'Predator 5' depending on whether you count the god awful 'AVP' films as anything - still suffers from everything sequels suffer from.
Mainly lack of originality. O.k. yes it's a sequel so it can't be as original as the original film is but it can still get by on adding it's own new original merits to the mythos can it not? Well....yeah, sorta. But instead - what we get is pretty much a carbon copy of the first film with many unnecessary 'copied' scenes!
Example: so we're back to jungle settings now. Congrates to the film makers for that as the "concrete jungle" for Predator 2 just wasn't scary in the slightest. There's a bunch of soldiers/mercenaries/murderer/tough guys with personalities which resemble that of the tough guys in the original film who this time make their way through the jungle whilst the 'Predator/s' watch from the trees learning there movements and speech phrases also like in the original. A few action scenes; "oh no! we're on another planet etc." some running from aliens which consist of some giant predators for some reason. Now this is where the film makers really break into their own originality: instead of just ONE person falling down a water-fall - we'll have the WHOLE CAST fall down it instead!!!! O.k. I accept that. Moving on.
Laurence fishburne's character is introduced into the film. Finally the film gets interesting. Fishburnes character is the best in the film. Sadly, we can say bye to Fishburne 15 minutes later and go back to running from all sorts of different colour/sized Predators who in this film don't seem to mind attacking un-armed individuals.
So far - there has been zero suspense in the film and besides a few mediocre action sequences and some not-THAT-gory murders, the third act of the film is upon us.
Now we can look forward to a ridiculous sword fighting sequence which was not even well shot or choreographed and looked like it was done in one take. It was just bad and completely irrelevant.
Anyway, final act comes. Some plot "twist" thrown in to make things interesting. Brody and giant Predator face-off Arnie-styles, mud and all! Brody wins. Grabs the girl. "Let's get the hell off this planet!" hint at inevidable sequel happens. Little Richard sings us the credits. The end.
'Predators' ultimate downfall is the typical Hollywood idea that "Bigger is better"! Adding too many things and expanding on already existing themes makes the film too muddled and just silly in parts. It takes away from the suspense the film should have but loses due to too many changes and silly alterations made to the Predators themselves. There does not need to be more than one type of predator. Why do the big predators hunt the little ones??? Why do they all look different, we don't need to decipher between any of them - they have no personalities!
Besides all my complaints, I did still enjoy the film. It's hard as a male not to enjoy pointless carnage at the hands of mutated alien man-hunters on another planet.
It just lacks suspense and has a few too many "Hollywood" moments in it for my liking.
Could have been better.
Could have been worse too......'AVP' worse!!!