I don't think I can properly begin this review without first posting one of my favorite youtube videos of all time, created by the Grand Internet Wizard Neil Cicierega. Only this video can properly explain the true power of Adrien Brody, who plays Royce, our badass protagonist of the film.
This video was intended to describe the best day of Adrien Brody's life. Turns out it's only the second best day, because the best day is when he wakes up falling from the sky with a parachute attached to his back not knowing how he got there, and landing in a strange jungle with mysterious terrors that he must face in order to survive. These terrors not only include deadly and well-armed killer Predators, who are the bad eggs of their species, and willing to kill members of their own race for the thrill of the hunt. They also include other terrifying creature adversaries and the flaws and fears of each of the members of his group that joins him in fighting to survive.
Like its first two predecessors, this movie suffers a little from being unable to take itself fully seriously. There is witty banter among the characters right and left, and sort of a strangely lighthearted approach to the bitter situation that the characters find themselves in. They are being hunted, and their chance of survival is incredibly slim, yet they can find time to throw in a lot of jokes. Personally, I found the dialogue and small quips hilarious, and I thought it added a lot of enjoyment to the film in addition to carrying on the tradition of Predator movies. The development of the characters was something I liked, because then at least I was able to care about them and feel for them in their predicament. However this could be a turn-off for some people who were hoping for more of a frightening and serious movie.
The film itself looked spectacular, it was everything a person could hope for in a Predator movie. There was a enough catering to long-time Predator fans to allow them to enjoy the film, but not so much that it would completely throw off someone who had less experience with the series. The fact that they decided to use the original score in parts of the film was a wonderful idea that worked well.
It was cheesy, violent, gorey, and just looked extremely convincing. The Predators themselves looked fantastic, nothing about them suggested a guy in a suit, and they sounded truly terrifying from loud battle roars to that sound everyone dreads; a clicking from a set of invisible mandibles in the trees. The letdowns manifested themselves in the lack of Predator technology and the low frequency of Predator screentime. Most of the movie is taken up by the human characters, and only about half of it involves Predators. It didn't stop me from enjoying the movie, but it was certainly a setback.
This film is perfect for when you feel like seeing something that you don't necessarily want to have to take seriously, but that is still packed with action and violence and a good ole Predator face. If nothing else, I would highly recommend it to fans of the series. This one gets 3 out of 5 Staryus.
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