Predators RETRO REVIEW in 2022 | Road to PREY
161My Predators (2010) retrospective movie review in 2022 - 12 years later. I am reviewing every Predator and AVP movie up to the release of PREY
Released in 2010, and created by Robert Rodriguez, Predators was the long-awaited third Predator film, and at the time of release, was the first dedicated Predator Movie in 20 years.
The film follows a group of strangers who all wake up in freefall and parachute into an unfamiliar jungle environment.
As each character introduces themselves, we find out that with the exception of one, they are all cold-blooded killers comprised of cut-throats, criminals, and trained-soldiers, the deadliest of their species. Human-Predators.
As they try to figure out how and why they all got there, they soon find out they are no-longer on Earth, and were each chosen as prey to be hunted by a group of extra-terrestrial sport-hunters.
When I rewatched it again to do this review, I actually did enjoy it quite a lot. Obviously, it’s not on the same level as the original, but it was entertaining; I also liked the characters, and it has some cool sequences and nice creature effects.
It also introduces us to a new species of the Yautja, called the “Super Predators”
I’d say it’s a close call between this and Predator 2 for best Predator sequel.
While I enjoyed aspects of the AVP series of movies and thought they were… okay - all things considered; it was nice to once again return to a pure Predator movie.
At the time the film was described as a direct sequel to the first; not outright saying that Predator 2 and AVP didn’t happen, but was stated to be a separate entry from those movies. A “soft-reboot” of sorts you could say.
My favourite things about the movie are - the plot, which I really really do like a lot, especially the opening of the film where Royce just wakes up and he’s falling to the ground, I thought that was awesome, and the concept of all these different people from across the world having been selected for being the deadliest of their species, what an awesome way to utilise the same theme of a group of people being hunted from the first film, but flipping it on its head; and instead of a close-knit team, they are all strangers and have to then band together and form this kind of uneasy alliance. I really do think that was a good concept for a follow up to Predator, it’s doing the same thing, but in a different way.
I also like the characters, and how they are all distinct individuals each with their own unique looks, personalities, and weapons. And the film does do a decent job of introducing us to them all.
We have the main character, Royce, who’s a mercenary, and finds himself as the unwilling leader of the group. I like how he’s not strictly a “good guy” like Dutch or Harrigan, he is more of an anti-hero, he is a survivor, and doesn’t care about anyone but himself, and will happily leave someone behind if they become a liability, and he’ll lead the others into a dangerous situation just to see what happens, and even suggests to use one of the other members as bait when he gets injured.
But this also gives him the chance to undergo a character-arc, whereby at the end of the film he learns to work alongside the others.
He’s played by Adrien Brody, who, a lot of people didn’t like, as he wasn’t known for playing action roles, and people said it was hard to imagine him playing this sort of character, but I actually did like him in this, I think because though I’ve never been someone who keeps up with actors and celebrities, and this was the first thing I ever saw him in, so that’ll be why, but I do think he did a good job; he’s not as big as Arnold, but you could argue that’s more realistic, as soldiers in real life do actually tend to be a bit more lean and mean instead of being ripped bodybuilders. I liked Royce.
Then there’s Isabelle, a Sniper from the Israel Defence Forces, and the secondary protagonist.
Cuchillo, a Mexican Cartel enforcer.
Nikolai, a Russian Spetznaz soldier.
Hanzo, a Japanese Yakuza member.
Stans, an American criminal on the FBI’s most-wanted list.
Mombasa, a Sierra Leonne death-squad member.
Edwin, A doctor, who is suspiciously the odd one out.
And Noland, a survivor who’s been hiding on the preserve for 10 seasons.
It starts quickly and has a good pace to the story, but still manages to introduce the characters well. And I think the acting is decent for the most part, though some parts were a bit cringey for me too.
It also introduces some new additions to the lore, namely the Super-Predators, a different species to the classic Predators we’ve seen before, the two types don’t get along.
There are three Super-Predators who are the bad guys of the film – There’s Berserker Falconer and Tracker and the crucified predator
#predator
#prey
#preymovie