Nimrod
Antal"s
Predators
is
a
pseudo-sequel/reboot
of
the
sci-fi
action
franchise
that
manages
to
pump
new
life
into
a
series
that
many
left
for
dead.
Working
from
a
story
idea
by
producer
Robert
Rodriguez
(Planet
Terror),
the
film
takes
the
action
back
to
a
locale
similar
to
the
one
in
the
Arnold
Schwarzenegger
cult
classic
as
it
amps
up
the
action
and
gore.
To
be
sure,
these
are
cosmetic
concerns
but
what
really
makes
the
film
work
is
its
veteran
cast
and
a
clever
script
that"s
far
more
entertaining
than
it
has
any
right
to
be.
Exposition
be
damned,
Antal
drops
us
straight
into
the
action
with
his
opening
shot
of
military
mercenary
Royce
(Adrien
Brody)
plunging
towards
the
earth.
Gathering
himself,
he
opens
his
parachute,
lands
safely
and
discovers
seven
others
who"ve
had
similar
experiences.
Lost
in
remote
but
seemingly
familiar
surroundings,
what
they
don"t
realize
is
that
they
are
all
dangerous
killers
in
their
chosen
fields
and
they"ve
been
placed
in
a
hunting
preserve
so
that
the
title
alien
race
can
sharpen
their
skills
by
hunting
them
down.
Antal
keeps
things
moving
at
a
decent
clip
until
the
overlong
third
act,
and
the
special
effects
are
quite
good.
A
herd
of
alien
boars
that
come
a
huntin" are
frighteningly
real
while
the
Hawaiian
locales
make
for
a
tropical
yet
alien
environment.
However,
the
cast
is
what
saves
the
day.
Brody
is
convincingly
stern
and
surprisingly
pulls
off
the
tough
stuff
while
Alice
Braga
as
a
military
sharpshooter
and
Topher
Grace
as
a
misplaced
surgeon
effectively
play
it
straight.
But
it"s
Laurence
Fishburne
as
a
long-suffering
survivor
who
steals
the
show.
Unbalanced
yet
wily,
he
brings
a
gravity
to
the
proceedings
that
goes
far
in
convincing
us
that
the
threat
they
face
is
real.
Sure,
Predators
sounds
more
like
a
B-movie
premise,
but
the
A-list
talent
on
board
makes
Predators
the
most
pleasant
surprise
of
the
summer.
Director:
Nimrod
Antal
Cast:
Adrien
Brody,
Laurence
Fishburne,
Topher
Grace,
Alice
Braga,
Danny
Trejo,
Walton
Goggins,
Oleg
Taktarov,
Mahershalalhashbaz
Ali,
Louis
Ozawa
Changchien