Dr Lenera
Posts: 3444
Joined: 19/10/2005
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I'm one of those heathens who prefers Predator 2 to Predator, but I do go along with the majority in considering the Aliens Vs Predators films a total waste of celluloid. This sequel to Predator [it doesn't mention the films in between, but does briefly reference events in Predator] just about passes muster as a switch-your-brain-off-action movie, but it's basically one big ass kiss to the first film. Nothing inherently wrong with returning to that film's kind of setting or feel, and there's nothing wrong with the odd reference for fans to pick up on, but this movie is absolutely crammed with nods to the original and steals from it constantly, be it characters who parellel previous characters and do the same things, events that are almost the same and even actual lines of dialogue. By the time Adrien Brody growled "do it, do it now" in what seemed to me like an impersonation of Christain Bale's stupid Batman voice, I had lost all patience with all this and the only good thing was that it made me just want to watch the original again. The basic plot does have it's interesting elements though it borrows from Pandorum and even has Lawrence Fishbourne speak variations on some of that film's lines, while the film does build up a fair bit of suspense. Effects and action are fair, with the Predator 'dogs' making for an exciting scene but then disappearing, and the Predators as cool looking as ever, though in a film called Predators I would have liked to have seen more than four. There's some solid though unremarkable gore-I would have liked for them to have tried to outdo the first movie's killings, but instead they don't really bother. The Chambara-style Yakuza/Predator fight is great though and ends with the film's one great shot, an oddly beautiful aerial shot of the dead combatants as wind blows the grass back and forth. Brody, despite his voice, does come across as a convincingly tough hero and the rest of the cast fare ok though I got annoyed with the score which was basically a cover version of the first film's score, and like most cover versions, not nearly as good. Which sums up the whole film really. It's certainly enjoyable and exciting in parts, and far better than the AVP outings, but plays it far too cautious and just comes across as an expensive fan tribute. Still, now the series is getting back on it's feet, maybe we'll get a really good Predator movie next time.
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check out more of my reviews on http://horrorcultfilms.co.uk/
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RE: Urghhh! - 
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