Predators

Blu Ray

Region A

Predators is a follow on to the very popular Predators series. The early Predators film set the stage with a technologically advanced who lived to hunt. The battle between Predator and human was a highly successful idea bringing everything from mantraps to warfare, alien technology to one on one battles.

These proved highly successful and were followed with Alien Vs Predator. This combination was certainly interesting, the alien as the ultimate “monster” and the Predator matched equally against them. While the first film worked work, the sequel Alien Vs. Predator Requiem was pretty awful so I was intrigued to see what tack this new film would take.

Predators takes a very new look at the mythos and the title really refers to two times of predators, the aliens and the humans. The film opens as a group of human’s are dropped on an unknown planet, they are bewildered and confused. They have been taken without their consent and while it first seems they have been chosen at random it soon becomes clear they represent a cross section of mankind’s predators. A mercenary, Yakuza, serial killer, government killer, psychotic criminal and so on. At the same time wild animals have been dropped on the planet in crates.

As this motley crew tries to survive without killing each other they soon realize the true nature of their predicament. They are on an alien world being hinted by technologically advanced hunters. These hunters have the ability to hunt in “Stealth” mode and are bigger and stronger than they are. One of the most successful aspects of this film is the character development. Each of these killers is revealed to be all too human with foibles, weakness but also great strengths. Some of them rise to the occasion and should compassion and great honour, others change little. The Yakuza who stands off against the Predator in an honourable battle is a marvellous scene of heroic honour, while the weak serial killer who shows his true colours near the climax of the film is at the other end of the scale.

This is a film which has used limited CGI, there is a single glimpse of the otherworldly sky and the major use of special effects is with the creatures and their space ship. It is a film fed by character, personality and plot. There are some nice surprises, like the sole survivor of an earlier hunt, and some good twists and turns. I loved the scene with the traps, truly superb.

This is a highly effective new take on the Predators series, it is innovative, intriguing and suspenseful. It looks great but doesn’t overemphasis special effects, has a great mood but this is matched by lots of action. This is well worth seeing.

Reviews appear on the Synergy website with a single cover image. In the digital and print edition, reviews appear with multiple images and with expanded content.

This review will appear in Volume 3 No. 6 of the digital and print edition of Synergy.

We recommend you download the free digital edition (or buy the print edition) to get the most from Synergy. The print and digital editions of Synergy also include a large selection of articles and features not found on the website. If you have a limited download quota you can view the digital edition via the Issuu viewer on the digital edition page.

If you came to this page directly (and missed our menu), click here to go to the front page of Synergy Website or use the following link: http://www.synergy-magazine.com