The third instalment of the series, this was a bit delayed and probably has the first AVP spin off to thank for its existence. I still love the Schwarzenegger original and the Danny Glover sequel was fun too, despite its perceived legacy. The fact that this third film comes 20 years later is telling, but the first AVP film showed there was still something in this cinematic monster, even if the second film nearly killed it. This time it’s Adrien Brody’s turn to play hero. He’s Royce, who’s thrown literally in at the deep end. Parachuting into the opening scene doesn’t go well and his prospects don’t really improve from there. He’s a reluctant leader of a bunch of elite heavily armed dudes in the jungle. Sound familiar? Joined by Nikolai (Oleg Taktarov), Cuchillo (Danny Trejo), Isabelle (Alice Braga), they’ve one thing in common. They all woke up in free-fall with no recollection of being in a plane and no clue where they are now. It’s not just straight up military types that find themselves on an unexpected trip though, we’ve got a convict, a sharp dressed fella in a suit, he’s yakuza, guerrilla dudes and… a doctor. It’s all a bit hammy and doesn’t really credit its audience with many brain cells, but it is fun, especially when it becomes evident that they’re more lost than they thought. They’re not even on Earth. What they do know is, they’re being hunted and not just by Predator’s, but by their dogs too. Despite its supposed location and some inter Predator politics, this doesn’t break any new ground. The cast too is a bit weak. No one is terrible, but for the first half, much is left to Brody and this just isn’t his thing. Perhaps this was sensed whilst writing or editing this, as the interjection of Noland (Lawrence Fishburne) after an hour, is a ray of light in a murky plot. He’s been on this planet a while, alone, surviving, going a little mad. I’d like to say he helps galvanise the blotted narrative, but he’s sadly not around long enough to manage that. There’s a lofty attempt at sentimentality and highlighting the brutality of humanity, which is ill advised for a film like this and it’s poorly delivered, but for its many flaws, I quite like Predators. It’s dumb. It’s badly acted. It’s absolutely bonkers, but there’s spaceships, Predator v Predator action, a predictable but dark twist and the obligatory gory finale. It looks good, the Predators have some new tech. I wouldn’t really recommend anyone watch this, but I’m mildly intrigued to see where things go next with ‘The Predator’.
5/10
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