"Predators" Hunting Season Begins

In 1987, "Predator" was released and instantly became a sci-fi horror classic. Since then it has spawned numerous video games, comic books, and sequels. Nimròd Antal's "Predators," the newest addition to the franchise, hit theaters this week and like most sequels it fell short of the mark.

"Predators" doesn't miss the mark quite as abysmally as 2004's "Alien vs. Predator" or the ill-advised 2007 follow-up "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" but it does manage to fall into the trap of depending too much on fans' faithfulness to the series rather than good writing and tense action.

The movie does have its good points. The set-up of a group of murderers trapped together on a foreign planet and forced into a murderous game brings thoughts of a sci-fi "Battle Royale" or an improved version of the lackluster "The Condemned." Except instead of fighting one another to the death, these fugitives and assassins have to go up against something much more dangerous. The Predators. And this would be fine if we actually saw the Predators, or if the Predators were as tough as Laurence Fishbourne's mentally unstable character would have us believe.

The cast is another strong point in the film. Boasting well-known actors from the big and small screen like Adrien Brody, Laurence Fishbourne, Danny Trejo, and Topher Grace, "Predators" has a strong pull. If only the script gave these actors something to work with. Cheesy lines and expositional dialogue take the viewer out of the tropical jungle our characters are trapped in and completely ruin the atmosphere.

A huge problem with "Predators" is the lack of tension or suspense. The Predators just don't seem frightening or foreboding at all, and I think this is because the characters are so two-dimensional. I know, I know. It's a summer blockbuster about aliens dismembering and decapitating people on a different planet. Who needs character development? Well, I do. If I don't care about the characters then why should I be afraid of the creatures picking them off?

As a movie itself, "Predators" isn't horrendous. Even as an addition to the inconsistent " Predator" franchise it's pretty solid. It also has just enough action, evisceration, and swordplay to please the most avid gorehound, but not enough to make your girlfriend sick. However, with the economy the way it is, $7.00 (and outrageous $9.50 if you don't still keep your student ID handy) is too much to spend on something lackluster. My diagnosis: wait for it on Redbox.