There’s a peculiar thrill in watching a forgotten franchise claw its way back into relevance. When Predators dropped in 2010, I distinctly remember leaning forward in the cinema, hoping — pleading, really — that this would be the real successor to the 1987 classic. Gone were the suburban streets of AVP: Requiem or the over-the-top monster brawls. This one, at least on paper, promised a return to the jungle, both literally and thematically. And to a degree, it delivered.
A Ruthless Game of Survival
The film wastes no time. A group of elite killers — mercenaries, soldiers, and murderers — find themselves parachuting into an alien jungle. No briefing. No memory of how they got there. Just instinct. And predators. The big kind.
This isn't a remake of the original — it’s a spiritual continuation. Adrien Brody's Royce emerges as a brooding, reluctant leader, with shades of Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic role), but colder and more calculating. Alongside him are morally murky characters, from Alice Braga’s sniper Isabelle to Topher Grace’s eerie Edwin. Every one of them is being hunted — and not just by the familiar dreadlocked hunters we know.
A Director with a Vision… and a Few Misses
Hungarian director Nimród Antal brings a kinetic, unflinching energy to the action sequences. He’s clearly a fan of the original, and that love pulses through the aesthetic: the dripping tension, the pulsing heartbeat of the jungle, the iconic cloaked shimmer of a Predator stalking its prey.
However, not everything lands. The character development is a touch thin, and the pacing wobbles in the middle. Laurence Fishburne's appearance as a half-mad survivor offers intrigue but ultimately sidesteps into exposition overload.
Standouts, Steel, and Gore
Adrien Brody was an unexpected casting choice — an Oscar-winner transformed into a gravelly-voiced action lead. And shockingly? It works. He’s no muscle-bound powerhouse, but he brings a psychological edge that suits the story’s darker tone. Alice Braga gives the film a grounded emotional compass, while Mahershala Ali and Danny Trejo, though underused, add flavour and grit.
The visual effects hold up remarkably well for a mid-budget sci-fi flick. The practical suit work for the predators remains a triumph. And that samurai-vs-Predator standoff? Pure cinema.
Audience Reactions: USA vs. UK
In the USA, audiences largely embraced the film as a nostalgic course correction after the messy Alien vs. Predator entries. It opened strong at the box office, buoyed by Rodriguez’s marketing and the promise of returning to basics.
Across the UK, the reception was a bit more reserved. British critics praised the stripped-back tone but found the film a tad too derivative. Viewers, however, enjoyed its B-movie charm, especially those who’d grown up with the Predator series playing late on ITV or Channel 4.
Final Verdict
Predators doesn’t reinvent the genre — it doesn’t even fully evolve the franchise. But it remembers what made the original Predator great: tension, brutality, and survival stripped to its rawest elements. It’s pulpy, pulsing sci-fi with just enough brains behind the brawn.
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10 My Final Word? If you're hungry for the hunt, Predators is worth revisiting. Just don’t expect to come out unscathed.
