Had Predators come out a couple of years after John McTiernan's original, I might have slightly rejected it, but taking into consideration that it's over twenty years later and that we've had to bare witness to a sub-par sequel and two weak Alien Vs. Predator films, Predators feels like a godsend. As Predators opens, a handful of individuals find themselves stranded on a strange planet. Unsure how they got there and more importantly, confused as to how the hell they're going to get home, these strangers soon discover that they have quite a bit in common. And if they're going to survive in a somewhat hostile environment, they'll to have to stick together, especially after realizing they're being hunted by a familiar enemy.

Weird. Sort of sounds like I just described the plot to a Saw movie. Its clear that producer Robert Rodriguez and director are huge fans of the original film. The rhythm, the set up, the music cues, etc. There's even a reference to the first Predator movie. The film makers have also borrowed a bit from David Fincher's under appreciated Alien 3. What is really lacking here is a sufficient budget. Clearly, Predators was shot quickly and with very little money, but Antal and crew do the best they can with the resources available to them. I really appreciated the practical effects work here, and again, there are plenty of nifty odes to the original film. I suppose what disappointed me most is the title of the flick. Its fairly misleading on one level. I guess I expected Predators to be to Predator what Aliens was to Alien. No such luck. In fact, that iconic image in the Predators coming attraction trailer--the one where a chiseled Adrien Brody looks up in horror as dozens of Predator laser sightings begin popping up all over his body? NOT IN THE MOVIE! You know why? Without giving too much away, its because there isn't actually an army of Predators in the movie. Having said that, the title is appropriate on another level. Let's just say that the title Predators serves as a double meaning. You could argue Predators' shortcomings; Lawrence Fishburne is terrific but underused, Topher Grace--while on hand for a distinct purpose--feels miscast, a somewhat boring sequel ready ending, etc. The fact remains though that by and large, Predators is pretty damn entertaining. Its small in scale but it really does capture the spirit of the Predator mythology and that was good enough for me.

Grade: B-