Predators

So, I went to go see Predators last night. First of all, I enjoyed the heck out of it. It wasted no time getting right into the thick of things, beginning with our unlikely band of "heroes" literally falling from the sky onto the alien planet. We then spend the next half an hour waiting for them to figure out that they are being hunted by they have no idea what. Naturally, we know exactly what is going on but it is still fun to watch them figure it out. During this phase, there is a rather pretentious scene where several of the band of tough guys tries figure out what is going on, reading their own experience into it. The Russian, thinks it is a military test, the cartel enforcer seems to think they may be hallucinating or have been kidnapped for ransom, the convict thinks it's a drug experiment, you get the idea. Basically, it's the whole "people always force the unknown into their own experience," thing. Not that there isn't some truth to that but given the circumstances in this movie, they're really reaching. A far better application of this idea is how they use there experience to interpret the tactics of the Predators, such has how the mercenary (played by Adrien Brody) is the first to figure out that they are being hunted and the death-squad member figures out that one of them was wounded and turned into a trap for the rest because he's done the same thing.
Speaking of the characters, we never learn much about them except that they are not a nice bunch of people. In fact, the one woman (played by Alice Braga) comes to believe they have been chosen has prey because they themselves are predators, monsters, inhuman. Naturally, some humanity comes out (for most of them anyway) as they need to band together to struggle to survive, with a measure of redemption being achieved for several members who sacrifice themselves for the rest.
What of the Predators themselves? They are every bit as scary and ruthless as you would expect them to be, using maiming traps and stabbing people from behind with their giant writs blades. We get to see some new technology in their hawk-like probe that they can use to track their prey. We also see some "dogs" which are every bit as tough and scary as the alien baddies themselves. We also learn that there at least to races of Predator, the kind we saw in the original (and presumably all the other movies) and the three hunting Brody and company. As it turns out, these to races don't much like each other which leads to Predator versus Predator throw down. Unfortunately, it is also a bit of a let down, with the fight apparently being modeled off of beginner training videos for the WWE.
The final fight between Brody and the lead Predator (the other two have already been killed) is well done, with Brody using a very simple and clever trick to scramble the Predator's infamous infrared vision and then smacking the heck out of the evil bugger. Well, it also got shot through the chest by Braga's sniper rifle...
The next morning, they wake up to the sight of another bunch of parachutes falling from the sky, the whole process apparently starting over. Perhaps, there will be a sequel with them somehow getting off the planet. Guess we'll just have to wait and see.
The only other thing worth mentioning is when they meet Noland (played by Laurence Fishbourne, who has been on the alien planet...a long time. Long enough that he's just a little be crazy. In fact, as I type this, it occurs to me that he is almost a warning to Brody's Royce of what he might become since they seem to have the same "do whatever it takes to survive" attitude. In any case, this little interlude doesn't really go anywhere and frankly just breaks up the movie. It would have been better, if a tad predictable to have Noland lead the rest in a real knock-down-drag-out fight with the Predators. Oh well, maybe our survivors will fill that roll in the next one...
At the end of the day, the movie had it's flaws but I would strongly recommend it fans of the original and anyone who want a good sci-fi/action fix.Re