'Predators' Movie Review

Once they get over their initial distrust of one another, the group sets off through the tropical jungle in search of answers. None of them can remember how they got there -- just a flash of light, and then they were in freefall -- but it becomes apparent that they're not on Earth anymore. And they're not alone.

They're being tracked by unseen enemies, a team of alien hunters with advanced weaponry, including the power of invisibility. But even if they can defeat their alien foes, can the humans find their way off of the planet?

It's got the look and feel of the series down pat -- thanks to a strong cast and able direction from Nimrod Antal (Vacancy) -- but it's so reverential towards the original that it becomes safe and by the numbers. One of the few innovations is the addition of alien "dogs" that soften up the prey before the Predators pounce, but they serve only to take away from the Predators' already skimpy screen time (and to add to what appears to be a CGI effects quota).

It would've been more interesting if the humans had just naturally encountered dangerous wildlife indigenous to the alien jungle, but as it is, the setting is never taken advantage of. It could take place in the Amazon for all we know.

The other innovation is the concept of different "types" of Predators and a rift between the larger breed and the smaller breed, but again, this is never fully explored, as if it's meant to lead into another sequel: Battle for the Planet of the Predators.

What does work in Predators is its general atmosphere. It builds on nostalgia for the original to create a general likeability that allows viewers to overlook the dearth of actual action. There's a lot of tension -- steely threats, hardboiled commands, astonished gazes -- but surprisingly little action. And the action scenes that are there feel perfunctory and ill-planned.

The cast, however, makes up for some of the film's shortcoming. Although he looks like the "before" picture in an exercise ad to Arnold Schwarzenegger's "after," Brody is believable as the all-business, me-against-the-world hero who spouts manly phrases like "choke point" and "overlapping fields of fire." Alice Braga (I Am Legend), meanwhile, adds a level of humanity to the testosterone-laden proceedings, and Topher Grace and Walter Goggins provide some humor as the fish-out-of-water geek and the big-mouthed lowlife, respectively.

It all adds up to a formulaic, if occasionally fun, final product that's just "good enough." But having sat through two mediocre-at-best Alien-Predator crossover films, "good enough" isn't quite good enough to win back a legion of hungry fans.

• Acting: B- (Good considering the lowbrow, action/horror dialogue.)
• Direction: C+ (Picturesque but lacks a certain level of excitement.)
• Script: C- (Fails to take advantage of the source material.)
• Gore/Effects: C+ (Only a modest level of gore; unimpressive CGI.)
• Overall: C+ (Moderately enjoyable despite its faults.)

Predators is directed by Nimrod Antal and is rated R for strong creature violence and gore, and pervasive language. Release date: July 9, 2010.