I saw and loved the original Predator and watched all the subsequent installments because of that loyalty to the first film, but it wasn't until Predators that I felt like I was truly viewing a sequel. The film is definitely a modern and updated version (not just in special effects). Not a fault of the original; it was a product of its time, but the grittiness, diversity, and character development of Predators just make it a wonderfully polished product.
My one concern going in was Adrian Brody being cast as the main protagonist. Brody is an actor that I don't associate with action film, so I hadn't really known what to expect and odd scenarios of his character waxing philosophical on an alien planet did occasionally pop in my head, but I have to admit that his performance was one of the strongest, and I he not only drew audiences to his portrayal of Royce but handled the physical scenes really well. In fact, all the casting was pretty dead on, though the one weak spot I believe the film had was in Topher Grace's character. Not the actor himself, who did a very credible job, but his role in the film, which was a bit of a disappointment. I could think of several alternate story lines that could have been better used to justify his presence.
Other than that, the film was very good. Fans of the first movie will, no doubt, catch all the little homages in this one. There were quite a few, hopefully all done from respect for the franchise and not b/c of unoriginality...lol...but seriously, this is an excellent sequel that will help to wash away the unpleasant taste left by Predator 2 and the AvP series.
My one concern going in was Adrian Brody being cast as the main protagonist. Brody is an actor that I don't associate with action film, so I hadn't really known what to expect and odd scenarios of his character waxing philosophical on an alien planet did occasionally pop in my head, but I have to admit that his performance was one of the strongest, and I he not only drew audiences to his portrayal of Royce but handled the physical scenes really well. In fact, all the casting was pretty dead on, though the one weak spot I believe the film had was in Topher Grace's character. Not the actor himself, who did a very credible job, but his role in the film, which was a bit of a disappointment. I could think of several alternate story lines that could have been better used to justify his presence.
Other than that, the film was very good. Fans of the first movie will, no doubt, catch all the little homages in this one. There were quite a few, hopefully all done from respect for the franchise and not b/c of unoriginality...lol...but seriously, this is an excellent sequel that will help to wash away the unpleasant taste left by Predator 2 and the AvP series.