For the
sake of not having to write the same intro a million
different ways throughout the rest of time, just know that
this column avoids the overly long and sometimes dull
process of full film reviews and instead opts to break
things down based on what I thought going in, what happened
while I was there and what I learned at the end of it all.
Hope that's OK.
Read on!
The
Breakdown - Predators
The Impression:
Perhaps tired of all the poorly done Aliens Vs Predators
movies, Robert Rodriguez tweaks an old script from 1994,
hires a not-so-well known director, puts the pianist Adrien
Brody in the lead role and takes a shot in the dark at
reinvigorating a dead franchise. Or something like
that.
The Reality:
There's always doubts that float through my head about any
movie I go into see, and this was no different. Do the
first two entries in the series still hold enough of a
nostalgic edge to make me fully interested in this? Is
Adrien Brody the right choice for such a macho role?
Are the FX going to be well done, or just CG-ed to hell?
Why the hell is Topher Grace in this? OK, so maybe
Predators had me more concerned than usual (especially
with this terrible blockbuster season currently going on),
but I still had a glimmer of hope that everyone involved
would make this work.
And they did ... as long as you realize this isn't a film
that should be overanalyzed. Once I came to terms with
the fact that I only really wanted to walk out of the
theater with a smile on my face and a slight need to fist
pump, Predators became a gem. This is what a
summer action movie should be. Turn your brain off and
go see it.
The Lesson:
Maybe it's time for Hollywood to stop all the reboots,
remakes, re-imaginings and sequels to movies decades old,
but it's hard to not love them when they get it right.
- John Laird -
-
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