They can hear you. Smell you. They see you. Predators is directed by Nimród Antal and stars Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Laurence Fishburne, Oleg Taktarov & Danny Trejo. It was co-produced by Robert Rodriguez, John Davis & Elizabeth Avellan through 20th Century Fox, with Michael Finch, Alex Litvak and Jim & John Thomas credited as writers. The film’s cinematography is handled by Gyula Pados, and John Debney reworked Alan Silvestri's score from the 1987 Predator movie. The story follows eight former Earth inhabitants—mercenaries, soldiers, criminals, and a doctor—who find themselves abruptly transported to a jungle on an alien planet. The circumstances of their arrival remain unknown, but it quickly becomes clear that they must band together because they are being hunted by an unseen enemy, seemingly for sport. In 1987, John McTierrnan introduced Predator to the world, a bold Vietnam allegory featuring Arnold Schwarzenegger and several other large men facing off against a fierce alien hunter with mandibles. Since then, the franchise has gradually declined in quality (although the sequel starring Danny Glover wasn't terrible), hitting a particularly low point with Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem in 2007. Robert Rodriguez had previously developed a treatment for a Predator sequel back in the mid-90s—originally intended to bring Schwarzenegger back—but it never materialized. Now, with the franchise at its lowest ebb, his script has been revised and funded, resulting in Predators, a direct continuation of McTiernan's 1987 film. The premise is somewhat different, but ultimately the formula remains identical to the original movie: tough guys and one woman are hunted through a jungle by something dangerous. The dominant male figure isn’t willing to accept this passively, so expect deaths, explosions, and plenty of macho posturing. This is where the main problem with Antal's film lies—it repeatedly hits familiar beats while heavily referencing its predecessor, which is fine because it’s highly entertaining in a typical Saturday night popcorn movie kind of way. However, there's little originality to be found in the writing. There are some additions like alien pets, a conflict between predators, and a bizarre middle section introducing another character. Yet as the violence unfolds, the plot goes precisely where audiences expect it to go, and there’s a significant misstep with the characters during the final third that comes across as laughable rather than dramatic as intended. Still, if viewed simply as a piece of escapist entertainment, the film provides enough thrills and excitement to make it worth watching because the action is constant. From the stunning opening sequence where we are dropped directly into the jungle alongside Adrien Brody, to the inevitable final confrontation, viewers witness stabs, chops, thrusts, dismemberment's, beheadings, and everyone’s favorite—spine ripping! All this happens with surprisingly little blood, aside from the green variety. The redesigned predators are impressive—more menacing in tone, featuring new armor and lacking the unnecessary characterization that previous installments attempted to give them; these are relentless killers, and it would be best to leave them at that. While it lacks the dark humor of McTiernan's film, it does possess a dry sense of awareness, often demonstrated through Royce’s portrayal by Brody. Brody delivers an adequate performance, demonstrating he could easily make money in action/adventure films if he chose to do so. He appears physically fit, has adopted a deeper voice, and convincingly handles punching, firing weapons, and playfully mocking the situation. The other actors largely embody familiar character types, some seemingly only present to be eliminated sooner than others. The enjoyment comes from anticipating who will meet their end first. It must be said, though, that Topher Grace is not only irritating but also poorly cast; however, he isn't entirely helped by the writing of his character either. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s thoroughly enjoyable popcorn entertainment. A sequel would be welcome, ideally directed by Rodriguez with fresh writers on board. 7/10

Source on TMDB