Remake or reboot? I can’t decide with Predators. I am a fan of the originals and have to admit I even enjoyed the action in AVP, but the story was a little sour. The script for the new film was written by Alex Litvak & Michael Finch, who loosely based it around an old script by Robert Rodriguez who worked on the film as a Producer. Predators was directed by Nimród Antal. The film seems to follow on from the 1987 original, with no impact from the sequel or the more modern crossovers. It’s set in a jungle like the first original, and even has a mention to it.

Predators Opens with Royce (Adrien Brody) falling from the sky whilst unconscious, he awakes to find himself falling to his death and failing to let out a parachute. His parachute then automatically deploys seconds before Royce reaches the treetops. Others follow, all loaded up to their ears with weaponry. The group consists of Isabelle (Alice Braga), a sniper-wielding token female. Cuchillo (Danny Trejo), a Mexican gang leader. Nikolia (Oleg Taktarov), a Russian soldier. Hanzo (Louis Ozawa Changchien), a Yakuza gang member, and a few other former combatants. The most out-of-place of them all is Edwin (Topher Grace) a doctor who seems to be useless throughout.

In usual Predator tradition, they are all picked off along the way. It doesn’t take long for the group to discover that they are no longer on Earth. They have been dropped into a game hunting jungle on a different planet, where they are the game. They decide to face up to their hunters, who proceed to unleash what I believe are being referred to as Pred-dogs? A concept I felt was unneeded and a little out of place in the movie, not to mention the very strange appearance and complete CGI feel to them.

Eventually around an hour into the movie, we finally get to see some Predators. Being completely honest, they’ve never looked better. They seem more fierce and animalistic than ever. I am very pleased with this and could not have asked for anything more. Shortly after their first encounter, the team meet up with Noland (Laurence Fishburne), whose character has a huge effect on the plot development, however disappears from the screen as sudden as his arrival. I shall say no more for fear of spoiling it.

The film reaches it’s intended climax, after a few brutal deaths that are very deserving of a Predator flick, and might I add a very well choreographed and memorable performance involving a Predator and a Samurai swinging Yakuza. The film even gives us a well deserving Predator on Predator fight to the death, which I found to be a highlight.

Again though I feel another movie involving the fan favourite alien species of Predator has brought a very standard storyline, though mixed with yet again an impressive display of action and gore. The idea behind stripping the movie back to it’s roots seemed flawless, but with the adding of the dogs and not enough screen time for its name-sake characters, I feel a little let down. Predators regain their barbaric and gruesome nature with trophy taking antics, but again leave me feeling they didn’t quite do enough.

Though I feel another movie involving the fan's favorite alien species of Predator has given us a standard storyline at best, I cannot argue with the visual displays of action and gore, I have no doubt in my mind that they will amaze and impress. Hands down a better movie than either AVP, but has it made up for them? I’m not too sure.  I think Predator fans will not feel this film to be a waste of time, and I’m sure they will be begging for more.