Predators

Predators - 5/10

Black ops guy Royce (Brody) finds himself dropped (in one of the film's few original sequences) into a jungle which also happens to be the game reserve for the Predator race. Joined by a handful of suitably cliched cannon fodder (silent Asian assassin, murdering swine, Danny Trejo), their one purpose is to be game for what turns out to be a more advanced race of Predator. And so let the bloodfest ensue, complete with aggressive posturing, waving of big guns and the certainty that few will survive.

Anyone who really dislikes suprises will be pleased to hear that Predators does exactly what it says on the tin - Predator with an 's'. Which isn't neccessarily a bad thing. After all, the original (and we will avoid all mention of any other predator films here!) is a strong contender for "Best damn action film ever". If something is worth doing right, it's worth doing right twice.

Comparisons with the Alien/Aliens model are inevitable. But while Cameron reworked the Alien premise to become something more epic and dynamic, here Director Nimrod Antal fails to deliver much more than a simple retooling of the original - complete even with a topless hero finale (though seeing an admittedly buff Brody can only draw unfavourable comparisons with Arnie!)

If you like your films aggressive, mindless and wildly entertaining, mixed with a bit of Laurence Fishburn as an out-and-out loon, then look no further, your popcorn delight is here. While left wide open for a sequel, any further outings for our fanged friends will have to have a little more creative bite to them - perhaps Predators take over an prison colony filled with extremist religious fanatics?