Quick Review: Predators

If you're familiar with the "Predator" movies, you know that the third and fourth were crossovers with the "Alien" franchise. The only "Predator" movie I've seen is the original, which is briefly alluded to in "Predators," the new and fairly successful reboot of the franchise. The others were ignored, and from what I've read that's a good thing. This new one starts with Adrien Brody waking up to find himself in mid-air, plummeting into a jungle. He opens a parachute and manages to survive the fall, but he has no idea where he is or how he got there. Neither do the others he meets, who have arrived in similar fashion (including Alice Braga, Danny Trejo and Topher Grace -- and who would have imagined both Adrien Brody and Topher Grace in this type of movie?). All except Grace's character (a doctor) are revealed to have some sort of military background or expertise in killing. They learn, by reaching higher ground and seeing an alien sky, that they're no longer on Earth. Then they're attacked by creatures. Brody's character figures, correctly, that these creatures were used to flush them out of hiding to be hunted down and killed. (Those Predators are pretty smart.) The explanation for what is going on, as it's eventually spelled out, is interesting enough and at one point there's a conflict over whether to abandon an injured party or risk everyone being killed. And, of course, there's plenty of action and gore. Without spoiling it, let's just say that they're set up for at least one sequel. My grade: B.