Predators

Here comes 'Predators,' a reboot/update/sequel to the original 1987 action/horror staple, 'Predator,' a franchise which, despite originally being comprised mostly of ridiculous machismo and a fantastically bizarre villain, has slowly deflated over the years as other filmmakers chip away at the legacy, either taking the material too seriously or not seriously enough.

Enter Robert Rodriguez, whose reputation needs no regurgitation in this review. The story goes that Twentieth Century Fox, in a desperate bid to compete with the likes of Batman Begins and Casino Royale, turned to an old treatment written by Rodriguez 16 years ago as a sequel to the original Predator, and asked him if he would revisit the material and breathe new life into the franchise.

While I will be seeing the film this weekend upon its release, and while I'm sure Rodriguez will restore the franchise to at least some of its pre-Alien-crossover glory, I can't say this trailer does much to inflate my confidence.

Most of the blame for this falls on the choice of environment (a fault of the film, not the trailer). The original Predator took place in the jungles of Guatemala, and shot on location in real jungles (of Mexico, not Guatemala). This lent the original film a vastness that is impossible to create on a soundstage, no matter how sharp the eye shooting the film (I refer readers to Sleepy Hollow on this point).

So while the concept presented in the trailer is very exciting, the visual realization of it isn't different enough for us to get much bent-out-of-shape about it.

The concept for those who have not seen the trailer is that a group of humans are brought to the Predators' world as prey in a giant game preserve. (Why the Predators are required to still wear their breathing apparatus on their own world is beyond me, but I'm hopeful this will be addressed in the film...)

So here we are, a group of abducted humans brought to the Predators' world, and with all the vast resources and computer generated imagery that make Star Wars city-scapes and Avatar's Pandora possible -- the promising predator game-preserve looks just like -- the jungles of Guatemala. How exciting.

Predator 2 took the visual of the first film in an interesting new direction by putting the hunt in the middle of Los Angeles, a different jungle by any account. So why have these talented fellows at Troublemaker chosen a world that looks just like ours? Couldn't they have at least digitally painted the leaves on the trees red or something?

That's my first gripe with the trailer -- the fact that I feel like I've seen it before.

My second major criticism of the trailer is that the most suspenseful, interesting shot in the trailer is wasted in the middle of its run-time, with relatively little fanfare. Adrian Brody (our hero) stands in medium close-up, looking terrified, as several of the predators' signature targeting lasers appear across his face and torso.

I understand the choice to use this shot here -- until this point the trailer has been vague with what it is, and by showing the signature triangle-dot laser design, it's meant to be the 'A-ha!' moment for those not sure what they're seeing. Unfortunately, it's the visual high-point for the trailer, and from here, it never quite recovers.

The result is that the remaining 45 seconds of the preview are a cluttered montage of images that play out largely in the dark, and while appearing intense, show nothing particularly memorable.

The audio choices are interesting, relying mostly on alien-sounding noises for effect and working to sprinkle in that dash of horror that has been sorely missing from the Predator franchise for the last two decades.

While not a terrible trailer -- as I said, the Predator fan in me requires that I see the film this weekend -- it doesn't do very much to bring fresh interest or visuals to a movie monster that so richly deserves both. The trailer will only engage Rodriguez fans or Predator fans, no one else.

Tonight I will introduce my rating system for trailers:

"Opening Night!" for the best of the best. "In theaters" for the good ones. "Maybe on TNT" for the unimpressive ones. And "They're Not Even Trying" for the worst of the batch.

Based on this trailer, 'Predators' earns an "In Theaters."

Until next time!