What Do The Critics Say?

"All these years after Predator, these decades past the classic film, Most Dangerous Game, that inspired this genre, it’s good to see the idea of the hunter becoming the hunted still gets the blood racing." Roger Moore ORLANDO SENTINEL "After 23 years and three attempts, Predators finally delivers a solid sequel to the Arnold Schwarzenegger B-movie classic." Lou Lumenick NEW YORK POST "I wouldn't say Predators is a great movie, but it's good enough, executing its simple premise with tension and testosterone to spare." Eric D. Snider ERICDSNIDER.COM "Predators is something different, a tone altogether absent since the days of the original. That it also stands up as a film of today makes it all the more enjoyable." Joe Utichi CINEMATICAL "With significant input from producer Robert Rodriguez, director Nimrod Antal pays homage to the original while taking the franchise to the next level conceptually." Annlee Ellingson MOVING PICTURES MAGAZINE

"Predator fans, fearing another lapse into disappointment, can relax. Although it's arguably not saying much, this is the second-best movie of the series to have "Predator" in the title. Casting Adrien Brody (against type) as the badass ex-special ops mercenary is a stroke of genius that may have sounded like the ravings of a lunatic when it was proposed." James Berardinelli REEL REVIEWS "It took twenty-three years, but Predator has finally found a worthwhile heir." Rob Vaux MANIA "Producer Robert Rodriguez has assembled a team of filmmakers to create what feels like the only genuine Predator sequel to date." Mike McGranaghan AISLE SEAT "Antal is better with surprise than with suspense and as long as there's lots of action going on the film is good, old-fashioned Saturday afternoon fun." Sarah Boslaugh PLAYBACK "Delivering on its promise, Predators is a moody, unrelenting and attention-grabbing sci-fi thriller, filled with action, splendid visual effects and packed with undulating tension. True to its 80s film origins, and using its broad concept as a springboard, the ante of the premise of an invisibly cloaked extra terrestrial warrior is raised and a twist added." Louise Keller URBAN CINEFILE

The Production Team

Director Writers Characters Producers Original Music Cinematography Film Editor Casting Production Design Set Decoration Costume Design

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Directed by Nimród Antal Written by Alex Litvak & Michael Finch Characters Jim Thomas & John Thomas Produced by Elizabeth Avellan/John Davis/Robert Rodriguez John Debney Gyula Pados Dan Zimmerman J.C. Cantu & Mary Vernieu Caylah Eddleblute & Steve Joyner David Hack Nina Proctor

The Inside Story In 1987, Arnold Schwarzenegger starred as 'Dutch' in the film "Predator". The film introduced one of the most enduring and popular characters in sci-fi film history: an invisibility-cloaked extra-terrestrial warrior who wreaked havoc in the jungle. Audiences embraced the film’s rich mythology and a sequel, "Predators" starring Danny Glover ("Saw"), followed a few years later in 1990. Looking to refresh the 'Predator' world in 1994, Independent Spirit Award winner Robert Rodriguez, a maverick young filmmaker fresh from his stunning directorial debut, "El Mariachi", was invited to write a script revolving around the beloved and feared Predator character. "I was originally hired only as a writer," Rodriguez ("Desperado") explained. "They were looking for a fresh approach to the material, so I jumped at the chance. I was a big fan of "Predator". When I first came to Hollywood, I met Carl Weathers and Arnold Schwarzenegger, so I thought a new "Predator" film would be a fun project to take on. What I really loved about the original movie was that it was a hybrid film; it started off as a traditional commando-type Arnold Schwarzenegger action film, where you fall in love with the characters and follow them on this journey. Then it starts turning into a science fiction, alien-type picture. I love doing those kind of mash-ups myself; movies like "From Dusk Till Dawn". I love mixing of genres." For this new screenplay, Rodriguez knew he wanted to write something set off-world. "I loved the atmosphere of the jungle in the original, so by setting my story on another planet I could get back to a similar environment and still make it feel new. It would also show why the Predator was attracted to Earth’s jungle, because their hunting planet had similar terrain." "The script that Robert wrote in 1994 had the location, quite a bit of the plot and the seed ideas of who the characters are," Venezuelan born producer Elizabeth Avellán ("Once Upon a Time in Mexico") notes. "Robert just never thought anything more of it. They paid him for it and it was a fun writing exercise. Due to our slate of projects, there wasn’t really a moment at which Robert could have directed it. At the same time, I think deep in his heart, he wanted to see those characters that he had put down on paper, up on screen." "They gave me free rein in writing that film," Rodriguez ("Sin City") says. "I just came up with any cool idea that I would ever want to see in a Predator movie and shoved it all into one script. I knew I didn’t have to direct it, so I didn’t consider budget restraints or logistics of any kind. I was going to leave it up to them to figure out. Then of course, years later it comes back to haunt me. With "Predators", I had to go figure out how to make it." In the meantime, he went on to direct a host of other projects that established him as one of the most influential filmmakers of his generation. In addition, he and producing partner Elizabeth Avellán founded the world-renowned Troublemaker Studios in 1997 in Austin, Texas. At the same time, a film buff named Nimrod Antal attended the Hungarian Film Academy. He would later become a sought-after director. In 2009, Twentieth Century Fox executives came to Austin to meet with Rodriguez and Avellán about a new 'Predator' movie. Avellán remembers Robert suddenly getting a phone call saying, "'We just found this script that you wrote and we think it’s great and it needs some work, but do you want to make this movie?" "When the project came back to me, it was exciting to see that even after several other 'Predator' films there was still a lot of fresh ground to be covered," says Rodriguez. "The idea with "Predator" was to not make it feel like it is the fifth or sixth movie in a series, but the first." "This isn’t a reboot or re-imagining," Rodriguez states. "Chronologically, you could see this right after the first 'Predator' film and have a clear through-line of story. The Predators are such enduring characters that you could go off and create whole other worlds based on them. I knew I wanted to go back to a character-based movie." "The decision to bring in a director and just have us produce also had to do with us wanting to open up Troublemaker Studios and grow what we’ve been up to here," Avellán offered. Rodriguez admitted he "really enjoyed the experience of producing. I wouldn’t have done it earlier in my career. I was so hands-on, directing, operating the camera, and scoring my movies. But, my crew is so seasoned and I found such a terrific director in Nimrod and writers in Alex Litvak and Michael Finch." He also now thinks the project wasn’t his own baby. "It wasn’t something I had created: like the ‘Spy Kids’ series; it was something that pre-existed. So I was able to make the movie as a true fan." Rodriguez considered many top filmmakers to take the reins of "Predators". Eventually he gave the nod to Nimrod Antal, whose 2003 debut feature film "Kontroll" had impressed him. "What I loved about Nimrod’s work on "Kontroll" was his resourcefulness. Having come off 'El Mariachi', I responded right away to what Nimrod did on his limited budget. From the very first shot of "Kontroll", you can tell, okay, here’s a filmmaker." As fate would have it, it turns out, Antal was a huge fan of the original "Predator", explaining; "it was my childhood. I was a true movie and 'Predator' geek. I remember seeing "Predator" opening night at the Avco Theatre in Westwood, California with a bunch of classmates and it was quite an experience for me." Twenty something years later, Antal happened to be dining with some of the same childhood friends with whom he had attended that showing, when he found out he got the job to direct "Predators". Rodriguez and Antal found themselves to be kindred spirits. "It’s been great working with Nimrod," says Rodriguez. "The big thing that makes this one different than other 'Predator' films is they’re on an alien planet and they’re not comfortable because they don’t know the rules of the place," Avellán ("The Faculty") explains. "They are predators on Earth and now they are being preyed upon." Nimrod and I, and Alex and Michael wanted to go back to the basics; stripping the story down and making it very taut," says Rodriguez. "Years ago when hired to pen a new 'Predator' screenplay, they had let me write pretty much whatever I wanted, but it would have been too expensive. When Nimrod came on board, he was attracted to the story’s suspense of the hunt. We talked a lot about that. I wanted an economy of budget and of story; something that would cut straight to the emotions." "But there were certain conventions we had to stick to," says Finch. "Predators come at you; they are invisible; they can hit you at any time. But we also created new kinds of Predators that will take the audience by surprise, such as dogs, falcons, and different weapons systems." "The leaner, meaner version emerged under Nimrod’s guidance," Litvak added. "Nimrod wanted to focus more on the individual Predators and do a much more contained and visually-stylized movie." Now it was time to cast the film. "In my movies, I always try to 'cast up' and just get the best actors possible," Rodriguez explained. "When I was doing "Sin City", a comic book movie, I got Bruce Willis, Benicio Del Toro and Mickey Rourke. It just elevates the material to a point that it can’t be ignored or dismissed as 'that's just a comic book movie'. It has much more gravitas." Oscar ® winner Adrien Brody ("The Pianist") was cast as ex-military man Royce, the reluctant leader of the humans, who begins the movie with no idea of where he is or the circumstances that brought him there. Inevitable comparisons to Arnold Schwarzenegger's 'Dutch' role in "Predator" surfaced almost the moment Brody was cast as the black-ops mercenary Royce. "We had no intentions of replicating Arnold’s character," Antal stated. "I think we would have been doing the film and the audience a disservice. Royce is an impressive role for Adrien. I think people are going to be very happy with his work in the film." "Today’s soldiers look like me," 2008 Black Reel Award winner Brody ("Cadillac Records") commented. "Movies today have changed a bit and are more rooted in reality. Soldiers are not super-human. I think that’s part of what attracted me to this. I wanted to create a very flawed and tragic hero for the film. Royce is essentially a loner." Celebrated actor, Laurence Fishburne, portrays Noland, a recluse human found surviving on the planet. His hidden cave contains numerous artifacts and weapons. Noland’s very existence on the alien planet provides hints of a rich off-world history of the Predators. "What’s nice about this movie," says two time EMMY winner Fishburne, "is that it really is a throwback to the old "Predator". The structure of it is very much the same and the archetypes of the characters are similar. They’re different, but they’re similar enough that you get a feeling of the old movie." A character very out of place among the heavy-hitters of death who have been hurtled onto this strange world is Edwin, a doctor with a mysterious past. "The character of Edwin was the last one that was cast, because it was really hard," Avellán recalls. "You have to find an actor who can sell that you don’t know why he’s here on this planet. Topher Grace is that all-American boy. He’s a really great choice." Like many on the film, Grace was a longtime "Predator" fan. "I loved the first movie. When I read this script, every page revealed a new piece of information that was just cooler than the last. Every actor wants to play a character who is playing two or three levels at one time: it’s a treat. Then I found out Adrien Brody had been cast." Another central figure among this unholy alliance of killers is the group’s sole female, Isabelle, a sniper in the Israeli Defense Force. "I’ve never played this type of character before," says Alice Braga, who starred opposite Will Smith in "I Am Legend". "Isabelle is really a tough woman, but isn’t harsh with everyone. I think she has some things in her life that make her stronger, but at the same time she’s soft and is just trying to survive. She’s figuring out a lot about herself in this situation." Braga’s research led to a kind of 'guidebook' for snipers. "I learned that snipers must be precise, methodical, organized, and you cannot have different feelings," 2007 Cinema Brazil Grand Prize winner Braga ("Lower City") notes. "You need to be really specific about what you want, what you do, and what your mission is. She’s a tough cookie and in that gang, Isabelle is a really important piece because she knows a lot about wind movement and everything else in the jungle. Her skill is really needed." Louis Ozawa Changchien was cast as a Yakuza killer, Hanzo. "Hanzo is what one might call a hit man: the muscle in the Yakuza," Changchien revealed. "He carries a Beretta 92-FS. Hanzo’s a man of few words." Former UFC champion Oleg Taktarov, plays Russian Special Forces soldier Nikolai, who totes a 100 pound mini-gun through the jungle. "Oleg is like this badass Russian Charles Bronson. It turns out he’s a big Charles Bronson fan," says Rodriguez. What's It All About?

Royce is a mercenary. He awakes to find himself hurtling through the air at breakneck speed. Desperately he attempts to deploy his shute. With moments to spare, it finally opens. On the ground, he's not alone. There are others here who have experienced the same frightening senario. None knows how they got here or why. With the exception of a disgraced physician, they all have one thing in common: they're cold-blooded killers; mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members; human 'predators'. It's not long before they come to a sobering realization: they’ve been brought together on this alien planet as prey and these human predators will be systemically hunted, before being eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators. With Royce in charge, they set about exploring unfamiliar surroundings. They soon discover they are not the first to battle for survival on this mysterious planet.

The Verdict "Despite the fact that Rodriguez isn't in the directors chair, "Predators" has his stamp all over it. From its blood-rushing open scenes to an ending that obviously leaves the franchise open to a sequel, "Predators" is, in the main, good fare both for fans and, any cinemagoers who may have never seen a "Predator" film before. The special effects and CGI are generally pretty good. There's plenty of surprises in the films storyline which definately gives a number of 'nods' to the original film. And as you'd expect, there's an adequate number of 'edge of your seat moments'. "Predators" isn't bad and it isn't terrific. It's aim is to entertain and provide a 'fun' alien experience. On those two points it scores a bullseye. There's an awesome array of firepower (most of which is useless against the 'cloaked' Predators) and of course, the fun of trying to work out which of the human prey will get slaughtered first. Well worth having a look at! 3 1/2 STARS." Who Is Playing Who?

Adrien Brody Topher Grace Alice Braga Walton Goggins Oleg Taktarov Laurence Fishburne Danny Trejo Louis Ozawa Changchien Mahershalalhashbaz Ali Carey Jones Brian Steele Derek Mears

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Royce Edwin Isabelle Stans Nikolai Noland Cuchillo Hanzo Mombasa Berserker Predator/Tracker Predator/Falconer Predator Black Super Predator/Falconer Super Predator Classic Predator

Run Time 107 minutes Rated MA15+ [AUST] Copyright ©2010 - Twentieth Century Fox Films- All Rights Reserved ©1999-2010 The Movie Pages & impact Internet Services. All Rights Reserved. Protected by Australian and International Copyright. Trademark Laws and Intellectual Property Rights apply.