If you’re looking for a fun action movie then Predators is a breath of fresh alien air for the 2010 summer season.

It’s been an awful summer for blockbuster action movies for me.

Usually, there are 4 or 5 big budget adrenaline rides that I look forward to each summer but none have delivered so far.

Until now…

Finally, a summer movie comes along that gets it.  A movie that knows people are there to have fun.  An entertaining film on it’s own that also pays tribute to the incredible film that came before it.

Thank goodness for:

Predators

The sequel/re imagining didn’t completely blow me away but it was refreshing to see a movie that understands what it needs to be.  Forget about AVP and it’s awful follow up.

THIS is the Predator we’ve been waiting for since Dutch flexed his muscles years ago.

So much of this movie is filled with references to the original and it’s awesome.

The movie doesn’t waste any time and launches you right into the fight on an alien world with some pretty vicious hunters waiting nearby.  I was hooked from the beginning.  One by one you meet the humans knowing full well that many won’t be alive much longer.

The anticipation of the first encounter is what makes nerds like me smile. I know the Predators are coming.  I paid 12 bucks to see them!  Bring on the hunt.

If I had any complaints about the film is that it takes WAY too long to get to the Predators but once they do, the movie picks up the pace and never slows down.  That’s not to say that the opening is devoid of action.

The alien bone dog fight was pretty cool.

The Predators themselves look awesome. They are just as bad ass as I had hoped.  You don’t need too much explaining to understand why they hunt you just buckle up and enjoy the ride.  I think that’s a big problem with popcorn movies these days.  So much effort goes into back stories and motivations of the main characters.  (See any recent horror remake for examples of this.)

What happened to the days when a character came across something mean and then ran because it made sense?  You didn’t need a lengthy explanation from a random stiff who is only there to explain that Predators are bad.

If you’re looking to gain insight into a Predators family life, you’re not going to like this movie.

My biggest complaint is that after all that exposition, films are left with minimal time for the action.  It ends up feeling rushed and the build up is wasted. (I’m looking at you Iron Man 2!)

Let’s review:

• Bad ass Predators? Check.
• Tons of people to hunt? Check.

Okay… Go!

Once the Predators arrive the filmmakers make sure to give them the time they need to justify the price of admission. You want Predators? Here they are.

There was one point towards the end when I was sure the movie would end abruptly and I’d be disappointed.  This has become a disturbing trend lately.

Thankfully, Predators avoids that trap. The final 30 minutes or so truly delivers with tons of explosions, deaths and money shots of Predators screaming wildly while waving human spines around.

Note: Nice…

It’s about time we got an action movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I have 2 complaints about the film.

First, the kills aren’t really that imaginative.  It feels too easy for the Predators.  You get the feeling like they are bored knowing they could easily take out anyone they want.  I would have liked to see more traps instead of firing energy guns from afar.

I was also slightly disappointed in how easily some Predators meet their match.  It was a pain in the ass for Arnold to take out one of these dudes!  The humans got a little too much credit this time around.  Either that or these Predators were just idiots.  Whoever Arnold fought must have been THE KING of his home world.

Second, Topher Grace needs to stop showing up in beloved film franchises.  I’m a fan of his work but he seems out of place here.  He does have a couple comic moments that you would expect but at the end of the day it’s a Predator movie and I’m not buying Eric Foreman’s performance here.

Predators isn’t the best action movie I’ve seen lately but it did everything it had to do to be entertaining.  At the end of the day, that’s all I can ask from a summer blockbuster.  They can’t all be The Dark Knight right?

Indeed, the summer has OFFICIALLY begun!

PS: Speaking of The Dark Knight…  Inception…  Thank you for existing!

PS #2: Get to the choppah!