"Predators"

Predators - Directed by Nimród Antal, written by Alex Litvak and Michael Finch, starring Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, and Laurence Fishburne - Rated R

It's not as good as the original (but then again, what is?), but it is the sequel Predator 2 should have been.

I am a huge fan of Predator. It is one of my favorite action films of all time and my friends and I quote it and praise its greatness to this day. Then Predator 2 came out and messed it all up with its mediocrity. I hoped that Predators could rectify that misstep. I am glad to say that it most certainly has.

Predators is a film about hunting, much like the original. The concept is taken a bit further this time around, though. The film features a lineup of killers from around the world who have been transported to a game preserve planet to be hunted by the titular Predators…or are the humans the Predators?

It surprised me a bit that the film would ask such a question of the audience. I was expecting a straight up crazy action film, but what I got was a relatively slow paced action movie about hunters and humanity. I’m completely cool with that, though. If I want a quick injection of pure testosterone, I’ll put in the DVD of Predator. There will always be the original, so it’s nice that this sequel tries to be a little more thought provoking.

No one really wants to think when they watch this movie, though. The audience wants a bunch of tough characters firing big weapons. Predators delivers on that level. It’s impossible to top the cast of the original, but this film’s hunters hold up well. When I first heard that Adrien Brody was the lead, I was skeptical, to say the least. As it turns out, I found him completely convincing as a hardened and deadly mercenary. He may be trying a bit too hard with the tough guy voice, but it’s forgivable.

Brody is backed up by Alice Braga, who serves as a kind of second in command. The rest of the crew basically just follows Braga and Brody. Topher Grace, though, is notable in the fact that it makes absolutely no sense why someone like him would share company with these killers. This is not a weak casting choice or anything, though, and the film makes good use of his peculiarity with some comic relief here and there. Walton Goggins as a convict and Laurence Fishburne as a rattled survivor provide a few amusing moments as well.

There may be a bit of comic relief, but this movie is quite serious for the most part as the focus is on Brody’s character’s stance on humanity. There are many scenes in which Brody thinks a wounded character should be left behind or that he should leave the others to fend for themselves. It’s not a wholly original concept, the soldier losing touch with humanity, but it is handled well and I found it interesting.

But more importantly, how is the action? Those looking for the classic Predator action will be pleased. The Predators make good use of their shoulder lasers and blades. And of course all of the supplanted killers get to fire off their weapons. The action is easy to follow and appropriately gory. On that note, the creature effects live up to the original, thankfully sticking with practical elements as much as possible. Of course, there has to be CG in such a film, and it is on the up and up for the most part.

The action, acting, atmosphere, and plot are all enjoyable here with no major problems, but all of the references to the original film are what I found most entertaining. First, the music is almost identical. There are also a few repeated lines of dialogue (“Over here” and “Kill me now!” being the most notable). So a lot of fan service is provided and I’m okay with that. The greatest fan service comes from the Yakuza character, who is basically like Billy from the original film. If you wanted a more climactic finish for Billy in the original, you get one from the Yakuza, who throws down with a Predator with a samurai sword. The scene is shot much like a scene from Seven Samurai and it was by far my favorite scene.

Predators is the sequel fans deserve. It doesn’t surpass the original (a nearly impossible feat, anyway), but it does provide fans with an enjoyable action film. Most importantly, it’s a return to form for the series, which was getting a bit too ridiculous with the Alien vs. Predator series (which I actually enjoy). This film is a return to the proper Predator world: a jungle, a group of trigger happy killers, a few laughs, and plenty of blood. Bring on Predator 3 as far as I’m concerned.

"Splice"

Splice - Directed by Vincenzo Natali, written by Vincenzo Natali, Antoinette Terry Bryant, and Doug Taylor, starring Adrien Brody, Sarah Polley, and Daphine Chanéac - Rated R

The Kurgan likes a good creature movie, especially one that goes as far as this one did.

It’s not too often when a movie literally makes my jaw drop. Splice did, which may or may not be a good thing, but it’s certainly a reaction. When you watch as many movies as I do, it gets harder and harder to be shocked by a film. For that reason alone, I think this film deserves some notice. It’s the atmosphere and story that make it a completely entertaining and disturbing film.

Of course, I’m not going to write what I found so shocking about the film. If you want to know: go watch it. Just know that it wasn’t a gory or violent scene that did it. I just couldn’t believe what a character was doing. I think you’ll know what I’m talking about if you watch it. Though you better hurry; I doubt it’ll be in theatres much longer because of the disappointing box office it’s done.

Splice is about a couple of scientists, Clive and Elsa (Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley), who have created a new organism by “splicing” DNA together from multiple animals. What they made is a slug type creature that can potentially produce a protein for new medicine. This is kind of weird (and the slug creatures are definitely gross), but it is not enough for Clive and Elsa. They want to throw some human DNA into the mix for more important results. They’re forbidden to do it, but they do anyway and that’s where the creature from the poster comes into play.

The creature, Dren, has just enough human features to make it very creepy. But Dren is not a monster. This may disappoint a few people. The previews make this film look like a borderline slasher-film with Dren hanging from the ceiling and killing everything in sight. I can’t stress enough that this is not the case. There is violence, to be sure, but it’s not rampant.

Splice is mainly about how Clive and Elsa have to deal with raising Dren. They have to stash Dren away and look after her/it since they’ve created her illegally. I saw the film as a sci-fi family drama. Elsa has some maternal issues (she shies away from pregnancy conversations), yet she instantly seems protective of Dren. Clive, on the other hand, wants children, but doesn’t seem too hot about the idea of raising an experiment.

This is where you can start to question the film. You may wonder what kind of scientists could be so reckless and borderline stupid while also being brilliant. If you have questions like that, I have a name for you: Dr. Frankenstein. (Clive and Elsa are parts of the actors’ names from Bride of Frankenstein.) “Splice” is the classic tale of science run amok. That may make it a bit unoriginal plot-wise, but the questions it raises for the characters make it fresh. For instance, I found the dynamic of Elsa trying out motherhood to be just as interesting as the creature itself.

The creature will most likely be the most important aspect for many people, though. I wrote above that Dren is not a monster and I stand by that. This doesn’t mean that Dren is cute and cuddly, however. In general, Dren gets creepier with age. The thing is, she looks more and more human as she ages. The added resemblance to a regular human actually showcases the differences in Dren and make her that much more disturbing. The tail, strange hind legs, and four-fingered hand are definitely out there, but Dren’s eyes are what haunted me throughout the film. It may be a different aspect for each viewer, but I think the majority will be at least a little creeped out by the design of Dren.

The creature design sets up the overall atmosphere of Splice. This film isn’t necessarily the most visually striking film around, but there are subtle elements that add to the tension of the film. I’m a fan of the extremely slow zoom and a well placed overhead shot and this film has both. Plus, the production design of the lab and the farmhouse created a nice sense of foreboding.

In a film that showcases a creature, the actors sometime take a backseat. That’s not necessarily true, here. Brody and Polley don’t carry the film or anything, but they do a fine job and they are very convincing throughout.

The dilemma for the main characters is the most interesting aspect of the film. You see them question themselves and each other and it is all very compelling. Is Dren a part of their family or just an experiment? What is the motivation behind the experiment? Is Dren an abomination against nature? And so on and so on. Those issues kept me interested throughout the entire running time. Others may be bored by the lack of horror-type action.

Splice may not have enough creature elements for some, but it does feature some humor, which is arguably intentional. Whenever a movie features an absolute splash of blood that hits a group of people, I find it funny. I may be strange, but I laughed multiple times during the film while I also took the film quite seriously. With some of the situations these characters end up in, you almost have to laugh, even if it’s just because you’re unsure of what your response should be. On an almost side note, there is one element that I think was intentionally comedic and a statement on a filmmaking trope. Near the beginning of the film, a montage begins in which Clive and Elsa try to splice the new creature. Borderline generic techno music blasts during the scene until Clive comments that the “industrial” music is hampering his thought process and he turns it off. I love it when a song seemingly begins as non-diegetic, only to have a character acknowledge the music and turn it off or change it. This slightly breaks the fourth wall and may take people out of the movie a bit, but I always enjoy stuff like that. This example is proof that director Vincenzo Natali was not out to make a completely serious film.

I definitely recommend Splice, but I have to reiterate that it features some disturbing elements; disturbing on a character level, rather than a gross-out level…well, maybe a little on the gross-out side. I think it’s the mentally disturbing elements that will stick with you the longest, though.