Predators

I was looking for air conditioning and an action movie. I got all that and better. I would call the original Predator a classic of 80's action/sci-fi. I wouldn't call it a great masterpiece, but it hits the right notes, works in general, and comes out better than what should have been a cheap B-movie. I think Predators is a more worthy sequel than anything that has come in between.

There aren't any huge surprises or unpredictability. It probably won't go down as the acting highlight of anyone's career. But it works. The pacing is good, with just enough moments of exposition and characterization. The movie doesn't get bogged down in blatant fanboyisms (AVP) or spend too much time introducing new toys (Predator 2). I probably wouldn't call the characters "fully-realized," but most of them manage to feel they've a touch more depth than cardboard cutouts and that's really all that's required in a movie like this. So definitely not a bad way to spend two hours in my book.

There is one little detail that strikes me as particularly odd. While I think a line or two I've seen in the trailers was cut, there's one specific scene that I had scene which is different from the movie in a significant way. I can't help but wonder why. A deliberate attempt to mislead potential audiences? Perhaps...

Addendum: I also caught AVP:Requiem on TV in the evening. Wow. Just... ugh. Not at all good.