10 Movies Everyone Said Were Average (But Were Actually Awesome)

10. Predators

Pred2 It€™s rare that a sequel comes along that really captures what made the original work so well. So often we get something made either by an oblivious studio exec or a passionate director who misunderstands the material, leading to an end product that has all the hallmarks of the film you love, but skimps on tone or character. Robert Rodriguez wasn't willing to let the Predator franchise make that mistake any more. AVP had really overshadowed Predator 2, but all the films in the franchise after Arnold Schwarzenegger left had been lacking in the spirit John McTiernan€™s original. Predators not only axed the previous sequels from the continuity, but with gruff military types in a jungle setting and a new breed of ugly motherf**kers it was as confident at evoking the first film as it was moving the world forward. Some were less impressed. Most agreed Adrian Brody did a good job of bulking up after a career defined by meekness, but Nimród Antal€™s direction and the generic characters came under much fire from fans and critics. While these are both legitimate things to pick on, it€™s not like they€™re movie ruining. This is, at the end of the day, a film about the adrenaline. What really stood out for me in Predators were the truly unpredictable moments. The reveal of Laurence Fishburne€™s cloaked maniac and the long teased unmasking of the new predator breed had me firmly on the edge of my seat.
Contributor
Contributor

Film Editor (2014-2016). Loves The Usual Suspects. Hates Transformers 2. Everything else lies somewhere in the middle. Once met the Chuckle Brothers.