The Predator

Well that was fun.

Okay good job Shane, I love what you did with this movie. He went straight for an R rated, no bullshit, true sequel to both Predator movies and the first Alien Vs. Predator film. It was really, really damn good. Odd choices were made but it worked mostly. Story is complicated but not in a bad way, there's just a lot that happens, but basically a rogue Predator is being hunted down by another Predator and a whole group of people get looped into it. We got a military side kinda like Predator 2, we get the forming of an odd team that has a lot of comradery like Predator, and we get a rad female scientist that kicks ass like AVP. So it's a real hodgepodge of previous elements from past films which is kinda cool to see. This film ain't afraid to show the gore or say so many cuss words, which is the way it should be. This oddball team of ex-military guys are great together, and the fact I must really commend is these people feel real (albeit very foul mouthed so I guess it still works) like they act like real people in heavy situations and it's really great to see. Granted I wasn't sure what to expect from the movie but I was very pleased with the end results and I'm not sure what they will do next which keeps things interested. I gotta admit though, I thought that ending was going to go waaaay different, cause if it went the way I thought it was going I would have just done lost my damn mind man but the ending was very different and something I didn't see coming. Is this my favorite Predator movie? I can't say for sure. I need to think about it, compare notes, it's very good and very well done, but I feel damn near every Predator movie has the same level of quality though I do like Predator 2 more than the first in some ways. So don't watch one, watch them all (or at least the ones I reviewed). May throw a In Retrospect this weekend before the next week of reviews. One more week till Halloween, Halloween, Halloween.....

Hotel Artemis

Well that was a pleasant surprise.

You know, for a movie I had no faith in, and hardly any interest in, and essentially went on a whim for better or worse, that was a good movie! And I don't get the trashing reviews I have seen, like I said I had no real inclination to go see this movie, I would have been content waiting until it hit video but I wanted to get another review out for the week. And this is a really good movie! I know the premise and tv spots sounded sketchy, a criminal hospital and hell breaks loose with action, comedy, and thrills. It's hardly anything like that except the criminal hospital. Okay, the year is 2028 and Los Angeles has been torn asunder from riots. War zone is putting it lightly. Enter our protagonist known only as Waikiki who just robbed a bank and it kinda went bad, his brother is pumped full of bullets so they head to the Hotel Artemis to get patched up. That's basic setup, but there is a lot more going on. See the Artemis is filled with medical technology that's a marvel to say the least, and there are a few other patients being tended. Let's just say personalities clash. But that leads us to characters, easily the best part of the film! And I say that because, I love how the actors potrayed them. This is an excellent cast playing good characters, you can tell that when they talk there is more to the dialogue. Like, you can tell they have a history together, they have known each other, worked with each other, and gotten to know one another through several years. This is the film's best feature. And the cast is great, Jodie Foster even after a 5 year hiatus does a fantastic job, she's been running the Artemis for over 20 years and she is having none of these criminal's nonsense, she is this nurse who has seen it all and it's just another day for her. Dave Bautista plays her assistant, and he is wonderful with Jodie because he's this mountain of a badass and yet she calls him babe, and oh my God that is the most precious thing I have ever seen! Ahem, sorry. We got my girl, hey Sofia I missed you, still being awesome and perfect as always. Sterling K. Brown is a good protagonist, kind of a criminal with a heart of gold, he knows most of the people in the Artemis and he knows not to cause trouble and just wants to save his brother. So cast is solid aces, action is a minor point but done well, setup is interesting and could have possibly set up sequel bait but I do doubt it heavily, so yeah a solid good movie! Definitely go see it, it clocks in barely an hour and a half with credits so you got time, I was just so surprised how good it was. I was expecting middle of the road, nothing good or bad, but I was gladly surprised to see it and I may even buy it in the future!

So we got awhiles until the next review, Thursday in fact. But regardless of the time I think it's gonna be incredible.