Predators - Thoughts

When I first heard that a Predator movie was in the making, I knew it was a must watch; irrespective of media opinion. The first Predator movie was released way back in 1987, starring Schwarzenegger in the lead. A sequel with Danny Glover was released in 1990. The Predator character made a return in the 2004/2007 Alien versus Predator movies. Though most of the above mentioned movies were more or less commercially successful, hardcore fans of the first movie didn’t like the evolution of the Predator franchise. In an attempt to set things right, a Predators movie was announced in April 2009. The intent was that the movie would be set directly after the events of the first Predator movie, altogether ignoring all the subsequent sequels. This time a group of warriors, specialized in their individual combat styles from various geographies are brought together, and then hunted by a clan of Predators.


An action filled 107 minutes later, I was left feeling sufficiently entertained and satisfied. Right from the very opening sequences you will notice that the jungle setting of the movie is beautiful. The plantation is thick, green and lush. The overall scenic splendor of the movie is worth mention. One of the most gripping and awe inspiring scenes is about 25 minutes into the movie when the unlikely group reach the edge of the ravine and get a full view of the horizon for the first time. Besides picturesque value, that specific scene had an immense impact on the plot. The mood and feel of Predators reminded me of the original Predator from 1987, and the more recent The Condemned movie from 2007. (The Condemned had a similar bunch of convicts of varied origin pit against each other in a battle to death on a remote island). While some parts of the narrative process and dialog were predictable, it wasn’t to the point of being laughable. The action elements of the movie were gripping and realistic; violence and gore were present throughout. There was a constant thrill element, with numerous surprises at every turn. The plot leaves very little room for anything new, and traverses in the now stereotype ‘eliminate the characters, one at a time’ formula. For Predator franchise fans and sci-fi enthusiasts, this movie will be entertaining. The same goes for action lovers. Character development is limited, though present. Predators is not suitable for children and those expecting deep intricate plots.

Adrien Brody plays Royce, the possibly ex-special forces, American mercenary, who stereotypically becomes the brains and unofficial leader of the group. His performance was very good; not only was he very convincing in the action role, but he portrayed the character elements of a mercenary with questionable human values very well. Alice Braga as Isabelle did a decent job; being the only female cast member, she managed to play with the boys, while still showing some emotion. Topher Grace of That 70’s Show (TV Serial) fame played Edwin, adding nominal comic relief to the otherwise action ensemble of characters. Mahershalalhashbaz Ali of The 4400 (TV Serial) fame played Mombasa, an elite African combatant. His role was limited but adequate. Oleg Taktarov as Nikolai came across as hardcore, yet a good man; a minimal yet successful representation.

I didn’t want to have to wait too much, so I checked this one out in the theatre. Video was sharp and the digital transfer was crisp and clear; this stood out at various points during the runtime of the movie. Colors were natural, and no obvious postproduction tones were noticeable. I’d expect the DVD transfer to be impeccable. Sound was good, and surround usage was ample; while nothing stood out, the action sequences and jungle ambience was perfect. Without too much analysis and dissecting, overall technical elements were very efficient and faultless.

My Recommendation: Watch It (An entertaining action sci-fi flick)

Shinedown: Sound Of Madness - Thoughts

I hadn’t heard of Shinedown up until early 2009, when I heard one of their songs, Second Chance in the Billboard US Top 40. Considering I really liked it, I decided to follow-up on the artist. The first step was to get their album that had Second Chance on it, and give it a listen. That’s how I got around to acquiring and hearing Sound of Madness. From my subsequent online research I learned that Shinedown was a relatively new band from Jacksonville, Florida that came together in 2001. Sound of Madness was their third studio album released in 2008.


• Artist: Shinedown
• Album: Sound Of Madness
• Release Date: Jun 24, 2008
• Genre: Rock

Key Credits:
• Brent Smith – vocals
• Barry Kerch – drums
• Zach Myers – guitar
• Eric Bass – bass

After having heard the album several times over in these pasts months, it’s safe to say that its quite amazing. It’s a nice blend of hard hitting fast rock, and power ballads with emotion; a few tracks even have a alternative rock sound to it. Some tracks appealed to me from the get go, while others grew onto me with repeated hearing. Frankly speaking it’s hard to fault a single track; they’re all quite remarkable. Sound of Madness has to be one of my all time favorite albums, with excessively high repeat hearing value.

- The opening track Devour sounds intense and charged. While having a noticeably swift pace, it’s not unnecessarily hard or putting off. Devour has featured in the Final Destination soundtrack and has been used in multiple WWE events and video games including Madden NFL 09.

- Second Chance is the bands most popular track to date, reaching #7 in the Billboard Top 100 in June 2009. Its slower and has a nice pleasing sound to it; proving that Shinedown is not afraid of taking a risk with different styles.

- The Crow & the Butterfly has a melodious flow to it, while maintaining a sense of power and passion. Listen carefully and you’ll hear the sound of violins; which works really well here. This track is one of my personal favorites.

- Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide is probably the fastest song on the album. It just whizzes past while ensuring to sound great throughout.

- Call Me is a ballad, with very minimal string use, relying heavily on the piano. Brent Smith expertly shows deep passion and emotion in this song. It’s a perfect closing for the album, and another one of my favorites.

While I haven’t gone into details of all the tracks, every single one has something noticeably nice to it. The version I was sampling was the Fan Club Limited Edition. It had 3 additional bonus tracks (I Own You, Energy, and Son Of Sam) which were also quite good. Considering that I was listening to this in 2009, after several weeks of repeated hearing I decided to give it a break, and sample some newer music. A few days ago though, the sound of Shinedown started playing in my head and I was compelled to fire it up again.

My Recommendation: An Aural Extravaganza (The Sound of Madness is the sound of awesomeness)