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Brett Beach: I think Fox should be quite happy and Adrien Brody should be especially pleased that he wasn't in two box office duds within the space of five weeks. This figure probably has just as much to do with highlighting Robert Rodriguez's name in the ads (much like Quentin presenting Hostel or Hero) as it does with convincing the core audience (who apparently were aware of it) that this would be a lean mean action film and in its own way a throwback to '80s fare.

Matthew Huntley: Definitely agree with Josh and Brett on their interpretations (although I don't think Rodriguez's name had as much to do with it as the name "Predators"). I've been seeing the trailers for Predators for a while now, but it wasn't until last Wednesday that I was aware it was opening this weekend. It goes to show that a trusted franchise with a built-in fan base can sell itself and doesn't need millions of dollars of marketing to open respectably. With such a low production budget, good reviews (which may translate to longer legs) and what seems to be a relatively low-cost marketing campaign, this film should be in the black before it goes international. So yeah, I'd say Fox has every cause to celebrate, especially after The A-Team and Knight and Day struggled during the month of June.

Shalimar Sahota: This one hit bang on target. Probably in much the same way how The Karate Kid and The A-Team got people wanting to relive the '80s a few weeks back, so too did Predators! Along with teenagers wanting R-rated thrills, the good reviews might have also brought in the older generation. I took my father to see it, and we both seemed to agree that it was good, just what we expected from a Predator film. However, I was a bit surprised to also see walking out of the auditorium with us a woman who looked like she was about 70-years-old! I think part of its success (and one of the reasons it drew me in) is the completely diverse cast. Whereas the first one was all muscular men, having the mix of Adrien Brody, Alice Braga and Topher Grace in here is a great change. That it opened better than Fox's Knight and Day is a surprise. I'll be even more surprised if it outgrosses it in the long run.

David Mumpower: This is a situation akin to A Nightmare on Elm Street in that there hadn't been a true Predators movie in almost 20 years, but there had been a franchise merger with a competing icon. Alien vs. Predator was a good idea that was relatively well executed and earned $80 million domestically. Its sequel was ill-considered yet profitable due to the modest $40 million production budget. When we discuss how the quality of the previous film directly correlates to the opening weekend of its successor, Predators is difficult to evaluate in this regard. AvP - Requiem isn't cut and dried in relation to the latest project, which is why it was savvy of Fox to ignore it, emphasizing a new and fresh idea. Mankind as the hunted on a foreign planet is a killer concept and I always felt that the trailers cleverly marketed the element of surprise in that idea. This feels like a win albeit a modest one. The franchise has been redeemed after the Requiem misstep and Predators will wind up profitable before it leaves theaters to boot.

Reagen Sulewski: I'm moderately surprised that this cracked $25 million, as it had more question marks than a Super Mario Bros. level. Adrien Brody as an Schwarzenegger replacement? Surprisingly effective. Yet another Predators sequel? Apparently wanted. Some director named Nimrod? Hungarians rock, I guess.

But if we're going to have reboots of long-aged franchises, I'd prefer it's action movies like this rather than cynical recycling of slasher franchises with the gore amped up. Robert Rodriguez knows what he's doing.

Kim Hollis: I'm frankly surprised it did this well. I thought the film looked very average, with very little to distinguish it from any other '80s remake/reboot/sequel/whatever. Obviously, the Predator name recognition will still draw a certain audience, and since the movie is supposed to be pretty decent, it might be able to pull off a decent theatrical run. At the least, this is solid early advertising for its home video release, where Predators will certainly prosper.

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