Amidst a controversy surrounding one of its cast members, Shane Black's The Predator does not fail to deliver. That is, as long as you expect a mindlessly violent creature film containing dull characters and jumbled plotlines. The action scenes were executed reasonably well and the comedy was utilized in clever ways, but unfortunately, there is nothing offered here that truly revitalizes this beloved sci-fi franchise.
This film follows the lethal alien hunter known as the Predator who crash-lands on Earth after being the prey of another, mysterious extraterrestrial. Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) is an elite military sniper who encounters the Predator in the jungles of Mexico while on a mission and is sent to a mental health hospital back in the U.S. for treatment. After Quinn's son Rory (Jacob Tremblay) discovers some of the Predator's gear, he accidentally triggers the intergalactic war between alien and humankind.
The vast cast of characters that appear throughout this film is its most entertaining aspect, but also its worst flaw. Will Traeger (Sterling K. Brown) and Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn) are among the best characters in the story. Brown plays a stern but eccentric CIA agent who is at odds with McKenna in terms of locating and killing the Predator. He is fantastic in this role and brings a lot of much-needed enthusiasm. Munn's character is a biological researcher who is taken in to aid in the hunt for the famed alien. She portrays this strong-willed scientist with incredible energy but unfortunately, her character is overshadowed by the male characters the majority of the film. Shane Black and Fred Dekker's writing on this movie did not do Munn's character her due justice in the slightest. Bracket is developed to be an extremely valuable asset in the group of characters, but the constant ridicule about her being a female and weaker than the rest was unnecessary. As the only prominent female character in the film, her treatment was not appreciated.
In addition to the decent characters, the humor in the film is handled very well and provides a lot more comedic scenes than expected. Most of the laughs stem from the group of "loonies" that McKenna is assigned with. Nebraska Williams (Trevante Rhodes), Coyle (Keegan-Michael Key), Baxley (Thomas Jane), Lynch (Alfie Allen), and Nettles (Augusto Aguilera) provide some of the funniest characters that bring light to the darkest and most violent of scenes.
The overlying issue with this massive group of characters, however, is that all of their stories are not balanced well enough. All of the subplots are aimed towards finding the Predator and putting its destruction to an end, but the motivations behind the different groups became blurry. The conflicts between McKenna's family, the CIA, Bracket, and otherworldly forces did not reach a common point. This entanglement of subplots becomes far too complicated to follow which begged the question of who was actually the predator and who was the prey? This film would have been much more engaging if there were fewer people to focus on and richer, more interesting stories between the protagonists and antagonists.
Unlike the lack of character development, there is plenty of exaggerated action. The majority of it appeared quite ridiculous and was not purposeful at all. Plenty of gunfire and explosions riddled the adrenaline-fueled scenes, but it became very mindless after the first half. However, as one might expect, it definitely brought back the masculine, 80s atmosphere. The only enjoyable aspects are the final scene and the use of practical effects. The last fight scene felt more grounded than the rest of the film and might have even been choreographed! A true miracle! Larry Fong, a frequent collaborator of Zack Snyder, and his sharp, detail-oriented, cinematography could have also aided in this. The style of the Predator creatures in the movie is impressive too. Ryan Nicholson and Tom Woodruff Jr.'s practical effects were gorgeous and just like the original film from 1987, make the threatening alien assassin much more realistic.
The Predator is a very forgettable action film, but there is no doubt that Black's reboot will be adored by fans of the franchise. The references and overall story elements are quite reminiscent of the original films, but because of its confusing plot, this installment simply misses the mark.
My Rating: ★★
The vast cast of characters that appear throughout this film is its most entertaining aspect, but also its worst flaw. Will Traeger (Sterling K. Brown) and Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn) are among the best characters in the story. Brown plays a stern but eccentric CIA agent who is at odds with McKenna in terms of locating and killing the Predator. He is fantastic in this role and brings a lot of much-needed enthusiasm. Munn's character is a biological researcher who is taken in to aid in the hunt for the famed alien. She portrays this strong-willed scientist with incredible energy but unfortunately, her character is overshadowed by the male characters the majority of the film. Shane Black and Fred Dekker's writing on this movie did not do Munn's character her due justice in the slightest. Bracket is developed to be an extremely valuable asset in the group of characters, but the constant ridicule about her being a female and weaker than the rest was unnecessary. As the only prominent female character in the film, her treatment was not appreciated.
In addition to the decent characters, the humor in the film is handled very well and provides a lot more comedic scenes than expected. Most of the laughs stem from the group of "loonies" that McKenna is assigned with. Nebraska Williams (Trevante Rhodes), Coyle (Keegan-Michael Key), Baxley (Thomas Jane), Lynch (Alfie Allen), and Nettles (Augusto Aguilera) provide some of the funniest characters that bring light to the darkest and most violent of scenes.
The overlying issue with this massive group of characters, however, is that all of their stories are not balanced well enough. All of the subplots are aimed towards finding the Predator and putting its destruction to an end, but the motivations behind the different groups became blurry. The conflicts between McKenna's family, the CIA, Bracket, and otherworldly forces did not reach a common point. This entanglement of subplots becomes far too complicated to follow which begged the question of who was actually the predator and who was the prey? This film would have been much more engaging if there were fewer people to focus on and richer, more interesting stories between the protagonists and antagonists.
Unlike the lack of character development, there is plenty of exaggerated action. The majority of it appeared quite ridiculous and was not purposeful at all. Plenty of gunfire and explosions riddled the adrenaline-fueled scenes, but it became very mindless after the first half. However, as one might expect, it definitely brought back the masculine, 80s atmosphere. The only enjoyable aspects are the final scene and the use of practical effects. The last fight scene felt more grounded than the rest of the film and might have even been choreographed! A true miracle! Larry Fong, a frequent collaborator of Zack Snyder, and his sharp, detail-oriented, cinematography could have also aided in this. The style of the Predator creatures in the movie is impressive too. Ryan Nicholson and Tom Woodruff Jr.'s practical effects were gorgeous and just like the original film from 1987, make the threatening alien assassin much more realistic.
The Predator is a very forgettable action film, but there is no doubt that Black's reboot will be adored by fans of the franchise. The references and overall story elements are quite reminiscent of the original films, but because of its confusing plot, this installment simply misses the mark.
My Rating: ★★
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