The original
Predator remains as an eighties staple in terms of action and science fiction. Among Arnold's manly cast was aspiring screenwriter Shane Black, who played the nerdy character Hawkins. Having moved to directing with
Iron Man 3 and
The Nice Guys under his belt, Black returns to the franchise that got him on the map in the fourth Predator movie (sixth if you count
AVP and
Requiem) simply titled
The Predator.
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Rory (Jacob Tremblay who was Auggie from Wonder)
discovering the Predator tech |
When a Predator ship makes a perfect landing on earth, army ranger Quin McKenna (Boyd Holbrook, the villain from
Logan) is caught in the middle of a crossfire between the aggressive alien and a secret government service lead by Will Traeger (Sterling K. Brown) who are out to capture the beast. Making matters worse, much of the ship's cargo got lost on entering the atmosphere; most of it landing in the hands of Rory (Jacob Tremblay) Mckenna's autistic son who unintentionally activates its many features including a tracking signal that gives away his location. With a not-so-rag-tag-team of soldiers including a biologist (Olivia Munn) the hunt is on before the hostile hunter or Traeger's men get to Rory first.
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| Six movies? How about that. |
It took twenty-eight years but we finally have another good
Predator movie. Up until now, the only good movie in this sci-fi slasher next to the original was its sequel
Predator 2, but even that didn't live up to its predecessor. It was still entertaining and Danny Glover's climatic fight with the Predator, rivals Arnold's final brawl with the beast.
AVP proved to be silly and generic with Sanaa Lathan being the only bright spot. As for
Requiem, the less said about it the better. 2010's
Predators from producer Robert Rodriguez took itself way too seriously; gone was the fun camp factor, had little-to-no connection to the original, and wasted a good cast ensemble.
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Meet the team: Mckenna (Boyd Holbrook), Nebraska (Trevante Rhodes), Coyle (Keegan-Micheal Key),
Baxley (Thomas Jane) and Nettles (Augusto Aguilar) |
As a sequel to the first two installments, Shane Black's movie is a worthy continuation to the
Predator mythos. The Predator itself continues to be a fierce foe along with a twist that is given to the species making it ferocious than ever. The cast is pretty funny, their humor will vary with viewers as some jokes don't often land but it is the best strike team since Arnold's own brawny posse. Holbrook may not have the charisma of Arnold or Glover or the best action scenes but the camaraderie between himself, the group and his son help the movie in the right direction. Bonus points to Keegan-Michael Key who steals the show and Olivia Munn who is given more to do than in
X-Men: Apocalypse.
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Baxley, Coyle, Mckenna and Dr. Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn)
trying to take down the Predator. |
The Predator is everything that made the first two films work by embracing it's B-movie camp with a modern touch. There will be a plethora of callbacks that fans will recognize like Alan Silvestri's iconic score, a cameo from the Busey clan and an
AVP Easter egg that ties the franchise together. It does get stupid on more than one occasion such as the script's uneven tone, certain character development and the climax not reaching the heights of the first two films. However, with good execution and characters
The Predator translates a silly script into an action-packed ride. Not great but good old fashion dumb fun. (Take note Michael Bay). Let's just hope it will break the cliffhanger curse that has fallen with every film.
AVP doesn't count as that payoff was less than satisfying. It's botched sequel
Requiem also ended with a sequel-tease that would never materialize.
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| The Hunter and his prey. |
On an unrelated note, did anyone notice Ann Pratchett's
Bel Canto novel on a book shelf in Rory's house? Is this some sort subliminal message to seek out the film adaptation starring Julianne Moore and Ken Watanabe the same weekend
The Predator premiered?
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Sterling K. Brown, Trevante Rhodes, Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Keegan-Micheal Key
Jacob Tremblay, Shane Black |
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