THE PREDATOR REVIEW
From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home. The universe's most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biologist can prevent the end of the human race.
Loosely connected to the events of the original,
Arnold starring predecessors THE PREDATOR stars Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes,
Jacob Tremblay, Keegan Michael-Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen and
Sterling K Brown with THE PREDATOR directed and written by Shane Black.
The most impressive aspect of Predator is the chemistry
between the actors. For a first ensemble piece between the them they flow
together seamless, almost as if they have been acting together for a good
while. In addition to the chemistry the performances themselves are good. In
particular, Boyd Holbrook continues to showcase himself as an actor. Ever since
starring in NARCOS it feels as if he is one to watch. On another note the humour
is really well done, and it is in this aspect where Shane Black really brings
his talents to the table and injects his own brand of filmmaking. The humour is
not wrote, or performed, in a cheesy or silly way. It all feels natural to the
film. From the moment a number of the characters meet on the bus there is no awkwardness,
with the script at that point flowing along at a nice rate.
The film really manages to capture the chemistry
between the cast. One of its strengths.
THE PREDATOR has a good cast which all gel well together
with a witty script. However, this is where the positive aspects of the script
really end as for much of the movie it feels disjointed and stitched together. The
only characters who undergo any form of development past the first act is Boyd
Holbrook and Jacob Tremblay who plays his son. That said, we do learn to feel
some connection to these two characters right up to the final scenes. The issue
with the character development of the other characters is that they stay as we
meet them. For people like Jane, Munn and Rhodes they really feel the full
brunt of the script. Furthermore, it is worth mentioning Alfie Allen who is the
biggest victim of the film. He suffers to such an extent that he may as well
have not been in the movie as he is given next to nothing to work with.
Onto the disjointed aspects of the film. This is
primarily associated with the 3rd act which feels like it is in a
completely different movie compared to the first two acts. As we see the 3rd
act Olivia Munn is completely side-lined despite having a pretty important role
up to that point. However, the biggest issue is the completely ignored plot
points that were being set up earlier in the film. A tonal clash almost exists
between the two portions, the first two thirds feels more of a science fiction
tone with horror elements mixed in. On the other hand the third act feels more
action orientated, almost as if Shane Black was in fuck it mode. Of course the
reshooting of the entire 3rd act played a huge role in this with 20th
century Fox mandating these reshoots after poor test screenings. After leaving
the film it is hard not to think how the movie would have shaped up with the original
3rd act which feels like it would have been more in line with the
original vision. The plot points set up earlier in the movie like *MINOR
SPOILER ALERT* the regeneration of the Predators exoskeletal is completely thrown
out the window. Surely logic dictates it would have been more wise to keep the
original 3rd act instead of crafting one that completely contrasts
the rest of the movie. Furthermore, it would be remiss of me not to mentin
Sterling K Brown who also suffers as a result of the reshoots. From the opening
scenes he is set up as this villainous, shadowy figure but by the end he is
completely undercut by the full-on action set piece that ensues.
The final issue that sticks out with THE PREDATOR is
the tacked on ending which is a full on set up for the next movie which would
have probably worked better as a post or mid credits scene. That said, I would
like to see the sequel given it promises the full on military hunter vibe.
THE PREDATOR is not a terrible movie and has redeeming
qualities. The use of its cast, action set pieces and humour. Not to mention
the impressive CGI. The Predator ships look just as good compared to a Star
Trek which is done for double the price. But as a cohesive movie THE PREDATOR
is a much-flawed piece.
Score: 2.5/5
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