When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.
Directed by Shane Black, The Predator features a screenplay co-written by Black and Fred Dekker and is the latest addition to the Predator franchise. As a fan of Black's work and someone intrigued by the potential of its star-studded ensemble cast, The Predator peaked my interest after its announcement. However, my interest waned as reports surfaced that the film would be undergoing extensive reshoots after poor test screenings and the high-profile blockbuster became surrounded by a troubling controversy regarding an actual sexual predator weeks before its release. For all intensive purposes, this behind-the-scenes drama didn't significantly color my perception of the film itself. 20th Century Fox removed the scene in question from the finished film where Olivia Munn unknowingly acted opposite a sex offender whom Black had cast in a number of his movies as a friend of his. However, the reshoots were relatively noticeable, my heart aches for everything Munn went through, and I've lost plenty of respect for Shane Black.
Controversies aside, I had a blast watching The Predator! Black's latest project is flawed for sure, but it's a fun blockbuster nevertheless. While there are structural problems, the dialogue is sharp, witty, and the whole affair is an amusing throwback to cheesy '80s action. Black's twisted sense of humor has already likely offended several audience members, but his quips land regardless of poor taste. Otherwise, the action sequences are entertaining, but nothing special. They're riddled with excessive jump-cuts and often set in dark environments which made it difficult to keep track of character deaths and the flow of the fight. The action does deliver lots of gruesome violence though. A reliable indicator of whether you should see The Predator or not is if you think you can handle Black's dark humor coupled with instances of brutal action. I didn't find any of the humor to be offensive since the one-liners were in jest, but I'm emphasizing it as a make-it-or-break-it dilemma because you all know how people are nowadays...
My primary concern was that it went on for too long and the third act regressed into a series of generic sci-fi action tropes. At that point, you could tell studio-meddling completely interfered with Black's creative vision. Also, the ending stood out as really stupid sequel bait, and the CGI was somewhat inconsistent but looked reasonably good for the most part. Another weird thing I noticed is that Henry Jackman's score only has three tracks on it, totaling for four minutes and fifty-six seconds. The score didn't stick with me, and this must have been part of the reason why.
The Predator's main draw is undoubtedly its cast, and they certainly did not disappoint. Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Jacob Tremblay, Trevante Rhodes, and Keegan-Michael Key have a charismatic comradery while Sterling K. Brown was a definite stand-out, showcasing some hammy acting chops whenever he entered the picture. Though much of the ensemble is underwritten, the actors compensate with a delightful screen presence.
The Predator shows signs of a troubled project riddled with studio interference but manages to be entertaining enough so that its shortcomings are ultimately insubstantial. You can probably wait till The Predator's available to stream before you hunt it down, but the famed franchise extra-terrestrial has still got its edge after thirty-one years.
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