REVIEW: This ‘Predator’ Will Put You In A Stupor

September 17, 2018

*As the fourth film in the Predator franchise – sixth if you count the two “Alien v. Predator” mashups – and the latest to try to recapture the magic of the iconic one that started it all, 1987’s “Predator”, the new “The Predator” seemed to have a lot of interesting things going for it that would indeed recapture the magic.

One was a budget and promotion that seemed to give the titular character his due. The second was the tantalizing prospect of Olivia Munn being given time to shine in what some said would make an indelible mark on her career, the same way going up against the “Terminator” in multiple installments of that franchise or how being the nemesis of “Aliens” gave Sigourney Weaver her most unforgettable role.

Early on, when you see Munn briefly act like a damsel in distress, and then gather her strength to pull it together, while naked and the Predator nearby, lurking, seemingly ready to hunt her down, it seemed indeed that we would be treated to an “Alien”-type flick, where the suspense and waiting and what you don’t see are more terrifying than what you do – a psychological drama as opposed to a splatterfest.

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‘THE PREDATOR’ Opens to $24 Million at the Box Office https://t.co/8BwNNmNJ78 pic.twitter.com/0GckH7pPY3

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Unfortunately, that’s not what we get. Munn is forgotten for much of the film and any idea that she is the lead of adversary of the Predator the film goes away. Which is a shame.

Because such a film would have been far better than what we get here.

The other major problem is apparent from the beginning scene with the Predator in it. It is lying prone with characters discussing it. you see it breathing and you just know it’s about to wake up.

Yet there is no suspense waiting for that to happen. No true excitement when it does.

The reason why is because the franchise has forgotten what made the original “Predator” work. What terrified people was that do much of the film took place at night and under cover. What made the Predator so formidable to the characters played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jesse “The Body” Ventura and Carl Weathers, was that you almost never saw him. No one knew where he was, who he was or what he was capable of.

Now, 31 years later, after a multitude of films, comics and other media, we all know what the Predator looks like. The mystique is gone – and, as a result, without sharp direction and a – forgive the pun – monster script – the character is much less fearsome and impressive.

Again, some great direction and an innovative script could still have overcome these issues.

Unfortunately, that’s not what we get from Shane Black.

In trying to be “unpredictable”, very little of the plot makes sense or is at all coherent. As such, the characters – played by a decent cast, including Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen and Sterling K. Brown – are completely interchangeable and forgettable. So when one of them changes personality or allegiances – which happens a lot – you don’t care, because you don’t care about them. Holbrook is made the sort-of lead, and is as vanilla as any action hero you will ever see – which makes the misuse of Munn all the more tragic.

But the action scenes are still pretty cool, right? Not so much. In fact, they are pretty mundane and so poorly shot you have a really hard time following what the heck is going on.

Which, in a nutshell, sums up “The Predator” perfectly.

Grade: D