The Predator once again proves to be another unnecessary entry in this long-running franchise by basically relying too much on cheesy special effects until we get worn down by all the relentless assault that’s put up on the screen.
It’s hard to categorize if this is a direct sequel or a fresh reboot, but I guess it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that the film wants to milk the proverbial cash cow and start another series. You be the judge.
The movie assembles an eclectic group of characters who have all one thing in common and that’s they’re all military and that sooner or later, they will inevitably encounter the Predator.
After an alien ship lands on Earth containing the Predator, it doesn’t waste time in attacking anyone or anything that gets in its way.
Boyd Holbrook from Logan plays one of the soldiers who is divorced and estranged from his autistic son who stumbles upon its powers and now it’s up to Holbrook to recycle that old cliche of returning to save the day.
The other characters in the movie operate in this formula: They join forces with the main hero, they spew out one-liners that would be right at home in a Michael Bay movie, they attack the creature when it pops up, and repeat.
The creatures in this movie only exist to jump out from behind and kill their unsuspecting victims in a gory, over-the-top fashion. Instead of learning anything about them, the movie focuses more on gruesome set pieces without any sense of excitement or originality.
The cast has some funny chemistry between them, but for every moment that works there’s two that usually doesn’t. Like The Nun, The Predator may only appeal to die hard fans of the series and then they will only analyze it to find out where it went wrong.
If we get a sequel, I doubt even Danny Glover would want in on it. Neither he nor Schwarzenegger have anything to worry about.
Grade: C-
(Rated R for strong bloody violence, language throughout, and crude sexual references.)
