The Predator Review
6.5 / 10. Typical gory Predator fun, the storyline had promise, but it’s not really anything new
The Predator is the fourth instalment in the Predator Sci-Fi action film franchise, directed by Shane Black and written by Black and Fred Dekker.
After an alien Predator ship crash-lands on Earth, U.S. Army Ranger Quinn McKenna and his team are attacked by a Predator while on a hostage retrieval mission in the area. McKenna incapacitates the Predator, which is then sent to a secret Government lab for experimentation. Quinn sends parts of its armour by mail as proof of the alien’s existence – to his home address.
Quinn’s young son, Rory, who is on the autism spectrum and highly intelligent boy, receives and opens the package. He then decodes the alien technology and accidentally sends out a welcome call to the alien Predators to visit their favourite holiday timeshare, Earth.
Meanwhile, the captured Predator predictably escapes the government lab, and Quinn, his team of PTSD-afflicted soldiers and an evolutionary biologist, Casey Bracket, must defeat the predators and discover what their ultimate plans are.
I was nervous and excited at the prospect of another Predator film, nothing can top the classic 1987 original. Glad to hear parts of the original film’s musical score used, and all involved tried their best, but this film wasn’t on a par with the original. The reason the first one worked so well was that you didn’t really see the Predator until the end, but we all know what the Predators look like now and what they can do, albeit fantastically designed creatures that they are.
The motley crew of ex special forces soldiers thrown together had their amusing moments, especially Thomas Jane’s Baxley. Boyd Holbrook puts his all into the role of Quinn, Trevante Rhodes as Nebraska is cooler than cool, and Sterling K. Brown (Traeger) is always great value. Jacob Trembley plays Rory and is a terrific young actor, and Olivia Munn as biologist Casey is always likeable, if a little too serious.
The new uber Predator looked amazing, but the ending was a bit of an anti-climax, there wasn’t even any great musical finale from the score, it seemed to finish in a whimper.
The storyline had promise, but some plot aspects are not fully explained which may have added interest to the story, however, overall it was typical gory Predator fun. The Halloween costume scene was a highlight, trick or treat indeed.
“Get to the choppers”. Please.