Logan Sork Film Reviews
The Predator
The first Predator film is one of the best action films of all time, it is a perfect balance of 80’s action thrills and sci-fi monster horror. Because of the popularity of course sequels would be made, but they would ultimately fail to capture the original film’s spirit. The second film, Predator 2, does have some fun moments, but it fails miserably to add any new ideas or concepts, and plays mostly like a beat for beat copy of the first film (only with less enjoyable characters). The third film, 2010’s Predators does add some new concepts to the mythology, and some cool new creatures, but the films story and characters are very dull and forgettable. The Predator is the newest installment in the franchise and I’m happy to say that the franchise finally has a sequel that is worthy of the original. Though it’s not perfect, the film is fun, face paced, exciting and filled with enough great characters, action and monster thrills that it captures the spirit of the original while also standing on its own.
The Predator is written and directed by Shane Black and features an ensemble cast that includes Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Trevante Rhodes, Sterling K. Brown, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key and many more. The story follows Quin Mckenna (Holbrook), an army sniper who encounters a rogue predator in the jungles of Mexico. He manages to steal some of the predator’s gear and mails it to his home, where his son triggers the arrival of another predator to the planet. Meanwhile, Mckenna is condemned to a military psych group that contains members of the armed forces who have been deemed as unstable, as a way to cover his story. Meanwhile, biologist Dr. Casey Brackett (Munn) and Agent Will Trager (Brown) try to determine the cause of the Predator’s reasoning to return to earth. The paths cross as Mckenna and his crew must repel the invading Predators before they are hunted down and killed
So, what does The Predator do right that the other sequels don’t do? Well the most prominent thing that it does do right is the characters. The characters in the original film had a real sense of comradery and development so when the monster stuff happened we felt for them. The sequels had bland cardboard cutouts that only served to be Predator bait. Black returns to the roots of the franchise by giving us characters who are a last to be around. The chemistry between the cast is absolutely fantastic and really makes it feel as if these characters are real people. Black also takes time to explore the elements of PTSD that set these characters apart from others in the franchise, adding a new level of nuance that the franchise hasn’t really achieved before.
The pacing of the film is also excellent. Black wastes no time throwing the audience into the action, diving straight into the plot without holding back. This may be unsettling for some, but for me it was a nice change of pace after the sequels tried to build up the mystery of what the Predator was. Black finally cuts loose, giving us a film that’s quick, but not too fast where you’ll feel lost. Part of what makes the film pacing so good is the script. Black’s dialogue is sharp, fast, and funny, another nice change to the franchise after so many sequels tried to be more serious. It was nice to see the franchise embrace its 80’s roots and stop trying to take itself so seriously.
But just because it doesn’t take itself seriously doesn’t mean there are no tense or serious moments in the film. There are plenty of fantastic sequences involving the Predator that provide the film with the monster thrills that the franchise is best known for. The action, like the pacing, takes place at a break neck pace as the Predator takes down his foes one by one in spectacular fashion. One sequence in which the Predator escapes from the facility in which he is held is absolutely perfect, as it contains fantastic action, horror and comedic elements all perfectly balanced to create what is easily the highlight of the film.
There are also a lot of new ideas and concepts added to the mythology of the franchise. These were mixed for me, as I loved some of them and wasn’t really a fan of some of them. There is a fantastic idea that is added to the reasoning behind the Predators hunting species for sport. This may upset some fans, but for me it was a welcome change that added a new layer and change to the Predator species. One idea I wasn’t too keen on was the new super predator known as the “Upgrade”. There are a few moments that he is cool and intimidating, but I was never really a fan of the whole super predator concept so again, some people might like it, but it wasn’t for me personally. I think the reason behind it is that he steals the spotlight from the classic Predator and is CGI, which really sticks out among the film’s other practical effects.
There is also a major problem with the third act of the film. The first two acts of the film are absolutely fantastic, the final third though is a mess. It feels so quick and fast and not in a good way, it almost seems chaotic with how much they are trying to cram in the last twenty or so minutes. There is a point where a major character is killed on screen and I literally had no idea it happened until a few scenes later. This might have to do with the fact that the third act was re-shot following negative test screenings, though I can’t imagine I couldn’t be any worse than what we got. I also has mixed feelings on the ending, which sets up an interesting concept that I think will be interesting to explore in the future, but for now it's kind of weird.
Despite a disappointing final act and some weird ideas, The Predator is absolutely fantastic. The rest of the film can easily overcome the last third of the film just by how good the first 2/3 of the film are. The film is an absolute blast from start to finish, with a great cast, great action, great dialogue and awesome monster thrills that proves that this franchise has finally evolved into something so much more.
8/10