David Pierdomenico
They’ve faced off against Arnold, Danny Glover, and Xenomorphs. Now the Predator faces its greatest adversary, a cynical 2018 audience. Despite some controversy behind the scenes involving a sex offender hired in a small role (whose scene Fox wisely cut from the final film), The Predator is filled with inside jokes and intentional cheesiness, so it succeeds in its goal of mindless entertainment. And it’s up to audiences to make of that what they will.
History of the Franchise
In the 31 year history of the Predator franchise, the films that have been more diverse and unique than one would expect. From the Vietnam-inspired original in 1987 which spawned such classic lines as “I don’t got time to bleed” and “Get to the chopper!!!” to the gritty urban sequel, which was practically a Lethal Weapon film but with Predators (especially with Danny Glover starring). From there we saw them face off against the Xenomorphs in two Alien vs. Predator films, which don’t seem to be in continuity. And finally, the last time was saw them was in 2010’s Predators, which took place on a game hunt deep in space. However, in each of these, we still don’t see very much of the titular hunter. 2018’s The Predator seeks to change that.
Relic From the 90’s
The film opens with two spaceships exchanging fire as exciting music blasts and the Predator lands on Earth. It perfectly sets the tone for what the film will be: an intentionally campy, but fun action/disaster film that feels like the 90’s but is set in 2018. From there we are introduced to a soldier who saw too much, his group of ragtag misfits that become his squad, his savant son, an alien biologist who wants to study the Predator, and a government agent not afraid to kill people to keep all this silent.
And on one Halloween night, they all converge to deal with the masterful space hunter, whose agenda involves much more than just hunting people. The Halloween setting does give the film a fun aesthetic, but it’s featured so briefly that it feels like a bit of a wasted opportunity. It also uses great practical effects for the Predator itself, which is commendable, but the same can’t be said for other creatures in the film, created by very obvious and poor CGI. There is also a great deal of camp and self-awareness to the film, but it’s quite clear that these were intentional choices by Shane Black.
The Ensemble
By far the film’s greatest strength is its ensemble cast. It consists of Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Sterling K. Brown, Yvonne Strahovksi, Olivia Munn, and the young but brilliantly talented Jacob Tremblay. Holbrook shows a bit more depth than his one dimensional villain from Logan, but isn’t quite charismatic enough to carry the film on his own. Thankfully for him, he has the rest of the cast to help out. Key is hilarious as he always is, just being himself. Allen and Jane add to the wacky dynamics of the cadre of soldiers, which seems filled with clichés but they’re just so fun and lovable that it’s easy to overlook.
Brown is playing against his type as a scheming villain, so it’s a bit hard to take him seriously. However Munn does a great job of elevating her character from the trope of the naïve scientist. She’s sarcastic, bold, and able to hold her own against government officials and soldiers. Tremblay shows enormous range, despite his very limited screen time. Fans of his might be disappointed that he’s not in it more, but he serves his supporting role perfectly and is definitely a growing star to watch for the future. Given the fun ensemble nature, this film oddly feels reminiscent of Independence Day, or any other cheesy but entertaining films of the 90’s.
Why It Succeeds
It’s difficult to critique this film as harshly as its predecessors, because unlike them, this film isn’t at all trying to be taken seriously. Between writing Lethal Weapon, and directing Iron Man 3 and The Nice Guys, Shane Black is known for his blend of action and comedy, and this film is no different. It’s nothing new or groundbreaking, it has very contrived plot points (like pitting the soldiers against the government just for the sake of creating conflict), and it shamelessly tries to set up a sequel at the end, but it achieves everything it sets out to. It’s not trying to be an Oscar contender, or a beacon of cinematic excellence. Rather, it’s the perfect film to watch on a Friday night after ordering pizza and inviting friends over.
