The Predator is the fourth cinematic appearance of the ferocious supernatural being that uses thermal imaging to track its human prey.
From the onset you know you’re in for a mindless slasher, and it has its own merits. It’s a fun popcorn film that doesn’t require much from you – just sit back and watch a bunch of people get killed (if that’s your poison of course).
The problem with The Predator is the messy story – where you don’t know if it’s wry comedy or horror – and that is bad, especially since it feels like the film serves as a modern rebooting of the Predator franchise.
The original Predator released 31 years ago, and it was a fun romp about a spine-collecting alien that culled part of a military base. Back then, the action sci-fi was bloody and glorious.
The same gore is included in the latest extension of the story where again a lot of the action takes place from the gaze of military men – except this time the Predators are bigger, scarier and smarter leaving the gun-wielding humans almost helpless.
This time it take a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and an evolutionary biology professor to prevent the extinction of the human race as they discover that the Predators are more than they bargained for.
At the end, it’s a monster movie that’s easy to forget but a lot of fun to watch.
A few fun facts
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes and Jacob Tremblay
Director: Shane Black
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