The Predator review

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.

From left: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Keegan Michael-Key, Thomas Jane and Augusto Aguiliera in The Predator. Picture: Kimberley French

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

• Director Shane Black wanted to make a film that reminded him of his youth, so there’s a somewhat ’80s feel to the movie.
• The film, while mainly a thriller/horror, incorporates different genres to make it less heavy.
• The film expands Predators as somewhat mythical creatures (with serious thirst for blood).
• The film opens in woods, just like the first one.
• The Predators have scary dogs in this film.

Info

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes and Jacob Tremblay

Director: Shane Black