“The Predator,” released Sept. 14, unleashes a goofy, gory action-packed plot with a unique identity. Courtesy of Twentieth Century Fox
By Anthony Nolfi
The monstrous hunter of the biggest game in the galaxy returns for another bloody romp, and this time, there’s no Schwarzenegger or Alien to stop him.
From “Iron Man 3” director Shane Black, “The Predator,” released Sept. 14, is the fourth film in the series defined by its titular monster: a hulking creature that hunts for sport, usually making Earth its favorite vacation spot.
The first movie from 1987 focused on a group of elite military units plunging headfirst into enemy territory to rescue hostages, only to wind up in a battle of survival against an unknown adversary from the stars.
The film was a macho-man fest with Schwarzenegger leading his squad, firing guns and rockets and spouting quips, leading to a final confrontation between him and the Predator.
“The Predator” takes many elements, including memorable quotes, from the first film but incorporates its own brand of over-the-top science fiction action to give itself its own identity.
A rogue Predator arrives on Earth, only for his gear to be stolen by Quinn McKenna (Boyd Halbrook), a soldier, while the alien is taken by scientists for study. Halbrook’s character is later quarantined due to what he saw and placed among other former soldiers, who later became the main squad fighting against the Predator.
Throw in the corrupt military researchers who want to use the alien technology for their own purposes, McKenna’s son Rory, who gets the rogue Predator’s gear and learns to use it, and another, much larger Predator arriving on scene, and you have one crammed flick.
Normally, an oversized story such as this would be deemed too chaotic and cramped for one film. However, the film does its best to juggle the elements together until each converge and make sense of one another.
Take, for instance, Rory.
In his introduction, the tone and feel of the movie take a complete 180, showing that McKenna’s son has autism and being picked on in school.
It doesn’t feel like it should be a part of a science fiction movie with an alien who takes human spines as trophies.
Yet, once the son picks up the Predator’s gear, it becomes rather clever, showcasing that the autism he suffers from is actually a gift, rather than a hindrance, which ends up becoming a core component of the film.
The film’s comedy was also surprisingly enjoyable.
The soldiers showed personality by taking shots at one another and constantly quipping.
However, when the Predator is out running amuck, they buckle down and show they can mean business when they want to.
It’s refreshing, considering big teams that joke around a lot can get on the audiences’ nerves quickly, but these guys never overstay their welcome.
Even the nefarious government boss, played by Sterling K. Brown, cracks a number of jokes and almost makes you forget that he’s one of the antagonists in the story.
Speaking of, the Predator itself returns to form, carving a bloody, brutal path as it attempts to reclaim its stolen equipment. The practical effects are extraordinary and its escape from the military base is entertainingly gory and carnage-filled.
With each addition to this series, the lore of the Predator is expanded upon, and this film is no different.
It entertains the idea of Predators upgrading themselves to grow stronger and survive on other hostile worlds, as well as a closer relationship between humans and the Predator species themselves.
These ideas are presented within comics and stories outside the films, so it’s really up to the moviegoer to tell if it’s an interesting idea or just plain goofy.
That’s an overall good feeling to “The Predator” — interesting ideas caught within a goofy, gory action film with aliens and soldiers and explosions.
It’s an entertaining film for sure, and one that lends itself to sequels later down the line. While it doesn’t live up to the original film, it gives itself a unique identity with some dumb fun that’s enough to be enjoyed on its own merit.
4/5 stars
