Last month I reviewed The Meg, a film about a giant shark preying upon humans that aimed for dumb fun but only managed to be the former. If you’re looking for a movie that is both, look no further than The Predator.
The 1987 flick Predator was the stylistic epitome of a genre of sleeveless musclemen showing off their big guns. Basically just an action flick, it cemented its place in the cinematic pantheon by adding a sci-fi twist with an indelible creature designed by Stan Winston that has carried the franchise well beyond its life expectancy.
Somehow squeezing even more juice from this dried fruit is The Predator. When a predator ship crash lands somewhere in Mexico, interrupting US Ranger Quinn McKenna’s (Boyd Holbrook) covert operation, it sets off a series of events that expands the Predator mythology in silly and entertaining ways, all while retaining the spirit of its 20th-century origins. Writer/director Shane Black is both a veteran and pioneer of this genre, having played Hawkins in Predator, penned the first Lethal Weapon and, more recently, directed the LA-noir buddy-comedies Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys. Co-written by Black’s longtime collaborator Fred Dekker (The Monster Squad), it’s almost a shame the dialogue isn’t sharper than it is.
The blame can be shared by the writers and actors alike. The script and performances are serviceable, with moments of charm often clashing with an antiquated ribaldry that isn’t as funny as it was 30 years ago. But the tried-and-true tropes of the genre remain, many of which still work today. Set against a rain-slicked Halloween night, a ragtag group of shell-shocked veterans known as “the Loonies” are the film’s bad-guy good guys, analogous to the first movie’s squad of doomed commandos (Moonlight’s Trevante Rhodes elevates the material, while Thomas Jane, Keegan-Michael Key and others fall flat.) Olivia Munn plays a biologist whose encounter with the predator unleashes her inner Linda Hamilton. Sterling K. Brown relishes his role as the shady government official. And Jacob Tremblay plays McKenna’s on-the-spectrum son whose technological prowess attracts an even greater threat.
Add to these elements a generous helping of over-the-top action, and you have an enjoyable throwback and welcome addition to this faltering franchise. The Predator may not hit all the right notes, but it hits a lot of them.
