The Predator Universe gets a Shane Black makeover
In the run up to the release of The Predator, the internet seems to have settled into one of two camps. The first being those who decry the cartoonish look of the trailer, as well as the likelihood of yet another tame and underwhelming Predator sequel. The second embraces a more simple mantra, believe in Shane Black. Despite some recent (and certainly understandable) controversies clouding this release, Black has crafted some stellar features over the years. The Lethal Weapon series, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, The Last Boy Scout, to more recently one of the better entries to the marvel cinematic universe in Iron Man 3, as well as one of the finest comedies of the past few years in The Nice Guys. His blending of action and snappy dialogue is often celebrated, and perhaps the perfect traits to help reinvigorate the Predator franchise, a series he is already familiar with in has role as Hawkins (and as an uncredited script doctor) alongside Schwarzenegger in the 1987 original.
Things kick off in this new addition to the series when space combat between two Predator vessels results in one crash landing in South America. McKenna (Boyd Holbrook, Logan), a US sniper in the region barely survives his encounter with the pilot, managing to scavenge some of it’s equipment and mailing it home as evidence. He is eventually captured by authorities who take not only him, but the alien into custody. Relocated to a shadowy government installation, efforts to discredit him to coverup the incident begin, and while he is in a transport with other blacklisted soldiers, the Predator escapes captivity. McKenna soon becomes aware that the creature is looking to reclaim his possessions that are now in the hands of his young son Rory (Jacob Tremblay). With his motley team of escapees in tow, as well as biologist Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn), they head into suburbia to intercept the Predator, unaware that a bigger threat is also en route, a genetically modified Super-Predator that doesn’t just threaten them all, but the future of all mankind.
Milking franchises and diminishing returns. The most culpable being the Terminator, Die Hard, and yes you guessed it, the Predator (AvP included) series. In a way Shane Black gives fans the best of both worlds, delivering a film that feels both familiar but fresh too. He deploys the titular creature in brilliant fashion. He slices, dices, shreds, and straight up squishes anyone who gets in his way, creating a splatterfest of comicbook violence that is often gleeful and occasionally outright mean-spirited. That tone is also reflected in the sharp, often vulgar humor, and over the top nature, giving the film a juvenile sensibility. It moves along at a swift pace, both humor and action are pretty relentless, which largely compensates for for moments that fail to connect. To open up the franchise, Black gives us a tale that expands Predator mythology, in terms their legacy on Earth and their own culture. It turns out that the coverup precipitated at the films open is the latest in a number since the Predator’s first visit in the 80s. A secret government task force has been studying them since, a work that has accelerate of late as their incursions onto our planet have also increased in frequency. The reason for this is not something I’ll spoil here, but it turns out that these hunters are not just collecting trophies from the planets they visit, but something more significant, something that has bearing on their future as a race, sowing discord amongst their ranks. A reason why we see Predator on Predator action. It all gets a little silly to be frank, stretching credulity beyond what we’re already accepting in a film about an dread-locked alien sports hunter stalking our planet.
My use of the word messy in the title of this review refers to not just this gory spectacle, but also the crux of the issues with the film. Despite the gusto mentioned earlier in terms of action, there is a lack of any memorable set pieces, unless you count an ugly CGI slugfest in the final act you’ll remember for the wrong reasons, while cuts and blocking that undermine much of what is actually on show. This carries over into the narrative aspects of the film, where some egregious editing muddles various plot strands, and severs some entirely. Call backs to scenes that don’t exist occur, foreshadowing goes nowhere, and this all undoubtedly hampers much of the character development, you feel like parts of the film are fragmented. It’s hard to imagine this is solely down to Black, who usually turns in far slicker efforts, which suggests rumors of studio interference might be true. Compounding issues are some egregious CGI, and a score by Henry Jackman that’s great when it draws inspiration from Alan Silvestri’s original Predator score, but often veers into more bombastic fare that wouldn’t be out of place at a US military band performance. And just to get it out there, the ending is something out of a 6 year old child’s fever dream, and I don’t mean that in a good way.
Despite this lack of finesse the film is largely held together on the merits of it’s cast and their delivery of dialogue that has all the hallmarks you’d expect coming from Shane Black and co-writer Fred Dekker (Monster Squad, Night of the Creeps). Dense dialogue, snappy lines and quippy banter fueling cast dynamics and adding to the propulsive nature of the film. But again, issues arise notably in terms of the cast being entertaining, but offering little in th way of real substance. This troop of “loonies” all have their quirks and affectations. Keegan-Michael Key’s Coyle (the jokester), Thomas Jane’s Baxley (Tourette’s), Reek aka Alfie Allen’s Lynch (is an amateur magician), Augusto Aguilera’s Nettles (religious), and Trevante Rhodes’ Nebraska (a chain smoker and survivor of a self-inflicted headshot). It’s gets a little exhausting after while, and speaks to a redundancy amongst the cast in how reliant on affectations lack is to differentiate between them. A little streamlining and better fleshing out would have aided matters. Some do manage to standout though, Sterling K. Brown’s Traeger lights up the screen with his charms, Olivia Munn’s Casey Bracket is also a nicely realized and essential component, providing a confident counterpoint to the male dominated cast that whips them into some kind of shape. Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight) oozes cool, making you wish he’d taken the lead as Boyd Holbrook delivers an all too forgettable generic white male lead figure. One we’ve come to expect from such features ( I’m looking at you Sam Worthington and Jai Courtney). It’s great to see Jake Busey offering a familiar connection back to the severly underrated Predator 2 and Jacob Tremblay impresses with a nuanced depiction of McKenna’s autistic son Rory. It’s an interesting aspect of the character that actually becomes pretty crucial to the plot, although whether the film’s depiction of this condition is problematic will surely be debated at length.
The Predator is certainly a mixed bag. The good and the bad, muddled up in a gory romp that hurtles forward at a pace that helps it skip over some of it’s missteps. It’s hard to see it holding up on repeat viewings, being a film that cries out for more focus and cohesion. But Shane Black delivers just enough humor and action to ensure you’re entertained, even though you’ll look back in disappointment.
The Predator lands in theaters on September 14th, 2018