Predator 2018
I saw The Predator at a Saturday-afternoon matinee in Manhattan, in IMAX, and despite the room-rattling sound and near-relentless onslaught of action, someone in the upper tiers kept dozing off, the snores permeating the lulls where the gunfire and explosions relented for some witty repartee between characters.
You can’t please everyone, I guess.
It also bears noting that I saw The Predator with a friend who is a big fan of the series overall (even the Alien vs. Predator offshoots). I’ve only seen John McTiernan’s 1987 original (quite good), and the more recent Predators (not so much).
I went in with the expectation of being entertained, and the film didn’t disappoint.
I also went in before going online to see that The Predator’s been largely shit upon by critics and fans alike.Such is the nature of the Internet, I guess.
Know your Predator
Conceptually, the Predator films have always existed in that blurry genre territory between action, sci-fi, and horror. McTiernan’s film created suspense in an insidious manner, by withholding information and keeping his characters (and the audience) in the dark with just what the hell was happening. It was less about demystifying the devil than survival of the fittest, thus lending the dreadlocked, warthog-faced alien adversary an aura of mystery (think Philip Kaufman’s Invasion of the Body Snatchersfor another film that subsists on the ambiguous appeal of the unexplained).
Despite its unimaginative title, The Predator is not a rehash of the 1987 film, and its overall tone speaks to the writing team of Fred Dekker and Shane Black (who also directed, and appeared as the ill-fated, wisecracking Hawkins in the original). The former helmed two ‘80s genre mash-ups that have gained cult status in the DVD era: Night of the Creeps and The Monster Squad (which Black co-wrote). While Black has helmed big-budget Marvel fare, his most recent effort was the witty neo-Noir, The Nice Guys.
The Predator owes more to the above-mentioned films than the series’ preceding entries. With Dekker’s sensibility toward sincere homage and Black’s sharp characterization and dialog, this is a rollicking and relentless throwback to 1950s B-movie fare, the type where bug-eyed aliens crash-land on earth with hostile intentions. While many of those low-budget efforts became unintentionally comedic in their attempts to tell serious stories, Black’s film moves along with a knowing twinkle in its eye. It doesn’t lapse into self-parody, but has a definite sense of humor in the face of mankind’s imminent doom.
The Prey
As with the original Predator, the cast is an eclectic, distinct bunch. We have a group of military misfits (Boyd Holbrook’s family man; Thomas Jane’s Tourette’s sufferer; Keegan-Michael Key’s wisecracker), a take-no-shit female scientist (Olivia Munn), and a boy with Asperger’s (Jacob Tremblay), who inherits the Predator mask through a series of unfortunate circumstances. As a covert government agent, Sterling K. Brown possesses a jadedness toward the chaos that often manifests in darkly comedic punchlines (his tic of constantly chewing a piece of Nicorette is an additional bit of character gold). While the cast is extensive, the characters are given their endearing moments, and one of the surprises of Black and Dekker’s script is that it doesn’t follow the standard pattern of slasher-style elimination: many make it to the third act, and those who don’t are given send-offs that border on the profound (there is a dual mercy killing that gave me a genuine emotional kick).
The film also delivers bursts of excitement with great frequency. The action is loud and intense and gory, but never incoherent. While it may not be the type of Saturday-afternoon escapism you’re expecting, it’s The Predator we need right now.
4 out of 5 stars
The Plot Sickens: Take a bite out of Jonny Numb’s review of The Meg!
Crash Analysis Support Team
Jonny Numb
Jonny Numb (aka Jonathan Weidler), when he isn’t using a cloaking device crafted from anonymity to troll people online, can be found talking horror with Billy Crash on THE LAST KNOCK podcast. He can also be found making trophies of his prey on Twitter and Letterboxd @JonnyNumb.
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(The Predator movie poster from 20th Century Fox.)