Praise the pernicious Predator, whether cloaked, jungle warrior; shadowed, city brawler; or worshiped, Xenomorph slayer...
Director/writer Shane Black, who costarred in the John McTiernan's '87 classic, now gives us a version to rival the aforementioned (an alien-Arnold equivalent to what Arnold fought), in a story that's far from unique, yet acts an ironic breath of fresh air when compared to Hollywood's plentiful, ball-less, fad fare.
Specifically, the new Predator (Brian A. Prince) is a dark, genetically enhanced villain, accompanied by humongous "hounds", who tracks a fellow warrior (Kyle Strauts) with an earthshaking secret on a raucous Halloween night. However, it doesn't take long before the new breed turns his attention toward humans (how's that for a belligerent vote of confidence?), but only those equipped with an amplified arsenal and the friggin fortitude to match his mindful mettle.
Facing the big-ass brute is Army Ranger, Quinn McKenna, portrayed by Boyd "Logan" Holbrook. McKenna is cool, bright and willing to sacrifice for others (the ideal hero for this type of tale). He's matched with Olivia "X-Men: Apocalypse" Munn's Casey Bracket, a biologist pulled into Quinn's makeshift team due to her penchant for extra-terrestrial study and that she just so happens to be above-average beautiful. (Sorry if the physical attribution offends, but it's only the truth, and there's nothing wrong with an attractive lady {or two} occupying a monster movie. This tactic has, in fact, characterized the genre since the earliest phases of the last century, so this latest example merely extends the respectful nod.)
As many know per Fox's locked-and-loaded, pre-publicity stream, there's humor in this chapter, but it never gets too extreme. If anything, the chuckles spring from out nervous pauses, which embellish the camaraderie and introduce just enough comic relief to put one at ease before another sticky situation strikes.
The participants do, however, leave an overload of cartoonish carnage in their search-and-destroy wake (empowered every step of the way by Henry Jackman's Goldsmith-ish score), but that's acceptable for this sort of '80s inspired salute. Really, who needs wimpy compromise in a toe-to-toe, to-the-death situation, anyway? (Now that would be downright unreasonable!) Black's film is made for folks who like their plots lean, rough and bloody. (Much of the credit goes to Black's respected "Monster Squad" co-writer, Fred Dekker, whose creative fingerprints are discernible throughout the picture.)
"The Predator" pleased me enough to ensure I'll add this one to my library. (Then again, since I own the preceding "Predator" and "Alien" films on disc, why would I ever let this one slip, no matter the quality?) Still, taken on its own merit, this new chapter will act as a perfect remedy for those dreadful days when the world gets a little too damn soft for its own spineless good. In other words, I'll be revisiting this one a lot.
Seems, per reviews/blurbs/YouTube sessions that "The Predator" isn't well liked for its humor. Again, I just didn't see the film as a laugh fest. To me the spurts of levity aren't a big diversion from the movie's monster focus.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind if sequels adapt humor, as long as the thematic gist remains intact. "Bride of Frankenstein", "Evil Dead 2", "Rec 3" and "Terminator Genisys" work for me in this respect, and to me, they're way more amusing than "The Predator".
I object more to something like "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom", which spoils its monster fun with endless, philosophical jabs.