How to Destroy a Franchise in 107 Minutes or Less: The Predator Review
In 1987, Director John McTiernan introduced audiences around the world to one of the most iconic sci-fi monsters in film history. Armed with a cloaking device, plasma cannon and a razor sharp pair of wrist blades, this ferocious intergalactic bounty hunter single-handedly decimated a highly trained Special Forces unit led by Arnold Schwarzenegger. The future Governator nearly lost his own life before finally outsmarting the beastly hunter in a deadly game of cat and mouse in the jungles of South America. The film was called Predator and it still continues to thrill, frighten and invigorate action genre junkies 32 years later. Filled with tons of quotable lines and gut-wrenching suspense, it would only be a matter of time before this box-office hit launched an entire franchise. The films that followed (namely 1990’s Predator 2 and 2010’s Predators) were adequate sequels but never managed to reach the same levels of testosterone-fueled spectacle as their predecessor.
In 2018, a new entry in the franchise was released to theaters, simply called “The Predator”. The talented Shane Black, who wrote Lethal Weapon and directed Iron Man 3, helmed the film. Surely, Predator fans were in for a real treat with this one right? I mean, come on…it’s a Predator film set during Halloween, what could go wrong? Well…just about everything from Frame 1 until the over the top finale. The Predator is an excruciating lesson in how to systematically destroy a franchise.
A Predator spacecraft crash-lands on Earth where a firefight ensues between the title character and a group of soldiers led by Boyd Holbrook. During the battle, the Predator is rendered unconscious only to be subsequently captured by a shady group of government agents, one of which includes Sterling K. Brown from the hit tv show, This Is Us. The next thing you know the audience is taken on a breakneck-paced journey from underground laboratories to high school football fields to the Predator’s spacecraft. Confused yet? Well, it gets better! After the first Predator lands on Earth, a second much-larger Predator (who we’ll just call “The Big Guy”) shows up in pursuit of his clansman and the technology that has fallen into human hands. Throw in to the mix a biology specialist played by Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook’s autistic son, a ragtag group of escaped Marines and finally, a nice helping of mediocrity and you get the picture.
Twitter/Shane Black
The one positive thing that I will say about The Predator is that at least the cast seemed to have fun while making it. The actors regularly crack jokes about the absurdity of fighting a gargantuan alien bounty hunter, which is sure to make some viewers chuckle. But, otherwise there is absolutely nothing to recommend with this movie. The special effects are average at best, the story offers no surprises and the Predator itself is treated like a complete joke. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT watch this pitiful entry in the beloved franchise. Predator 2 and Predators might be considered disappointing to most fans but they are masterpieces compared to this travesty. Shane Black, no more franchises for you, sir!