What a disaster! Terrible! The Predator movie almost makes you remember the Independence Day Resurgence debacle that we saw two years ago that drew out hating vibes within seconds the movie began. It is just as stupid and pointless and with so many flaws that you can’t count them on your finger. Why are we trying to even reboot movies when we don’t even have a proper story to back it up? Are we planning on another franchise? If yes, then this can’t be even counted as a foundation to hold any of the future runs.
I had almost forgotten how good Shane Black used to be. I mean I remember Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Iron Man 3 and The Nice Guys to be good. These were movies that had defined him as a good filmmaker. Whatever happened with time? How did he end up falling from such good levels to become crass and unexciting?
There’s not a morsel of seriousness in The Predator movie. Terrible dialogues! Not to mention so many pointless scenes and conversations that are just sitting there without a direction. I mean, who has written this? Who writes like this? A child, maybe? The direction is so juvenile that you are tempted to walk out of the theatres on so many occasions.
Wasted Stellar Cast
With the inclusion of Jacob Tremblay of the Before I Wake and Room fame, I thought this movie was going to be interesting owing to his presence. But Alas! He has grown! The cuteness has disappeared. Well, that’s no topic to be frustrated about. It was his character of Rory McKenna in Predator movie that felt so daft that anyone could have played it really. Why bother, rope him in when you don’t have a proper dramatic bit to nail? That autism angle couldn’t elicit emotions either.
Then we have the badass Boyd Holbrook who plays Quinn McKenna who felt just so right for the role. But what does he do? Just talk tough! Then there is Olivia Munn playing a character called Casey Bracket. Watching her mood swings will make you go – is she for real?
Roping in Keegan-Michael Key as the essential funny guy to an action movie felt like at least we would have some good laughs. Well, guess what – bummer! He is so not funny in this. It is just painful to watch him even try.
Why did Trevante Rhodes even say yes to this? He plays a paper-thin character, unlike the serious one he played in Moonlight. Also, the presence of Thomas Jane will make you wonder – Does Jacob press on it? Like asked the casting directors to hire him as well for no good reason. They were together in Before I Wake after all. What was he even playing? His character of Baxley is just outright stupid. Wasted!
Sterling K. Brown‘s character Traeger felt like a child’s imagination. Full of attitude never letting his guard down, you know, the indispensable tough guy in movies, who has drawn his swords against the protagonist, despite there being a bigger threat lurking. Also, why is Alfie Allen even there?
Are You Serious? (Spoilers)
The plot for starters is an absolute mess. The Predator movie was written by Fred Dekker and Shane Black himself. Even though it seemed like a good idea to include an even bigger and dangerous Predator, the Mega Predator into the picture, they completely lose it when they find this new toy in their hand. I mean, giving people a headstart to run? This overconfident Predator must be the laziest of all the other Predators of his planet. No wonder he signed up to work in Hollywood. 😛
The Predator movie is all kinds of stupid. Like Rory killing a man accidentally Trick-or-treating, taking a life, as if the guy had it coming? And why is it alright, again? You know, this kind of shit messes with the heads of the younglings.
Casey for starters felt like a great character in the making but then she was a big let down with her puerile humour. Within no time you see her running after a Predator, trying to avenge his kin. Aren’t you afraid of that thing lady? That’s just plain doltish!
The biggest surprise that the plot decides to hold is through the ambiguity derived from the name of McKenna. The big dawg announces that he is after McKenna. Quinn, considering himself to be the hero of the movie, takes it for granted that the Predator was talking about him. But in fact, the Predator was looking for Rory, the small autistic boy, who was apparently an advanced form of humans, the next in the chain of human evolution.
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Visuals Gone Wrong
All this technology, and yet we fail. Aren’t we living in a time where the technology is at its peak? That we could have created something out of the ordinary if we wanted to resuscitate this antihero. Unfortunately, nothing changes!
What makes things even more absurd is the CGI, which at times feels laughable in some parts. The part where a force shield appears on the spaceship, toward the end, feels like two different distinguishable videos merged in a badly whipped frame. Blood and bones seem so unreal that it draws out guffaws.
There are so many moments in the movie where you are shaking your head owing to the ridiculousness of the situation.
The Final Verdict of The Predator Movie
I didn’t remember Shane Black to be this juvenile. Yes, making the Predator movie this bad, Shane Black feels akin to a child as if he is yet to grow up. That makes me sad because he has done such great movies in the past. There is a strong disconnect you feel as if an entirely different guy had shot this movie. This is so not you Shane! We know you can do better.
The Predator movie ends as if it were to make its own superhero movie. I highly doubt if it’s going to happen. Even if someone decides to go with it, please let it go straight to video and save us the trouble.
The Predator
Pros
- A Bigger Badass Predator
Cons
- Bad Plot
- Wasted Cast
- Poor Direction
- Pointless Adventure
