"The Predator" has arrived in theaters and its great! The sci-fi-con's latest movie delivered and it doesn't let down, for the most part. Like all movies, and especially summer blockbusters, it has its flaws but for what it is, they can be overlooked. What is it you ask? An R-rated, guns blazing, plasma-casting, blade slashing, just-the-right amount-of-gore-and-laughs, action fest.
With all movies, whats the foundation? The story. For the movie that you already suspect it too, the story isn't overly drawn out or highly developed. However, it doesn't need to be. Although one or two scenes may have felt a just a little slow (but these moments still proved valuable to the film), and some moments seemed a little out of place, between just enough exposition and hints, and the killer action, the pacing was semi-fast and perfect for the film. For an action-packed Predator movie, this works perfectly. The story may not have been what I would have guessed from the promotional campaign, and it may have taken one or two turns that I wasn't expecting, but it was still greatly executed.
This, of course, owes itself to the writing. Shane Black and his team know what the creature is, and so do most of us in the audience. Due to this, the mystery from the first "Predator" is taken out, and they let the big uglies flex their muscles and mandibles for some serious scene-stealing. It was enough to make me think to myself "That was awesome!" or "That's what a Predator should be".
And, oh, what scene-stealing there is in this movie! Brian Prince in the Predator suit delivers a fantastic performance for the practical beast, and the CG Mega-Predator has fantastically done. The performances of these beasts, as well as their homosapien co-stars, are amazing, even if one or two of them feel somewhat forced into the movie, and some lines of dialogue seem out of place. But if the worst parts of a movie are some overly cheesy lines, overly animated Predator blood, and an overly done fire, then it's fine by me.
Where would I put "The Predator" after watching it? Summer must-watch? Check. Alien, Predator, or general sci-fi must watch? Absolutely! However, if you're not familiar with the franchise, or are just going to see it for the heck of it, I'd personally recommend waiting till the next value day for your local theater. For a movie over-all, I'd put this beast at about 72%, and for a sci-fi film, I'd be happy to put it at 84%. Even if this isn't the best movie in the world, Shane Black has put just the right amount of homages, action, and heart into his latest work to make it fun and worthy enough to be considered a good Predator movie. Would I go see it again? Absolutely, and I hope to see you there!
