The Predator is a 2018 science fiction action film directed by Shane Black, starring Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Janes, Alfie Allen, and Sterling K. Brown.  Set as the fourth installment in the Predator film series, the film follows a group of PTSD soldiers who must fight off an invading pair of Predators.

Plot:  The story of The Predator follows a group of soldiers who must fight against a pair of aliens.  The story is probably the most unique of the series.  The major story follows an alien who’s being pursued by another alien, due to technology that was stolen, and the people that have come across it.  It’s definitely different but that doesn’t necessarily make that a bad thing.  The whole Predator hunting Predator was a pretty awesome story.  The whole subplot between Quinn and Rory isn’t as fleshed out as it could’ve been.  Perhaps if they had a scene or two together before the arrival of the Predators.  There’s the subplot with the Stargazer Project is an interesting one and it’s great that the film does explore it.  The story is pretty exciting and the climax is completely epic.  The sequel bait ending was okay but I felt a bit unnecessary since it’s obvious the Predators aren’t done with humanity so it’s always going to be the possibility of another movie.  (3 out of 5)

Characters:  Despite critics, the characters are good.  As good as any in the other films.  The main lead is Quinn McKenna (Holbrook) who leads the ragtag team against the Predators.  He’s not really likable but he does try to do the right thing and makes him okay in my book.  Rory is Quinn’s son, and although he played a strong part of the film, I do think that his role was a bit of a stretch.  I actually think that his character being written as autistic is a bit of a convenience as it helped the group. I really would’ve liked to have seen more between the two.  Emily is Quinn’s ex-wife and Rory’s mother and I liked her character but she’s not given much to do.  I would’ve liked to have seen more between her and Quinn.

Quinn’s team consist of ex-Marine Nebraska Williams (Rhodes) and Lynch (Allen), evolutionary biologist Casey Bracket (Munn), military veterans Coyle (Key) and Baxley (Jane), and helicopter pilot Nettles (Aguilera) and they’re all pretty cool.  They have their ups and downs but the two most prominent are actually Williams and Casey.  Williams is probably the most memorable character as he had depth and was a pretty likable guy.  I liked Casey.  She was a strong female without feeling overly masculine or over-the-top.  Unlike the previous films, she actually had a skillset that was important. Coyle and Baxley are the comic reliefs and in that they’re great.

The human main antagonist of the film is Will Traeger who runs the “Stargazer Project”.  He’s a bit of an odd duck because he’s the bad guy and a bit of a funny man but at the same time that kind of takes away from him as a bad guy.  It’s not like he ever does anything truly evil so when he gets serious it doesn’t stick.  Now, let’s talk about the Predators.  The first Predator was pretty awesome and I really liked it.  The second was even more badass. All-in-all, the characters really aren’t that bad.  (3 out of 5)

Cast:  I like the performances and the casting was done really well.  The main cast includes Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, and Augusto Aguilera.  The supporting cast includes Jake Busey, Niall Matter, Yvonnne Strahovski, and Brian A. Prince. (3 out of 5)

Visuals:  The movie looks awesome on nearly every front.  First, the Predator design looks awesome.  The make-up and prosthetics are just awesome.  Yes, the super Predator was CGI but it was good CGI.  There’s a question as to whether the creature should’ve been CGI or not but for the most part, it was done really well.  Second, the design of the alien technology was done really well, the best this franchise has every seen.  Third, the action sequences are shot really well.  There’s depth to it shot with some great angles.  Plenty of gunfire and explosions and Predator kicking ass.  And lastly, the gore effects were done well.  There’s not a moment where the gore looks cheesy or poor and it makes the kills look that much more intense.  (5 out of 5)

Score/Music:  The music is pretty good and fans of the franchise will recognize many familiar themes.  I think Henry Jackman did a good job.  He’s known for this work in the Kick-Ass films, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Civil War, Kingsman films, and even Kong: Skull Island.  The sound design is handled well enough.  I like the sound of the Predators and their speech.  The movie all around sounds great. I will admit they’re no memorable songs like in the first movie but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. (4 out of 5)

Writing:  The film was directed by Shane Black, who played in the original 1987 Predator film.  He does a good job of taking the film in a new direction and that’s what the series has needed.  The writing is decent but there’s a lot of room for improvement.  One of the biggest disputes of the script is the humor and I admit there’s a fairly good bit of it.  Nearly all of the characters have some comedic moment or quick witted dialogue that should’ve been reserved for the comic reliefs.  Yes, it’s safe to say that this film is a comedy.  As well as an action and science fiction film.  The dialogue was too witty at times and that makes the characters come off as assholes.  The level of profanity is absurd.  Every other sentence is “Fuck this” and “Fuck that” and that’s just crazy.  Even some of the lines could’ve been written better.

Thumbs up to the script for diving a bit into the Predator mythos, particularly the part where the Predators are experimenting on themselves to make themselves more efficient hunters.  The idea surrounding the super Predator is actually pretty cool.  The Predators technology is further explored, and I like seeing how advanced they are.  How the creatures are actually evolving, not only through genetic manipulation but also with their technology.  This film does show a progression of their species and I like that. Now, let’s look at the some of the major problems which are more like conveniences.  In the sequence with the Predator waking up from its sedation.  How did it wake up?  If they say it was under heavy sedation why weren’t there any tubes coming from it or why didn’t any of the scientist and doctors around it actually have any sedatives with them?

Also, there is this thing that within the movie the aliens are referred to as Predators.  Why?  I know why we call them Predators but why do they call them that in the movie?  This kind of makes it seem like they’re not taking the situation seriously and in some circumstances it does feel like it.  Don’t give them a scientific name or some Spanish name, call them Predator.  That is a poorly written choice. The way some of the characters come to these conclusions about the actions of the Predators is outrageous.  They come up with these elaborate plans, correctly mind you, by pulling it right out their ass.  The script is okay but it could’ve been better especially with the dialogue and the comedy.  (2 out of 5)

The Verdict:  In the end, The Predator isn’t as bad as the critics say it is.  It’s actually a pretty cool addition to the Predator franchise.  Look, if you love the first film and not the rest, you probably won’t like this film.  But if you’re like me and you see value in all the films, you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of it.  Most of the negatives go towards the writing and its mostly because of the humor, some of the subplots, the dialogue, and some conveniences in the plot.  The film does have interesting characters, good score, tons of action, and great visuals. The Predator gets 3 out of 5.