“The Predator” (R)
Arnold Schwarzenegger is not back in “The Predator” a sequel – even though it’s essentially a reboot – of the movie series that began with Schwarzenegger, continued with Danny Glover and then joined Alien for a couple movies before attempting a comeback in 2010. The big difference with this comeback is that Shane Black, who had a brief role in original but went on to a more successful career as a writer and director (“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” “Iron Man 3”), is in charge of the new film, and with a talent of writing comedic dialogue, makes “The Predator” very funny at times … an element the original film didn’t have much of.
“The Predator” stars Boyd Holbrook (“Narcos,” “Logan”) as Quinn McKenna, a military operative who witnesses the crash of a spaceship with a Predator amidst a drug smuggling operation, who quickly lays waste to everything in its way, including Quinn’s entire unit. Convinced the government won’t believe him, Quinn takes some of the Predator’s weaponized armor, which he ships to the home of his estranged wife (Yvonne Strahovski) and son (Jacob Tremblay).
AUDIO: Tim reviews “The Predator” and talks Jesse “I ain’t got time to bleed” Ventura with Tom Barnard on “The KQ Morning Show.” Click to listen!
Determined to keep the crash off the books by any means necessary, a top government agent (Sterling K. Brown) soon finds that he has a bigger problem when a second, since Quinn’s son activates a beacon that alerts the Predator’s location. As a result, a larger and even deadlier Predator arrives, and his actions reveal a much bigger plan for the alien creatures, and it’s up to Quinn and a band of fellow solider outcasts to stop it from happening.
While the setup is very familiar, Black’s addition of humor to the film (sometimes through dialogue, other times through over-the-top gore), along with some impressive special effects and a solid ensemble cast (including Keegan-Michael Key and Thomas Jane) more than make “The Predator” a worthwhile sequel. Plus, there’s no denying that the Predator after all these years is still a fantastic-looking creature that definitely commands all of the attention it attracts.
Naturally, fans of the original film will be disappointed at the lack of a Schwarzenegger cameo, even though he was reportedly offered one. That’s not to say he can’t appear in another “Predator” sequel, since Black has left the door wide open for another film. Until then, the new “Predator” is a nice welcome back to the franchise.
Lammometer: 7 (out of 10)
Tim Lammers reviews movies weekly for The KQ92 Morning Show,” “KARE 11 News at 11” (NBC), WCCO Radio, WJON-AM, KLZZ-FM, “The Tom Barnard Podcast” and “The BS Show” with Bob Sansevere.
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