The Predator
Rent & Buy
When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race.
What critics thought
Shane Black's franchise reboot lands mostly as a mixed bag: its irreverent, fast-moving tone and charismatic ensemble earn some goodwill, but critics found the action incoherent and the third act a particular disaster. The central debate was whether Black's throwback sensibility and self-aware humor were a genuine pleasure or simply camouflage for a structurally broken blockbuster.
“The Predator, which Black penned with Monster Squad co-writer and director Fred Dekker, makes a few concessions to modern blockbuster filmmaking, including an overabundance of CGI, a blatantly franchise-thirsty ending, and some winking references to the original. But the movie's values are more 1988 than 2018, and that's what makes it fun, at least in spurts: Black has captured the spirit of that bygone era of adrenaline-junkie junk without getting all retro-fussy about it.”
A. A. Dowd·The A.V. Club
“an exhaustingly energetic mess in which a coherent plot and credible characters aren't even on the cluttered menu”
Dennis Harvey·Variety
“comedy and action are at war with each other. Characters spew rat-a-tat quips, while tussling with Predators and their pets, essentially neutralizing the effect of both the humor and the action.”
Katie Walsh·Nerdist
“The Predator does a lot right to reinvigorate the 31-year-old series. But everything crashes down during its frenzied, messy final act, a disappointing conclusion to what had largely been a fun romp up until that point.”
Jim Vejvoda·IGN
“Black is assisted greatly by an incredibly charismatic cast, and he knows how to use them to amplify their strengths.”
Brian Tallerico·RogerEbert.com
Genres
Science Fiction, Action, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Shane BlackDirector
Boyd HolbrookQuinn McKenna
Trevante RhodesNebraska Williams
Sterling K. BrownTraeger
Jacob TremblayRory McKenna
Keegan-Michael KeyCoyle
Olivia MunnCasey Brackett
Thomas JaneBaxley
Alfie AllenLynch
Augusto AguileraNettles
Jake BuseyKeyes
Yvonne StrahovskiEmily
Brian A. PrincePredator
Henry JackmanComposer
Fred DekkerWriter
Larry FongCinematographyThe Predator
When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled scientist can prevent the end of the human race.
What critics thought
Shane Black's franchise reboot lands mostly as a mixed bag: its irreverent, fast-moving tone and charismatic ensemble earn some goodwill, but critics found the action incoherent and the third act a particular disaster. The central debate was whether Black's throwback sensibility and self-aware humor were a genuine pleasure or simply camouflage for a structurally broken blockbuster.
“The Predator, which Black penned with Monster Squad co-writer and director Fred Dekker, makes a few concessions to modern blockbuster filmmaking, including an overabundance of CGI, a blatantly franchise-thirsty ending, and some winking references to the original. But the movie's values are more 1988 than 2018, and that's what makes it fun, at least in spurts: Black has captured the spirit of that bygone era of adrenaline-junkie junk without getting all retro-fussy about it.”
A. A. Dowd·The A.V. Club
“an exhaustingly energetic mess in which a coherent plot and credible characters aren't even on the cluttered menu”
Dennis Harvey·Variety
“comedy and action are at war with each other. Characters spew rat-a-tat quips, while tussling with Predators and their pets, essentially neutralizing the effect of both the humor and the action.”
Katie Walsh·Nerdist
“The Predator does a lot right to reinvigorate the 31-year-old series. But everything crashes down during its frenzied, messy final act, a disappointing conclusion to what had largely been a fun romp up until that point.”
Jim Vejvoda·IGN
“Black is assisted greatly by an incredibly charismatic cast, and he knows how to use them to amplify their strengths.”
Brian Tallerico·RogerEbert.com
Genres
Science Fiction, Action, Thriller
Cast & Crew
Shane BlackDirectorBoyd HolbrookQuinn McKennaTrevante RhodesNebraska WilliamsSterling K. BrownTraegerJacob TremblayRory McKennaKeegan-Michael KeyCoyleOlivia MunnCasey BrackettThomas JaneBaxleyAlfie AllenLynchAugusto AguileraNettlesJake BuseyKeyesYvonne StrahovskiEmilyBrian A. PrincePredatorHenry JackmanComposerFred DekkerWriterLarry FongCinematographyRent & Buy