Quick Reviews: The Predator (2018)

Like many people, I didn't see it in Theaters.  Was it worth a watch now that it is on basically every other format?  Let's see...

The Film has A TON of things to put in place during the 1st Act.  Try to keep up...

The titular Alien must show up during a crash and lose two pieces of gear to our Hero.  He's not happy.

Our Hero's Son- who's on the spectrum- must end up with said gear by way of happenstance.

Two notes: nice Garry Chalk Cameo and it's funny to see Jacob Tremblay graduate from BROTHER of super-genius kid in The Book of Henry to playing one here.

Next, our Hero has to end up with a bunch of mentally-unbalanced Soldiers who get taken to where the action is.

Finally, Olivia Munn must be in the Facility to study the creature...before more arrive.

As we transition to the 2nd Act, things go...poorly for the Humans.  I was rooting for you, us!

As bigger and badder Predators show up (SPOILED by every bit of marketing), can the day be saved?  To find out, watch the Film!

A fun and exciting Film, even if the Plot muddles things up quite a bit.  The Predator is a Film that really fights itself more than it should.  Maybe the whole Plot about the Predator dissension is more apt than it seems.  I'm not saying that these Plots should be one-note or 'too simple,' but this one has issues.  Who's the bad guy here?  Is it this Predator?  Is it the new one that shows up?  Is it the Government Stooge?  It shouldn't be hard to know who to root for in a Film like this.  Maybe tone it down just this one time, Shane.  That aside, I also have to note how much random set-up is involved here to get the Plot in motion- which I did above.  In the first Film, Soldiers on a mission run across a Predator killing folks.  In the second Film, it happens in Los Angeles.  In this Film, there are a dozen chess pieces that have to be moved *just right* for the Story.  With ALL OF THAT aside, I had a lot of fun with this Film.  The Action is good.  They don't cut stuff for PG-13.  They expand the Predator Mythos.  There's even some genuinely-good jokes too.  It's a fun ride if you can accept all of the complex plotting that isn't quite necessary.  In addition, you can see this poor guy meet the most painful death I can think of...

When it just stops to be a fun and interesting Action Film, The Predator works well.  It just can't do that for too many minutes at a time though.