If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Director Shane Black ruins the long running “Predator” franchise with an overuse of comedy in the reboot “The Predator.”
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When an extraterrestrial spaceship crashes and kills a team of snipers, the surviving sniper, Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) manages to stun the creature. Capturing the skilled huntsman, the government calls in evolutionary biologist Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn) to study it.
Sure that the government would attempt to keep the incident classified, McKenna mails some of the Predator’s gear home where his son uncovers the alien technology. Awakened from heavy sedation by its hi-tech armor sensor, the ancient creature escapes the remote government bunker. Set on a quest for blood, McKenna and a group of military misfits’ team up with the biologist to stop the Predator from fulfilling his evolutionary plan.
“The Predator” is a disappointment to the reputation set by its predecessors.
The film’s story line lacks structure. To further complicate an unclear storyline, Black, who played Rick Hawkins in the original “Predator,” overloads the story by including the Predator’s backstory and the backstories of its many human characters resulting in pacing issues.
“Predator,” which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, was originally introduced to the world in 1987. Since its debut, the original has spawned many more films including a crossover of the eighties’ classic franchise, Alien.
Although the film lived up to the gore and blood, the Predator franchise, known for its action and extraterrestrial boogeyman, is turned into a mockery with excessive use of humor in Black’s reboot.
Filled with comical one liners, “The Predator” distracts audiences and lacks cohesiveness.
Should you watch it? Nope.
Even with its great humor, “The Predator” misses its mark in this reboot.
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Deja Calloway can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com and on Twitter @callowaydeja.
