The Predator (2018)

Director: Shane Black
Starring: Boyd Holbrook, Tevante Rhodes, Jacob Temblay

Synopsis:
A sniper who survived a Predator encounter has to recover the Predator tech he sent home for safekeeping before either the Predator or government agents get to it first.

Impressions:
When I heard that Shane Black was going to be helming the new Predator film, I was psyched. Then I saw the Super Bowl trailer, and it looked awful. Then the second trailer turned things around for me. Then the third trailer turned my opinion again. Talk about a roller coaster ride. I started taking in some of the opinions on release and decided to stay away. It may be because my expectations were at rock-bottom that I liked it more than I would've thought. Make no mistake. This is the worst film in the series and only edges out AvP: Requiem because I actually can remember the characters and have some positive impressions of them. I like the idea of a group of mismatched vets teaming up for the hunt. Traeger is a great antagonist. Olivia Munn's character works well enough, but it's not clear exactly why an evolutionary biologist has such action girl chops. (She does have some good moments and I enjoyed her interactions with the Wack Pack.) Everything involving the kid was a drag and literal weaponized autism is one of the dumbest plot points I've been subjected to and I've seen Battlefield Earth. Most of the action set pieces are fairly solid. It's just a shame the plot was such a mess. There's potential here, but it can only really be enjoyed as a curiosity. So long as you know what you're getting yourself in for, you may find enough salvageable for a worthwhile viewing experience. Take it or leave it.

Rating:
50/50