WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Shane Black’s The Predator, in theaters now.
The original 1987 Predator is among the most beloved sci-fi action movies of all time. Following the success of the Arnold Schwarzenegger classic, the galaxy's deadliest hunter returned to pursue humans -- and Xenomorphs -- again and again, in 1990's Predator 2, 2004's Alien vs. Predator, 2007's Alien vs. Predator: Requiem and 2010's Predators. Opinions vary on the sequels and crossovers, but one thing is certain: None of them surpasses the original. There was hope that director Shane Black's The Predator could breathe new life into the franchise, but a disappointing final act -- the subject to heavy reshoots -- diminished the experience significantly.
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The first two acts are largely entertaining, but the third represents the film's greatest weakness. Co-star actor Keegan-Michael Key has said "just about three-quarters of the third act was rewritten," and characterized Black as a "wordsmith," but a fair portion of The Predator's final act simply isn't of the caliber audiences expect from the filmmaker. When discussing reshoots, Black mentioned scenes were changed from day to night. While that certainly helps the aesthetic and makes the Predator seem more imposing, this is where the film begins to take a dip in quality. The wit and horror of the alien threat mostly vanishes as the film begins to reach its conclusion, and it's replaced with silly, over-the-top action that lessens the tension built from watching humans being targeted by a fearsome, and intelligent, alien hunter.
In previous films, humans defeating the seemingly unstoppable threat often required a strategy that was only barely pulled off. Despite his strength and skill with weapons, Arnold's character in Predator needed to rely on traps. Danny Glover's protagonist in Predator 2 couldn't win in direct combat, so he had to make the alien think he had been defeated before then landing a cheap shot with the hunter's own weapon. In Predators, Adrien Brody's character needed to take advantage of the alien's weaknesses, and he still needed help from Alice Braga. In The Predator, it feel as if the remaining humans survive by pure luck and aggression, despite everything they've learned about their opponent.
Obviously, not every entry in the Predator series needs to have the humans persevere through impressive strategy. But in The Predator, the final action sequence isn't nearly as impressive as the ones that came before, and it comes off as if a sharp script was replaced with pretty generic action that thrives on fortunate coincidences, like the Predator Dog's return, and Jacob Tremblay's Rory McKenna activating a force field at just the right moment. A final stand without strategy could still be badass and exciting, but it felt as if Boyd Holbrook and Olivia Munn's characters took down the "ultimate" Predator through dumb luck, even though Holbrook's Quinn McKenna is a skilled sniper, and Munn's Dr. Casey Bracket possesses knowledge of the aliens. There are a few badass moments scattered throughout the final act (here's looking at you, Thomas Jane), but the resolution with the primary antagonist -- the seemingly toughest and most dangerous Predator yet -- could've been more cleverly handled, and in turn, made far more memorable.
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Some of the jarring cuts didn't help, either. Sterling K. Brown's government agent Will Traeger plays a major role in the story, yet he's killed off in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment. That's odd, to say the least, considering he is The Predator's biggest human antagonist. Traeger did some terrible things in the film, yet his sendoff is shockingly swift. Random guards, on the other hand, are seen suffering at the hands of the Predator, but the the most sinister human in the movie disappears in a flash.
For the most part, The Predator delivers the sci-fi violence, fan service and comedic dialogue that many fans crave. It's a flawed movie -- particularly in its juggling of the story -- but it's still a (mostly) fun one. It's just too bad the film begins to go downhill just when it should be hitting fans with gripping scenes.
Directed by Shane Black from a script he wrote with Fred Dekker, The Predator stars Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, Alfie Allen, Thomas Jane, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, and Yvonne Strahovski. The film is out in theaters everywhere now.