Screenwriter Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) was an actor in John McTiernan’s original 1987 Predator and here serves as director and co-writer for this tedious, profanity-filled update. The story begins when former Army Ranger sniper-turned-mercenary Capt. Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook) spots a UFO crashing into the Mexican jungle. Aboard the spaceship, McKenna finds a Predator helmet and gauntlet, although not before the creature has annihilated his troop. Realizing that this technology may be valuable, he mails it home, just in case the government tries to cover up the incident—which, of course, they do. McKenna also swallows something that, inevitably, later emerges. Meanwhile, evolutionary biologist Dr. Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn) examines and analyzes the captured Predator. And when McKenna’s young, autistic son Rory (Jacob Tremblay) opens the postal package, dons the helmet, and goes out Halloween trick-or-treating, it results in an ill-fated encounter with neighborhood bullies. Predictably, the Predator escapes, landing on a bus that is transporting McKenna and quirky, PTSD-stricken veterans. And an even deadlier Super Predator is dispatched to save its predecessor. A disappointing monster movie, this is not recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include the production featurettes “Predator Evolution” (20 min.), “The Takedown Team” (16 min.), “A Touch of Black” (11 min.), and “Predator Catch Up” (9 min.), deleted scenes (7 min.), and a photo gallery. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are bonus DVD and digital copies of the film. Bottom line: a solid extras package for an unnecessary re-imagining.] (S. Granger)
The Predator
Fox, 107 min., R, DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $34.99, Dec. 18 Volume 34, Issue 1
The Predator
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: