It
has many call backs to the original, from a Special Forces jungle beginning to
musical cues. Instead of trying and
failing to recreate the iconic (if that’s the word) “Get to the Chopper!” there’s
a wink at it with motorcycles.
Shane
Black, working with Monster Squad partner
Fred Dekker, brings a Hawkins level of humor to this one. Instead of over the top
Eighties machoness, we have over the top PTSD reactions from the squad. This
time, though there are members with a past history, we get to see the group
dynamic form…before most of them get taken out by two different kinds of space
hunters.
The
Amalgamated Dynamics guys are back for makeup, Woo! Welcome back Tom and Alec! Bringing in Brian Prince as the Predator(s)
with his stunt and parkour background gave the Yautja a nice fluidity to his
movement. He surpassed some of the
previous first timers by quite a bit.
Instead
of two separate clans, we have a genetically blended, giant sized Predator this
time out. Once again, there’s a flash
back to the original’s use of controlled exposure. This time we got to see the
standard Yautja that we all know and love right away. It’s later escape from the lab was incredibly
epic and mayhem filled.
However,
the eleven foot tall economy sized Apex version was used as a much later surprise
reveal.
As
for the humans, the Alien Franchise rubbed off a bit, giving us Olivia Munn’s
Doctor Bracket. She’s clearly the most intelligent one in the room, works her
way up to being valuable in a fight relatively quickly, and has as wonderfully
a foul mouth as the military men she teams up with.
While
the overall ideas about autism were poorly handled, Jacob Tremblay was as
fantastic as he was in Wonder approximating a disability. (Or if you use monster movies to suggest scientific ideas, a
superpower.)
McKenna,
played by Boyd Holbrook is a combination of Hicks from Aliens and Kermit the Frog.
He’s a qualified and effective military leader, and also the island of
sanity in the motley, mixed up gang of highly lethal loonies he’s
assembled. The rest of the guys make it
seem like The Couch Trip Vs. Predator
in some scenes.
But
the point is, they’re fun!
That’s
why I get confused by the negative reviews stating the movie had too much humor
or was too silly.
Yes,
the movie about monster big game hunters from space with mouths shaped like genitals is silly, and
the movies about powered, crime fighting, pajama wearing individuals are unrealistic, and the
movies following mythological story arcs that are hundreds of years old have
been done before.
If
you want realistic, non-silly films, go see a drama about people declaring unrequited
love for two and a half hours and leave my monster movies alone, please.
Y’know
what else was fun? The Predator dog
things. It was fun watching the soldiers
fight the dangerous ones, and it was fun watching Casey befriend the latest
brain damaged member of the little band and have it join in taking out the
large amount evil and shady government bad guys provided as fodder for the
dogs, the heroes and the Yautja. Bonus
points for seeing those mandibles finally used against someone.
This
one was a true Predator film.
It
had stuff blowing up, monster fighting action, awesome spacey melee and
projectile weapons, and a gang of goofy, likeable, lethal individuals who put
up a good fight but eventually learn they are out of their league.
And
it left the door open for a sequel, so here’s hoping it made enough overseas to
get one.
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