THE PREDATOR
US, 2018, 107 minutes, Colour.
Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan- Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Sterling K.Brown, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, Augusto Aguilera, Jake Busey, Yvonne Strahovski.
Directed by Shane Black.
There is a more than centuries-old tradition of novels, then films, about human conflict with aliens. Stories of War of the Worlds have been continually popular, small-budget supporting features in the 1950s, moving to the 1970s with bigger budgets and prestige, Close Encounters. The aggressive aliens received something of a boost in 1985 is The Predator, which had its own sequel as well as an exploitative spin-off with Jason versus Predator. Here is a 21st-century version.
The film was written and directed by Shane Black, an expert in writing tongue in cheek crime adventures, police adventures, like Lethal Weapon. There is also tongue-in-cheek humour in the dialogue in this film but, in some ways, the treatment of the aliens in the invasion is somewhat heavy-handed.
It starts with American military staking out cartel deals in the forests only for it to be interrupted by the arrival of an alien spaceship, the deaths of the military except for Mc Kenna (Boyd Holbrook) who survives, most unwisely sending some of the armour of the alien to his young son, Rory, who has Aspergers. Mc Kenna is then rounded up and interrogated by the military chiefs and some stern authorities probing the aliens, led by Sterling K.Brown, and an expert, Casey (Olivia Munn) who is called in as an adviser.
So, this is a basis for an action thriller, the alien coming in wreaking destruction in the investigation facility, Rory being tracked by the alien to recover the equipment, threats to his mother, Mc Kenna coming to his son’s aid along with a band of fellow-soldiers who would not be out of place in The Dirty Dozen.
Casey goes along with the group, the official pursues them, it turns out that there are two aliens but you would need to see the film to work out who was the good one and who is the bad one and why.
Ultimately, buildup to huge action, the dirty half-dozen going into action, and prepared to give their lives for the sake of the boy.
Some praise for the young actor, Jacob Tremblay, who gave a fine performance with Oscar-winner Brie Larson in The Room and continued to show his talent as the boy with the disfigured face in Wonder. He certainly holds his own with all the action in this film.
The American authorities receive a casket, opening it, something alien but possibly friendly, possibly not – at least the premise for a sequel.
1. The original film and its impact, sequel? Tradition of alien invasion films?
2. Jungle settngs? The facility? The town, Halloween, homes? Score?
3. Action sequences, special effects?
4. The cartel deal, snipers, the spaceship, dead military, Mc Kenna surviving, sending the armour to his son?
5. Rory, Aspergers, his mother, father absent, bullied at school, the pirate outfil for Halloween, receiving the package, wearing the armour and its effect?
6. Casey, her work, consultant, being summoned, the leader and his attitude towards her? The examination of the predator?
7. Predator/Hunter, the attack, the destruction in the plant? Bypassing Casey? Scenes of action and destruction, deaths?
8. The pursuit, the battles, the weapons, the unlimited ammunition?
9. The new predator, the translation of the words on the screen? The conflict between the two, one destroying the other? The attacks by the military, on the trailer?
10. The aliens, their motivation, dying, taking over, hybridisation, to get better creatures, taking the best of the humans, Rory and’s Asperger’s as an evolutionary development, their wanting him?
11. Coming to the home, the military, the mother and her clash? The aliens, taking Rory? His father, following, the group, Casey? The leader from the laboratory and his presence, defiance?
12. The different confrontations, tactics, Rory and his role? Each of the military men, their personalities, prepared for self-sacrifice, the captain and the Tourette’s soldier, shooting each other? Nebraska going into the propeller to destroy the machine? Gathering their tokens and burying them?
13. The ultimate destruction, the weapons, back to the centre, opening the cask, the reactions, the violence – yet the weapon for the humans to defend themselves?
14. Probabilities and impossibilities?
