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The Predator film franchise has often been a divisive one. People ardently defend or dismiss sequels and spin-offs as if they were the worst or best thing to come across their radar. Unfortunately, all this discussion is basically because everyone since the first film has tried to recapture that magic and fallen short, despite some great moments here and there.
Full disclosure, I love the first Predator film. It is not only a classic of the sci-fi genre but also a minted gem of action cinema. It is uncontested by any of it's successors to date. I used to have a great affection for "Predator 2" but, admittedly, it has not aged well, suffers from some silly situations, poor pacing, and sub-par writing/acting. Nevertheless it has some very iconic moments. The third film ("Predators") was seen as the red-headed stepchild of the lot by many fans but, honestly, I found it to be not only entertaining (despite some derivative elements) but way better than it's predecessor. I am, i know in the minority when by saying this. And so, I will continue to be in the minority by saying that "The Predator" is not as bad as it's been made out to be.
Make no mistake it still suffers from some major problems but ultimately it is such a brisk and satisfyingly action-packed flick that it's easy to overlook some of them (though not all). Do I feel that the film will hold up as time passes? No, it will most likely age badly but upon first viewing it won't prove utterly offensive to those not expecting a masterpiece which, let's be honest, we should be used to since the first sequel.
Much ballyhoo was made of certain elements, most notably the predator dogs and the plot element involving an autistic child perceived by the hunter aliens as a step up in evolution but in service of the film the concepts, though contrived or silly, work much better than they should. Acceptance of these will either make or break the film for you. Another big factor that plays in the same fashion is the comedy, mostly kept to the group of military outcasts facing the titular monster. This will either chime with you or it won't. Personally, having read the script, i was just relieved that the majority of their original lines were done away with but, ultimately, ended up kind of liking the ragtag team.
There are particular elements which are inexcusable, however. Most notably is the woeful over-dependence on CGI instead of physical effects. This would not be such a low blow if the effects were at the very least convincingly good but they are very obviously poor effects if not utterly abysmal. The final scene in the movie really made me groan. For all the brainless and flawed fun it had provided up to that moment, the film just decides to really stick it to you with the stupidest "reveal" imaginable that is relayed in the least convincing form ever. I felt like I had just watched a Saturday morning "to be continued" moment.
Character work is paper thin and somewhat generic and this might affect how much you care about the characters dependent more on taste than on quality but, as aforementioned, the steady clip of the movie kind of makes this easy to overlook. In addition, even if you don't mind the humor some of it will make your eyes roll on occasion. They could have liberally cut some of the truly ridiculous moments in this to the benefit of the film.
In the end, "The Predator" is a single serving, popcorn flick. Good for one go and maybe not much after. It is not a bad film so much as it is a mediocre film that manages to be fun despite its flaws. Even then, some moments and creative choices will tarnish any shine it manages to muster up. 6/10
