The Hunt has Evolved.
This review contains spoilers.

The Predator is directed and co-written by Shane Black (Iron Man 3). Fred Dekker (The Monster Squad) co-writes. Boyd Holbrook (Narcos) stars alongside Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), Jacob Tremblay (Room), Keegan-Michael Key (Keanu), Olivia Munn (The Newsroom) and Sterling K. Brown (This Is Us). "When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters' return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race". It's been 8 years since Predators and the franchise has never been lucrative at the box office; was Shane Black's The Predator necessary?

The Predator is a non-event. Shane Black has directed a lacklustre film that is dull and forgettable. Known for his quirky and distinct style, it would be expected that Black would have produced something more interesting. Instead, The Predator lacks a plot with any substance, fails to build any suspense and, like most Hollywood blockbusters these days, concludes by setting up a sequel that sounded much more interesting. I was unfamiliar with this franchise until this instalment and I am not inclined to check out the previous Predator films. Shane Black might just be this brand's own 'Predator' as by the looks of the audience and critical reception, The Predator has killed the franchise.

Black deserves credit for directing a film that felt like it was released in the early 2000s. From the practical effects to the crude humour, The Predator feels outdated. Black could have been going for a nostalgic style but it didn't work. 'The Predator' itself was in no way intimidating, scary or threatening; it was so obviously a man in a suit. In one scene, a character compares the creature to Whoop Goldberg and...well they said it, not me. The film has a budget of $88 million which isn't surprising; the 'Predator Dogs' are comparable to video-game animation and the green slime is overly bright and cartoon-like. The only time that the film is visually impressive is during the third act when 'The Predator' activates an invisible shield over its aircraft. It's 2018, visual effects are better than ever, and Shane Black opted to make a moderately sized (intended-to-be) blockbuster as if it was 2005. Evolve or die Black; if Black keeps making films like this, his directing career is going to continue to down spiral. 

Female representation is becoming more progressive every year. A film like The Predator had to come along that treats its female characters poorly. Not only is Shane Black's film styled like an early 2000s release, but its script (written by Black and Fred Dekker) also has the same backwards values as those films released over a decade ago. Olivia Munn's Casey Bracket is the film's lone female character (other than Yvonne Strahovski who plays a generic mother figure). This is the type of female character that belongs in a Michael Bay film. Casey is constantly undermined by her male counterparts; they see her as nothing more than a predictable sexual object. There is a terrible scene as Casey wakes up from shooting herself with a tranquillizer; the crude male characters comment on her physical appearance as she sleeps and laugh at her when she starts to panic. Casey is also confronted by 'The Predator' when she is naked - of course, it is the female character who is left unclothed in a decontamination unit. Luckily Black handles this scene in a relatively tasteful manner. Casey has to use her maternal instincts during the action as she is often left with Rory (Tremblay). Olivia Munn's performance is serviceable, but Casey Bracket is an example of a bad female character. 

Narratively, The Predator lacks any substance or surprises. Black and Dekker's plot is very basic: Rory unknowingly activates the return of 'The Predators' and the creatures hunt for their missing parts. I found The Predator incredibly bland - the characters are one-dimensional, the script is uninspired and Black fails to create an atmosphere. The Predator is a missed opportunity. It could have been a thrilling, tense and scary resurrection of the cult franchise but is nothing of the sort. Towards the end, 'The Predator' gives the humans a 7-minute headstart before it plans to hunt them all. This should have been an exhilarating and suspenseful sequence but it was short-lived and underwhelming. Black could have borrowed more from the horror genre. The film's final few minutes are the most exciting - it is revealed that 'The Predator' was trying to protect a predator-killing device from being possessed by the human characters. A sequel using this device does sound pretty cool, but unfortunately Black wasted his opportunity on this boring and generic story. Hollywood films need to stop relying on a sequel; there have been three preceding Predator films, Black should have relaunched the franchise with the creation of the predator-killer and this flick would have been a hell of a good time. 

Boyd Holbrook leads a cast on unmemorable characters and performances. Holbrook has landed roles in films like Logan and Gone Girl in the past but has failed to make a lasting impression. His performance in The Predator doesn't change this. Holbrook is a non-starter as an actor; he's had plenty of opportunities to shine but continues to deliver bland performances. Somebody like Tom Hardy or even Gerard Butler would have elevated this film to something the general public felt like watching. Jacob Tremblay jumps into the big leagues; The Predator is his blockbuster debut. Tremblay is still miles ahead of his peers but isn't really given anything interesting to work with. Trevante Rhodes and Keegan-Michael Key lead the group of crude criminals Quinn (Holbrook) befriends. Their unlikeable and irritating characters override their actual performances. I suppose they deliver what the script requires. Sterling K. Brown has overexposed himself in the least prolific way possible. He's either in big films in small roles (Black Panther) or small films in large roles (Hotel Artemis). I'm fed up with him. Brown brings the same performance to every role and it clearly isn't working. 

Shane Black's The Predator is a missed opportunity. It could have been a stylish, atmospheric and memorable creature feature. It is none of those things. The Predator is dull, generic and lacks any tension and suspense. Holbrook leads an array of forgettable performances and Munn is trapped in an awful role. The film's treatment of female characters is offensive. The Predator is one more crude joke away from being a Michael Bay film. Its plot lacks substance and unfortunately relies too heavily on a sequel (that probably won't happen). Luckily, there is a pack of promising blockbusters left for 2018 that will hunt and destroy The Predator...nobody will be able to remember it by the end of the year.