REWATCHED: PREDATOR

My first impression of my watch, and memory of 2018's "THE PREDATOR" had not been wholly "positive", to say the least. After constant features on the blog, I admit I had built up a certain level of "expectation" for this written and directed by Shane Black feature, with fond memories of 1988's "The Predator" subconsciously etched in my mind, thanks to the studio's constant reminders during the promotional period, which I no doubt fell for, innit? But I left the film lie, with no mention of it after my first watch.

Then yesterday, I happened to have caught it on cable, and found myself watching thru to the end, and actually enjoying my watch!


All the cliches were suddenly "digestible". I even felt I understood the existence of the cliched characters presented, and the big-bang-fun actually reminded me of 80s-90s features, which for good or bad, was something I found myself craving for, in recent weeks.

For all the "realism" folks want these days in films, I too want to be "entertained" as well, to be able to escape from reality (*which I experience just looking out my window, or head down for a walk, or see on my socials), truth be told, even for a short moment ... and THE PREDATOR provided that for me, Thursday morning.


The Mega-Predator looked utter awesome (would've been a awesome 1/4-scaled figure versus a 1/6th-scaled Predator), the female scientist turned machine-gun operator was fun to behold (in fact all the women in this film were not wallflowers, even Yvonne Strahovski as "Emily" - Quinn's estranged wife rocked her scenes), the end "Predator Killer" moniker and visual even felt interesting now, when all of which were "cringeworthy" upon first viewing (which I remembered feeling, beyond the film's plot lol).


Would I attempt to purchase a DVD of this film? Not likely. But I also realised I had enjoyed the previous incarnations of the franchise, from 1987's THE PREDATOR, to the sequel "Predator 2" (1990), to even the 2010 "Predators" (but not the AVP franchise though, THAT I could not stomach in any way shape or form, although that was "before", but...), as the fictional premise - while constantly rebooted with a slight evolution-change each time, worked enough to entertain me, with a much lower stakes needed to digest the straight-forward plot and story, that does not need to leave me pondering my life and the universe's, when the credits rolled.

Essentially low-stakes entertainment, and I am fine with that, sitting at home, watching in a window while trying to work in another LOL


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