#Hollywood Tourette's (trope)

[inspectorspacetimerevisited]

What would the Inspector and his/her Associates do if

they ever came across an alien with Tourette’s syndrome?

‘Ars—!’

‘Are so ... lovely, aren’t they?’ — the Inspector

[brokehorrorfan]

New Release Review: The Predator

The Predator's intergalactic opening - a rare moment told from the predator's point of view - could be mistaken for a clip lifted from the latest Guardians of the Galaxy. A giant spaceship races through the space before crashing on Earth; a classic science fiction trope brought to the screen with the latest CGI technology. It's at this point that the audience is introduced to the world director Shane Black (The Nice Guys, Iron Man 3) has crafted for The Predator, a continuation of the Predator franchise that launched in 1987.

Quinn McKenna (Boyd Holbrook, Logan), a mercenary sniper for the United States government, is in the middle of a mission in Mexico when the crash occurs nearby. With a front-row view of the wreck, he helps himself to a few souvenirs - including a Predator mask - as proof of his extraterrestrial encounter. The stolen goods inadvertently put his autistic son, Rory (Jacob Tremblay, Room), in the line of danger.

Fearing that Quinn knows too much, government agent Traeger (Sterling K. Brown, This Is Us) turns him into a patsy. Quinn is treated as a military mental patient, joining a group of other discharged soldiers who suffer from various issues. After witnessing the predator's destruction firsthand, the ragtag band agree to join Quinn on his mission. Casey Bracket (Olivia Munn, X-Men: Apocalypse), a biologist unexpected called in to help the government, reluctantly joins the cause as well.

Black and co-writer Fred Dekker (The Monster Squad) implement several creative ideas never before explored in the Predator universe, expanding the mythology while paying respect to the films that came before it. (The Alien vs. Predator movies are rightfully ignored.) The recycling of classic lines is unnecessary, but that bit of fan servicing is gratefully taken care of in the first act. Jake Busey (Starship Troopers) - whose father, Gary Busey, starred in Predator 2 - presence serves as another wink to fans.

With Predator taking place in the jungle, 1990's Predator 2 heading to Los Angeles, and 2010's Predators returning to a jungle, The Predator's suburban setting is a welcome change of pace. Black eschews his habit for setting his films during Christmas, instead swapping it for Halloween. While the autumnal backdrop lends itself to a trick 'r treating scene - which ends in the first of several holy-shit moments - the film doesn't have much of a Halloween atmosphere. If a movie goes out of its way to show a sign advertising a Halloween dance, said dance should appear on screen.

The Predator earns its R rating with aplomb. Beyond the crass, humorous dialogue, The Predator is the goriest movie to hit the big screen this year. Some of the CGI is spotty, particularly when it comes to digital blood, but there numerous practical effects shine. The predator itself remains an impressive feat of creature design; even the upgraded predator is unable to improve upon the wow factor of the original.

The film suffers from some choppy editing and a flimsy timeline, which leads me to believe that Black's initial cut ran significantly longer than the 108-minute theatrical version. Perhaps the trims were for the best, as the quick pace maintains momentum. The anticlimactic ending, however, reeks of a rewrite. Incongruous with the smart and explosive action that came before it, the final act feels like a generic Hollywood action movie.

Most of the issues stem from the introduction of the so-called "upgraded predator," a more evolved version of the monster. Although I appreciate the effort to explore uncharted territory, it is wholly unnecessary to introduce an even bigger bad when the predator itself is already a seemingly unbeatable threat. To top it off, the upgraded predator doesn't come off as much stronger than its classic predecessor, particularly with the limp finale.

The Predator continues the franchise's tradition of being fueled by testosterone. There are only two women in the cast - Munn and Yvonne Strahovski (Dexter), who plays Tremblay's mother - but thankfully each of them are portrayed as strong characters. Munn, in particular, has several moments of badassery, although it's hard to buy a scientist being so adept at fighting and firearms.

The soldiers are played by Trevante Rhodes (Moonlight), Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele), Thomas Jane (The Mist), Alfie Allen (Game of Thrones), and Augusto Aguilera (Chasing Life). War movies often struggle to develop an ensemble cast of grunts, but The Predator does so well; arguably even better than the original Predator. Each character has their own quirks and is given several opportunities to shine.

Tremblay's character being on the spectrum is handled gracefully - although it's only included to advance the plot - but the same cannot be said Thomas Jane. His character has Tourette's with the stereotypical tic of swearing at random, which is used solely as a conduit for cheap comedy. It leads to some admittedly funny moments, but it's a poor representation of a serious disorder. It's also a waste of Jane's immense talents, although he thankfully has a tender moment later in the film.

The Predator offers too many laugh-out-loud moments to count. No single character serves as the comedic relief; everyone has their share of funny lines. Key is a natural when it comes to comedy, and his character is written to be a jokester, but Sterling and Tremblay unexpectedly get some of the biggest laughs of the movie. As with any comedy, it may not hold up upon multiple viewings, but there is nary a dull moment upon first watch.

The Predator is a flawed but fun return to the Predator universe. Black clearly respects the franchise and its fans - lest we forget, he acted in the original Predator - but his effort remains accessible to newcomers with no knowledge of the prior installments. The plot devices don't always click, and the last act leaves a bit to be desired following such a solid set-up, but the nearly nonstop action, laughs, and bloodshed are enough to overlook most of the missteps.