Despite the drama and controversy surrounding The Predator, I still went ahead and a caught a screening last night. Prior to watching it, I had only seen the trailer twice. I was intrigued because it was a reboot of the old film and it had a sci-fi plot. Looking at the trailer, I didn’t have that many expectations, I was just ready for an action-packed movie with aliens.
What we got, however, was way better than I had imagined. Not only was it full of action but it was surprisingly funny. Myself and the entire cinema was laughing out loud, which almost never happens. I also appreciated the soundtrack of the film. To me it sounded like something you would hear in ’70s and ’80s sci-fi, fantasy, and adventure movies. It was reminiscent of Star Wars and Indiana Jones, for me at least.
Aside from the main character played by Boyd Holbrook, there were two other characters that stood out, Casey Bracket played by Olivia Munn and Rory McKenna played by Jacob Tremblay. Olivia played a strong female character while Jacob gave his little kid character a powerful role.
Olivia’s character was a scientist who played a key role in helping others understand what the predator was. Yeah, everyone knew it was an alien but she used her background in biology to figure out why they came to earth and what they wanted to do. She was the only woman on the team, surrounded by soldiers but she held her own. She didn’t just show that she was smart and knowledgeable, but that she was strong too. Olivia handled a gun and wasn’t afraid to run after the predator when necessary. Oh, and spoiler alert but she also ended up being one of the only ones who survived.
Jacob, on the other hand, showed how kids can give a different perspective to dangerous situations. He didn’t show fear when faced with alien technology but rather curiosity. He was bullied in school for having autism but he didn’t let that stop him. He was smart, had good memory, and was good at figuring things out, like how to work alien technology. Without him, they wouldn’t have been able to find the alien ship or how to work their armor or devices. Oh, and I can see how he could play a big role in the next film. Yup, there was a huge cliffhanger at the end and I’m looking forward to the next one.
Overall, The Predator wasn’t just a good sci-fi movie, it brought unexpected characters forward and gave them the spotlight. Watch it for yourself to find out since it’s out in cinemas today.
Art by Marian Hukom
Photos courtesy of The Predator’s Instagram account
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