Is the Predator a villain? l see an alien of staunch principle who doesn't concern himself with being nice. Many earth based lifeforms with similar manifestos succeed and are admired. On his planet he could be the Jerry Seinfeld of Predators, adored by all. How would we know? Strict Honor Code? Check. Doesn’t attack the unarmed, sickly, or pregnant? Check. Intelligent enough to build and pilot interstellar aircraft? Check. If you disregard comics or video game expanded universe content and consider Predator behavior strictly from the movies you'll find a species that hunts for sport/to eat and is supremely aggressive. Sounds pretty human to me. The Predator, created in 1987 by Stan Winston with an assist from James Cameron - he suggested the mandibles - is a timeless icon and relic of a forgotten, under-appreciated era where movie monsters were men and women in suits rather than CGI creations. We know the Predator and his unmistakable silhouette of mask, shoulder cannon and dreadlocks (with the latter feature serving no discernable or stated purpose, adding to the cool factor). It’s easy to pick on modern day filmmakers for overuse of CGI. It comes from a good place. Done right, practical effects create a sense of realism and feel that can't be duplicated in a computer. Imagine if the original Predator film was releasing for the first time in present-day. It's unlikely we'd get a 100% in-camera Predator nor the iconic hand to hand finale. For evidence, see 2018’s The Predator or any of the Alien movies after Aliens. I miss the guerilla-style, figure-it-out, George Lucas-with-no-green-screen style of filmmaking we used to get back when the default solution wasn’t to fix it in post. Necessity is the mother of invention. RIP Stan Winston.
Predator receives a score of 10/10 for giving us a character and franchise that remains as cool now as 30+ years ago (even if 2018’s The Predator is a perplexingly laughable turd that represents the low point of the franchise).
The Quick Critic
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