Finally watched The Predator...

PREDATOR was an action sci-fi movie with elements that lent themselves to world-building. However, it was also a horror movie that relied on hiding the villain. Whenever we saw him, he wore a mask. We didn't see his face until the last part. How do you make a sequel that expands the mythology but also keeps the element of surprise? I think all you need is the right atmosphere, something THE PREDATOR fails to get right even from the very beginning. It's a sequence that was written, filmed and scored like a space opera (that would be fine if the rest of the movie was like that, but it isn't). The title character doesn't get a visual introduction; he's just... there. No, I'm not being so harsh just because PREDATORS set the bar so high with its opening. While I never felt any of the main characters in this franchise were complex or compelling, this was the first installment where I was rooting against the heroes. The comedic dialogue is unfunny and even kind of dumb, which shocked me considering this was co-written and directed by Shane Black. Speaking of, this movie, just like KISS KISS BANG BANG and THE NICE GUYS, shows moments of violence and/or pain in a nonchalant way. The difference is that those 2 movies did it for laughs, while this one seems to be serious about it. It comes off as awkward (especially when a certain character on top a bus falls down), just like the editing in some scenes.

3/10
-------------------------------------
You can read comments of other movies in my blog.