The Predator

Score:  C-

Directed by Shane Black
Starring Boyd Holbrook, Sterling K. Brown, Olivia Munn, Keegan-Michael Key
Running time: 107 minutes
Rated R

Long Story Short:  The Predator resumes the franchise begun and made famous by Arnold Schwarzenegger over thirty years ago.  Brought back to theaters by a director known for recent curve ball hits, this sequel flops in its attempt to blend a winking tone with more familiar action and violence.  There are a few bright spots in the cast, but there's just little here to spark much interest.  Avoid.


A ship carrying a single, extraterrestrial hunter lands in a remote jungle, right in the middle of an Army Ranger mission.  Ranger McKenna (Holbrook) survives an encounter with the alien, and flees with some equipment found around the ship.  Upon making his way back to America, he is seized by Will Traeger (Brown), in charge of the mysterious government Stargazer Project.  Lab technicians, led by Dr. Casey Bracket (Munn), study the incapacitated alien, or "Predator".  However, the Predator escapes the lab; on a bus to military prison, McKenna spots it and teams up with fellow inmates to track it down.  Time is short for McKenna to find the Predator, figure out why it has come to Earth, evade the determined Traeger, and - most importantly - save his family and the human race.

The Predator has some big names in its cast, but for the most part they are wasted by a careless and thin script.  Boyd Holbrook, who's popped up here and there in recent years (Logan), steps into the lead role, and plays about as vanilla and uninteresting of a typical hero role as possible.  He may not be bad, but just completely unremarkable in any way.  Sterling K. Brown, as the villainous director Traeger, clearly enjoys his role, taking every opportunity to form a cruel smirk or deliver an offhand but cutting putdown.  Even the ticks and quirks he develops are fun, and the film would have done far better to give him much more screen time.  Olivia Munn, in the only significant female role, is given nothing interesting to do, and is unable to cobble something out of it herself.  There are a number of smaller roles, the most welcome of whom are Keegan-Michael Key's military veteran Coyle, who is predictably funny when he gets the chance, and Thomas Jane, a fellow veteran with Tourette's.

The Predator is a scifi horror film that tries to be both silly and light as well as violent and intense, and the result is a failure on both ends.  The overall structure is a fairly familiar one: malevolent alien life lands on Earth, good individuals as well as shady government forces discover it, and a ragtag, underdog group manages to win the day.  Clearly, more thought went into how to connect this story with other Predators, both past and future; fortunately, as a newcomer to the series myself, the various references to the series aren't too burdensome or confusing.  And it's not necessarily a problem to use a well-worn story pattern.  But the film's bipolar tone sinks any chance it might have had.  Even the score reflects this: it is painfully dated action-style fare, which could be read as either winking at the audience or just poorly done.  The action and horror elements are by far the weaker - but also eventually dominant - component.  Although the Predator is obviously designed to evoke terror, it came off as merely ugly to me, and while it racks up an impressive kill count, it never actually seems that big a threat or menace.  There is plenty of action - bits here and there are clever - but it's pretty standard, uninspired stuff, and beyond that there's a good bit of clunky and awkward choreography.  If only the filmmakers had committed to a unified, parody, light tone, things could have turned out much better.  Brown, Key, and Jane are by far the film's strengths anyway, and I suspect Munn could have flourished in a far less sober role.  The scene in which the "ragtag" military team meets, on a prison bus, is my favorite in the movie, allowing the characters to introduce themselves as (at least here) surprisingly interesting and with some laugh-out-loud moments (with some admittedly basement humor).

***

That The Predator failed to resurrect yet another scifi franchise is not all that surprising.  It's a victim of a common trap for such films:  it has far too much reverence for its predecessors, and tries to walk the almost impossible tight rope of reproducing the original's successful formula while updating it to contemporary tastes.  Admittedly, I have often been one of those fans who does not want one of his favorite franchises to boldly change direction or tone.  But clearly, the half-hearted messing around in the middle that The Predator represents is usually a recipe for disaster (or at least something completely forgettable).  Fortunately, my craving for decent movies in the theaters shouldn't have to wait much longer, and I'll hopefully have more reviews coming soon.  For this one, give it a hard pass (I guess if you're a big franchise fan, catch it on Netflix).



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Crazy Rich Asians

Score:  B+

Directed by Jon M. Chu
Starring Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina
Running time:  121 minutes
Rated PG-13

Long Story Short:  Crazy Rich Asians, an adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel, gives the romantic comedy a look it's never seen in Hollywood.  Its all-Asian cast is spot on, and Constance Wu and Nick Golding are particularly good leads.  The genre bona fides are rock solid, and both its cultural focus and elaborate displays of wealth give it a winning edge.  Recommended.


Economics professor Rachel (Wu) has a happy relationship with Nick (Golding), but is hesitant when he asks her to join him at a wedding in Singapore and meet his family.  She agrees, and enjoys hanging out with the bride and groom, but slowly becomes aware that Nick comes from one of the wealthiest and most powerful families in the city.  Much of the family is intrigued by the American "commoner", but Rachel receives a cold reception from Nick's mother, Eleanor (Yeoh).  As she becomes more deeply involved in the relationships - and politics - of the Young family, Rachel finds herself increasingly isolated, and challenged to keep her once simple, innocent life with Nick afloat.

Crazy Rich Asians comes to life thanks to its charismatic leads and talented ensemble; the fact that it is a milestone in having all Asian actors is commendable, but also perfectly natural.  Constance Wu, best known from Fresh Off the Boat, anchors the film as the fish out of water lead.  She effectively portrays a strong if fairly normal American woman, independent yet warm, bitingly sarcastic at times and plainly vulnerable at others.  If anything, I wish the script had allowed her a bit more opportunity to shine, although she has some great moments, like an intense game of Mahjong with Nick's mother.  Henry Golding's Nick is clearly the supporting member of the pair, but thanks to his performance and the script, he leaves his mark even as he defers to Wu's Rachel.  The actor is likable and interesting, even in the more cliched parts, crucially providing a near-match for Wu's more developed character.  Michelle Yeoh is excellent as Nick's mother, Eleanor, the plot's foil who nevertheless conveys real human complexity.  She is afforded ample screen time without being too dominant, and Yeoh makes Eleanor's intent crystal clear while remaining subtle.  Two supporting characters deserve particular mention, primarily for their invaluable comic contributions: Rachel's best friend, played by Awkwafina, and Nick's cousin by Nico Santos.  There are a few other goofy parts, but these two are the funniest and the characters themselves are very well done.

Crazy Rich Asians is at heart a fairly conventional genre film, but it far exceeds this thanks to the cast, script, and full embrace of its unconventional (to Hollywood) setting.  Key to this genre is having a central romance that is led by a capable pair of actors, makes you root for them and serves as the backbone for all that goes on at the periphery.  Check to all three.  As already described, Wu's Rachel and Golding's Nick are worthy stars; the obstacles in their path certainly help you to cheer them on more, but they're also plenty likable enough individually, too.  Nick's family provides the main accompanying factor; although it's difficult to keep track of how they're related, they are each almost immediately distinctive and make for a, well, rich world to watch.  While that side gets the most attention, Rachel's best friend and mother also play crucial roles, their relationships giving her more depth as well as critical support.  The story plays out in pretty standard form, with a normal couple being thrown into turmoil by awkward bachelor(ette) parties, maternal approval issues, and their own private self-doubts, before rallying to return to each other.  But each of these parts is done well, and serves to show how surprisingly relatable the otherwise culture-specific elements are.  Eleanor frowns on the American stereotype Rachel must represent, individualistic and "free spirited", yet how different is this from any family's doubts about a prospective partner's background?  The tension is sharp and ubiquitous, without spoiling the fun.  And fun there is - why not just go for sheer, extravagant displays of glamor?  It doesn't ever make the (main) characters themselves feel exaggerated, but it gives the film a nice, steady dose of Hollywood wow and keeps this light but well-made film entertaining from beginning to end.

***

Crazy Rich Asians is not the kind of film - if you read my blog regularly - that I tend to see in the theater, but I was convinced by its high score on Rotten Tomatoes and unique setting for the genre.  This film is not just a good movie worth the cost of admission, it's one that opens new doors for Hollywood even as it follows certain tried and true methods.  It is critical for films to increasingly reflect the diversity of the real world - and when it does, like in Crazy Rich Asians, it is always surprising yet reassuring (to one degree or another) how similar the stories are to what you've seen before.  Yet these films also bring fresh perspectives to those overall familiar stories, bringing them to life anew in one way or another.  Quality of filmmaking, of course, is still key - but far more often than not, this is well above average in these movies, too.  Particularly recommended for a date night, of course, but this is worth watching for just about everyone.




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