10 Movie Franchises That Need To Return To Their Roots

Predator fans had high hopes of a great new entry into the franchise when it was announced that Shane Black would be writing and directing The Predator. A cast member of the original film and a screenwriter who made his name on some of the great 80s action movies, he certainly had the pedigree on paper to deliver the goods.

Sadly, The Predator turned out to be a huge disappointment, delivering hackneyed plotting, cliched dialogue and a litany of ridiculous ideas, including a tamed Predator "dog" led by an instantly forgettable cast who lacked charisma. Much like the 2010 release Predators (directed by Robert Rodriguez), it felt like a film made by fans - all the elements were present and correct, but the end result lacked the vitality which made the original such a timeless action classic.

Contrast the sprawling mess of The Predator with the tight and focused plotting of the original Predator and it's clear where the franchise has gone off the rails. What was once a lean, mean action science fiction concept has become muddled and tonally incoherent, not knowing when to take itself seriously and when to drop in a cool payoff line of dialogue.

At least the Predator franchise has avoided the pitfalls of lowering the rating to PG-13 (a fate which has befallen other once great violent franchises), but if it wants to return to form it needs to bring on board an actor with the physical presence of Arnold Schwarzenegger and strip back to the raw, uncompromising action aesthetic which made the first film such an enduring hit.