10 Reasons Why The Predator Is Better Than You Think

The new big boy in town, the mega-Predator, referred to as The Upgrade in Black and Dekker's script, is a thoroughly interesting addition to the franchise. Not just because he's a bigger baddie, but also because of the dynamic he brings along with him.

Audiences have seen warring Predator factions before in the Robert Rodriguez-produced Predators. That film introduced a new breed of Predator as well and teased that audiences may have only just seen the beginning of what the Yautja-kind were really like.

The Upgrade here actually does deliver a payoff to that set-up in many ways. He is a hunter, sent to track down and destroy the first Predator, who came to Earth in hopes of actually saving humanity rather than destroying it. Thus we get one of the most interesting characterizations of a Predator since the original film, with The Upgrade acting as a one-man clean-up crew looking to both kill the rogue Predator and destroy humanities chances of survival.

Granted, all of this is a bit rushed in the final film, but it is there and if you need any further proof about how much thought Black put into all of this, just watch this:

This also leads to inarguably one of the film's most riveting sequences, The Upgrade quickly and practically effortlessly dispatching the rogue Predator with just a few movements, culminating in The Upgrade ripping out his spine. Beautiful.