Shane Black’s The Predator: 10 Critical Reactions You Need To See
4. It's A Tonal Mish-Mash That Doesn't Always Work
"Limbs fly, guts splash, and heads roll. It sounds ghastly, but almost all of the violence is played for laughs. The Predator is no longer a scary unstoppable force. It’s a punchline.... Is this bent towards comedy a problem? Purists (do Predator purists even exist?) might find fault. Some may long for the franchise to return to its serious roots... A lot of the jokes fall flat." - SlashFilm
"It comes close to being an all-out comedy, making it a radical take as far as studio sequels go... Unapologetically hard-R, it’s the goriest instalment in the series so far, although curiously the abundance of gore is undercut by the jokey tone, making it seem tamer than it actually is (not unlike DEADPOOL)." - JoBlo
"The film has a serious identity crisis - is it a comedy or an action film? In The Predator, comedy and action are at war with each other. Characters spew rat-a-tat quips, while tussling with Predators and their pets, essentially neutralizing the effect of both the humor and the action." - Nerdist
Shane Black is known for his trademark irreverence and wit, fusing that with an R-rating to create a delicious cocktail of violence and humour. He's a very funny writer, but reportedly, this particular sensibility has not fused well with the Predator franchise at all.
The original film is a mixture of sci-fi and horror, with a handful of funny lines thrown in early on. But when the Predator starts killing, there are no laughs to be had. On the other hand, The Predator aims to be jokey throughout, which undercuts the drama and suspense the movie also aims to deliver.
It shouldn't be surprising that the guy who made Iron Man 3 is trying to shake the formula up here, but those hoping that The Predator would be a scary movie will be disappointed. Instead, it's more of an action-comedy, so bear that in mind when you go in.