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A fun action film that pulls the curtain back on the secretive Predator race while walking the line between sanitizing one of them into a wholesome underdog, and yet still trying to give us the fearsome hunter we expect from this franchise. While the plot is relatively straightforward at first, it takes quite a few twists. Some of them expected and some not as much. Making a Predator the main character is a mixed bag. Seeing one of these fearsome creatures having conversations and expressing their feelings doesn’t quite feel right. But the underdog story does ultimately work and keeps you invested in Dek’s journey. Introducing sidekicks for him is also another risky choice, one that occasionally borders on cuteness overload. However, Elle Fanning’s synth Thia is a likable enough character once they move on past her bubbly personality being used to create a bit of an “Odd Couple” dynamic. (She also does a solid job of differentiating herself from her “twin” Tessa.) The action scenes are all well-executed but avoid the R-rating by featuring exclusively non-human carnage. The alien designs are also interesting, and they seem to be coming from a place somewhere between “Avatar” and the “Alien” prequels.
*** out of *****