Reviewed by: David Criswell, Ph.D.
CONTRIBUTOR
Moral Rating: | Extremely Offensive |
Moviemaking Quality: |
|
Primary Audience: | Adults |
Genre: | Sci-Fi Action Horror Sequel IMAX |
Length: | 1 hr. 44 min. |
Year of Release: | 2018 |
USA Release: |
September 14, 2018 (wide—4,037 theaters) September 21, 2018 (4,070 theaters) DVD: December 18, 2018 |
What does the Bible say about intelligent life on other planets? Answer
Are we alone in the universe? Answer
Does Scripture refer to life in space? Answer
questions and answers about the origin of life
Featuring |
Yvonne Strahovski … Emily Olivia Munn … Casey Bracket Jacob Tremblay … Rory McKenna Boyd Holbrook … Quinn McKenna Thomas Jane … Baxley Sterling K. Brown … Will Traeger Lochlyn Munro … Lieutenant General Marks Jake Busey … Sean Keyes Keegan-Michael Key … Coyle Edward James Olmos … Military General Alfie Allen … Lynch Niall Matter … Sapir See all » |
Director | Shane Black — “Lethal Weapon” 1-2, “Iron Man 3” (2013), “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” (2005), “The Last Boy Scout,” “Last Action Hero” |
Producer |
Twentieth Century Fox Davis Entertainment See all » |
Distributor |
20th Century Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company |
“The hunt has evolved”
“The Predator” is one of a series of “franchises” among the sci-fi/horror genre. However, it has never had as good a reputation as the “Alien” franchise to which is a distant cousin (even sharing some horrible cross-over films). When news of a new Predator film was announced, it was assumed that this would be a reboot or “reimagining.” Oh, how we could wish it was, for “The Predator” films have shared the unique distinction of having each film become worse than the last, even when it seemed impossible.
The “plot” of “The Predator” is simple enough. An alien predator arrives on earth and begins killing humans. When it is captured it is taken to a science facility to be studied, but it soon escapes, killing people in its wake. In a plot twist, however, it turns out the Predator is actually being hunted by another larger, bigger, and tougher Predator. Apparently the first Predator, despite slaughtering countless humans, was trying to help us (the plot hole is never explained). Now our anti-heroes (a group of psych ward escapee warriors) must hunt and kill a super giant Predator.
Let me begin by being perfectly clear. Even from a non-Christian secular point of view, this film is horrible. I don’t mean bad, I mean terrible. It is a refuse of decaying excrement being eaten by maggots (and that is generous). From a Christian standpoint, it is worse.
Let us begin with the inevitable violence. We expect a Predator movie to be violent, but one of the opening scenes typifies how violent. We see a man who is hanging upside down in an alien trap, sliced in half. We then see close-ups of his internal organs and intestines falling out and dropping down on top of the alien. This is just a single example of the kind of gory shock value that the director tries throughout the film. It is not artistic, not plot essential, and does nothing but appeal to the basest of human instincts. The amount of violence in the film is far more than needs to be described as this example will serve as ample warning.
Next we move to the language. Honestly, even from a purely secular standpoint, the language is so over-the-top and extreme that it is impossible to even follow the dialog. When you have ten adjectives for ever noun and verb, it literally gives you a headache to even understand what they are talking about. When you do realize what they are talking about, you wish you didn’t. The amount of vulgar language and comments are so extreme that I would guess only 50% of the vocabulary words in the movie actually form coherent sentences (and by “coherent” I mean only subject-verb-direct object, since most of the dialog is irrelevant and incoherent even when you do understand it).
This leads to the next issue, sexual perversions. There is no nudity or sex on screen (despite the fact that there is a scene where the lead actress is supposed to be completely naked), but the language cited above often involves extremely crude and disgusting jokes of people’s mothers, homosexuality, and even bestiality. This dialog is interlaced throughout the film.
Do we need to say more? Yes. Let’s talk about racism. Apparently, when Hollywood uses the N-word it is okay. Apparently, when a leftist makes disgusting racist jokes, it is okay and the black characters in the film laugh along with the Whites and Hispanics. As Christians, we know that are no different “races” among men. We are one race, humans. Differences between men are not the product of Darwinian evolution but segregation causing a reduction in the gene poor. This leads to the false science in the film.
Yes, we all know that Science Fiction films are often filled with bad science and clichés, but some of these clichés enter our consciousness through osmosis. The term “spontaneous speciation” is virtually invented in this film. Speciation (the idea of new species arising) contradicts the fact of “genetic reproductive isolation.” In other words, two different species cannot produce living offspring (hybrids are sterile and technically not separate species, but this is another argument). The point is that idea of a new species of Predator being instantly created by cross-breeding is a bad cliché in Science Fiction, and completely at odds with real science.
Finally, let us come to Christian content. Yes, believe it or not, there is a “Christian” in the film. One of the psych ward prisoners is said to be a Bible thumping believer, but he is not portrayed as one other then claiming that they are experiencing End Times and the creature must be one from Revelation. Of course the others laugh and make fun of him (as they are also mocking the Bible), but even more disturbing is that this “Christian” acts the same as the others. He cusses every other word, makes crude sexual comments, and behalves as poorly as the other characters in the film.
There are still other issues, such as the promotion of the homosexual agenda, but this review would be endless. Perhaps it is best to conclude this review with a warning… this film ends with a blatant lead in for a sequel! Yes, be warned… they want to make a sequel to the worse Predator film yet. Is it possible to get worse? Doubtless Hollywood will try its best (worst).
In summary, avoid this movie at all cost. Do something less painful, like having a colonoscopy, or having that tattoo you regret having removed. Better yet, read the Bible and spend your time with something redeeming and uplifting.
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My Ratings: Moral rating: Offensive / Moviemaking quality: 4