The latest version of Honest Trailers is taking on The Predator and the Emmy-nominated YouTube series doesn't have much in the way of kind words for this long-awaited sequel. It had been nearly a decade since we had last seen the legendary hunters on the big screen prior to last year's sequel/reboot, as directed by Shane Black. Unfortunately, it wasn't quite the glorious return that sci-fi lovers were hoping that it possibly was going to be. The movie does have its defenders, but the Honest Trailer gang isn't amongst them.
As this Honest Trailer points out, both The Terminator and Alien franchises are hanging on by a thread, it was time to try and give this beloved sci-fi series an update. They then quickly point out that the movie did not meet the expectations many viewers had for it. Every single movie since the original has been trying to recapture that same magic but, as this video takes that stance that the 1987's Predator is the only good movie in the series. Sadly, quite a few out there would probably be included to agree with that sentiment.
They spend a good deal of time ruminating about they very complex and multi-layered plot of The Predator, which is in stark contrast to the streamlined approach of the original. Then there's the matter of the band of military misfits we follow for most of the movie who, as pointed out here, are all quite one-dimensional and, in some cases, typical stereotypes, such as Thomas Jane's character, who has what they call "movie Tourette's." But their biggest issue with the movie is that it spends a great deal of time expanding upon the franchise's mythology for reasons that were pretty clearly intended to flesh things out for further sequels. Needless to say, this edition of Honest Trailers isn't pulling any punches.
There are issues with The Predator that this video doesn't really address. Like the fact that the original ending would have seen Arnold Schwarzenegger return as Dutch in an epic final moment, but the filmmakers couldn't get the actor to sign on for such a small role. It does, however, every so gently address the controversy surrounding actor Steven Wilder Striegel, who was cast by director Shane Black in a minor role, despite being a known sex offender. Striegel's scenes were cut from the movie and Black, for his part, took full responsibility and apologized to the rest of the cast for his error in judgment.
Point being, this movie wasn't a home run by any stretch. To that end, it made just $160 million at the box office, working from an $88 million budget. Not to mention very poor 32 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, all of which pretty much ensures we won't be getting a sequel. At least not anytime soon. Be sure to check out The Predator episode of Honest Trailers from the Screen Junkies YouTube channel below.