Okay. Big Predator franchise fan here. Lets talk The Predator.
Predator 1 and 2 hold a special place in my film history. Both were the first films I ever saw that were rated 18 (apparently I watched a lot of Die Hard once when I was 6 my mum said but I remember none of it. So Predator was the first "official" viewing of an 18 movie). I rate them both equally. Many people that love the original may disagree but I loved seeing the Predator in LA, killing drug lords left and right. I also loved the characters, Danny Glover doesn't get enough credit.
In my under-age years I have twice tried to sneak into the cinema. I failed with Final Destination 5 but succeeded with Predators, I was 13, the guy clearly knew that when he gave me the ticket but he just sort of smiled and I got in- Only to walk out later feeling crushing disappointment. What I had seen had just felt like a watered down re-tread of the first one (and they blatantly ignored the second one whilst referencing the first which really angered me). NONE of those characters can match Dutch, Dillion, Mac, Blain, Hawkins, Billy or Poncho from Predator. NONE of those characters could match Mike, Jerry, Leona, Danny or Keyes from Predator 2... Or even King Willie for that matter! I mean the character Laurence Fishburne plays is good and had potential but he's barely in it! And they kill off Danny Trejo almost immediately?!? Super Predators instead of the Classic ones?!? It just didn't do.
So for this one after so and so trailers I really did go in with no expectations. And I'm glad I did. Because I really like it. Is it one of the all time great action movies like the first two? No... But it was lightyears ahead of Predators
Characters are well done and acted well.
Classic Predator is back (not a spoiler you see it in the trailer)
Gore is great
Its overall filmed pretty well
Decent story.
It has flaws. There is another Super Predator in this one (again in the trailer) and he is blatant CGI. But they give him a bit of backstory and he feels like he has more reasoning to exist, even if he is CGI, which he shouldn't have been. The third act is weaker than the earlier parts of the film and the usual final fight that you always get between the main character and the Predator isn't really all that good. But these aren't crippling flaws that hurt the film badly like Predators. They just feel like minor faults that stop it from being great like the first two. I still heavily recommend it though. This is the real Predator 3 for me.
I only really have two wishes by this point. Firstly, Arnie should have been in this movie if only to improve the third act (Shane Black did apparently try to get him involved though tbf) and secondly, now that they've made the real Predator 3, can they please make the real Alien 5 that isn't Prometheus or Alien Covenant?
I would need to see it again to really write one of my usual more in-depth reviews but I'm overall impressed. My ONE expectation was that it be better than Predators and it passed that quite convincingly.
Ranking only the Predator films.
1. Predator/Predator 2
2. The Real Predator 3
3. Predators