The Predator

It's a weird sci fi franchise that's had three sequels (to date) plus two crossovers, none of which even vaguely come close to touching the iconic power of the first one. But "Predator" definitely is a case where there's the original and then there's everything else struggling to keep up. This one probably plays as close to the pulpy 80's origins as it possibly can (with Shane Black, who was in the original, directing and co-writing with a mix of quips and violence that epitomises that era. This still suffers from a somewhat underwhelming lead actor (Boyd Holbrook) and a slightly overstuffed script, plus a little too much cheese. Still, there's a stronger supporting cast (in particular, the gang of misfit marines who help out in stopping the human-hunting Predators), and a reasonably adventurous plot that combines icky horror and a couple of decent ideas. If it doesn't completely satisfy, it at least provides something like a reasonable night's entertainment.