Making a long awaited return to the big-screen, The Predator brings the iconic creature back in almost full-form and attempts to do something different than the previous films. This is all thanks to director Shane Black bringing his incredibly fun and dark humor to the series and has a cast that has excellent comedic chemistry.

Having Black in the director’s seat felt right as he makes The Predator feel much more like a sequel than a reboot. He ties in events and aspects of other films and honestly makes the film feel like the format of the other three films. Black, a Predator alumni himself, clearly wanted to acknowledge and have fun with the fan-favorited sci-fi action series.

Black’s more hilariously dark dialogue also plays a major role in The Predator as the cast really nails their banter with one another because of their great chemistry. Boyd Holbrook and Key and Peele’s Keegan Michael-Key are definite stand-outs here as they deliver some great lines and jokes that the series is known for.

The rest of the cast follows suit and actually looks like they are having fun on-screen with one another and relatively fleshing out their characters and relationships. Don’t get me wrong though, these characters aren’t much different than your typical action movie character-types, but with Black’s type of dialogue these characters feel like a little more than just your typical action heroes.

Holbrook also shares some solid chemistry with his son, played by Jacob Tremblay. The two showcase a solid father-son dynamic and bring family issues that aren’t typically seen with the series. Black also decides to include characters with mental disabilities with is kind of refreshing to see on-screen. However, I did feel that these representations did border a bit on being offensive and that is not something you want attached to your characters.

The Predator, himself, is given a personality this time around as well and shares in some of the film’s comedic moments. Instead of just being a malevolent force and silent hunter, the original Predator feels a little different and it was nice to see a change of pace for the iconic alien. However, when the film introduces its new kind of Predator, it pretty much goes back to business as usual.

Not that business as usual is a bad thing as the film delivers on some brutal kills and exciting action set pieces that are truly cinematic. The film also builds some decent lore into the world of the Predator series. It gets a little convoluted at times and, admittedly, it gets a little dumb and goes in a direction that breaks the idea of the series. But, oddly enough, I still found it to fit within the direction the series was kind of heading.

Look, if you’re going into The Predator looking for tough and no nonsense action hero facing off against the same old Predator, you might come out a little disappointed. But, if you’re looking for a fresh take on one of the most iconic character’s in film and a cast with great comedic chemistry than The Predator is the Predator film you’ve been waiting for.

Check out the trailer here: