After watching all of “Predator,” with the titular hunter killing several people with some amazing weapons, it may seem odd to have a silly end-credit sequence with the cast smiling and laughing after we just saw them get maimed. However, director John McTiernan explained to RadioTimes.com why he decided to end on that note: “It was just a wonderful, old fashioned, theatrical, funny thing to do. We just did it because it was fun. We were a bunch of 14-year-olds who got turned loose in the fairytale shop.” It appears to be a callback to past war movies, like “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Great Escape,” which also bring the cast’s faces back.
While there’s a reasonable explanation for doing the “Predator” end credits that way, it hasn’t stopped the trend from blowing up on TikTok. Numerous videos with different theme songs have permeated the platform, and they all work pretty well. Arguably, the best of the bunch belongs to TikToker @moviedeathblows, who remixed the ending with the theme song to “Full House.” Heaven knows Al Dillon (Carl Weathers) needed “a hand to hold onto” after the Predator blew off his arm with a plasmacaster.
Whatever “Predator 5” ends up being, it should bring back these hokey end credits with everyone having a good time. It could reinvigorate the meme once more.