Robert Rodriguez's PREDATORS Movie Thread - SPOILERS

[Spanbauer]

My little review

Saw it last night. Enough things bothered it about me that I don't think I'll be buying it on home release. The first 75% really well done; all of the human characters, and their development. If this isn't handled well, then it just pisses you off when you have to wait half the movie for the characters to figure out what the audience already knows, but in this case it was very well done. Throughout the whole film I felt as though the music from the first film was shoe-horned in to places it didn't necessarily fit. I've seen the first and second films so many times that I associate those songs with specific scenes, and what the song was trying to convey originally does not fit with where they stuck it in this sequel. The opening scene, after Royce lands, is a great example.

I didn't care at all for the new Predators looks, or the idea that they're bigger badder Predators who hunt not only humans but also the clan of Predators from the original films. It was that same kind of disappointment as when they introduced the Spinosaurus in the third Jurassic Park and had him kill the T-Rex; why Hollywood constantly gets a boner for bigger badder villains I have no idea. But I could have been fine with that, if these Predators actually had any character. And by character I mean personality. Kevin Peter Hall and the Stan Winston crew were able to make both Predators in the first two films feel alive; little nuances in the way they moved, twitches in the face, body language, all of these things brought those Predators to life and made you completely forget it's a dude in a rubber suit. Even the Predator in AVP:Requiem had that much going for him. But the first AvP movie and this Predators movie failed at that. These Predators just come off as dudes dressed like Power Ranger villains most of the time. And for being such supposed bad-asses, they didn't hold a candle to the first or second Predators, who killed a ton of people all on their own. These clowns sucked. The first two died while getting their first kill, if I recall correctly. The reason being of course that because they decided to have 3 Predators, everything had to be split up amongst them, which makes less for everyone. Less character for each, less screentime, and less kills.

By they way, how the hell is it that no one has been able to match or surpass the animatronic work of the 1987 predator after all of these years? I'm talking about the face. The original Predator's face still looks like a living, breathing alien today. In this new Predators, they couldn't even get the mouths to close, let alone give them eyebrows that lift and skin that stretches.

The almost-buddy-up between Royce and the classic Predator gave me horror flashbacks to AvP, which of course didn't help by the fact that they referenced the same damn line of dialog (the enemy of my enemy). Which brings me to my biggest complaint about this film: the endless and needless recycling of elements from other Predator (and Alien) movies. I hate that, because it makes me feel like I'm watching some wanking fanfilm instead of a hollywood production. The one that pushed me over the top was Royce standing there suddenly shirtless and dipped in mud screaming, "kill me! Come on, Do it now Kill Me I'm here Kill Me!". But there were of course countless others throughout the film. It pulls me out of the movie and puts me back into the movies those lines originated. The dude with the sword reenacting Billy's last stand from the first film was another bad offender, right down to the same freakin' music. Christ, do they think fans won't enjoy this film unless they see the exact same ____ they saw 23 years ago?

This film could have been a whole, whole lot better if it stuck to being a sequel instead of being a remake half of the time. Because when it was original, it was really good. The humans and their development was all very well done, and that's very very important. It's just too bad they botched the Predators and tried to compensate for it with endless references to the past films.

 

[Ra88]

Was wondering about the "original Predator" in this movie. Did he have a twin brother???? I was led to beleive (before the movie came out) that it was the Predator from the original & would somehow tie into the original movie.
That is kinda lame if every Predator from his tribe would look & dress exactly alike. (aside from his dreads being a tad bit longer) It must be hard for the chick preds to tell them apart at home... at least it would be easy to cheat on them without getting into trouble

Didn't some of the Lost Hunters have the same armor as P1?

 

[fawk3s]

I watched this with Graboid Video, in Russian. So I cant say much about the characters because my Russian isnt good. Im not yet going to say anything about the movie either because Im willing to give it the benefit of the doupt, as i watched it in low quality and in a language I can barely understand.

What I will tell you is that my expectations are now extremely low for this movie. But based on what I just saw, I have no idea how this can possibly be even compared to P2.

 

[Raymond F.]

I'm sorry are you guts high on nostalgia or something because predator 2 was nothing short of pure and utter garbage top to bottom through and through.

Now predators on the other hand? Quite frankly I'm shocked that people are not rejoicing at the at the fact that a great alien terminator or predator has finally been made after 15 years of pure crapola.

This movie was everything it needed to be. Great characters and great pacing, new predators that are actually cool and inventive snd not cheesy and exagerated ala AVP. Good characterization and twists and turns. It's a solid 7 as good as a predator movie cam be. It's flawed yes, any sort of compassion or alliance with a human in a predator bothers me, I loved the idea of the swordfight but predator should have mopped the floor with the Yakuka guy to be honest and the odd reused line from P1 was not needed.

All in all? FINALLLy something awesome thst we can be proud of.

I'm a happy camper

 

[prefused]

The movie was OK at best, nowhere near the first two...actually in a different solar system (than P1 & P2), much closer in proximity to the AVP films. When the film first started i was on the edge of me seat, but after about the 30 minute mark, the film literall began to unravel. At first I was loving it, the music the scenery which they captures perfect (when he was first dropped into the jungle. I literally thought I was in the first film)...but that's where the MAJOR problem starts. THey didn't just stop there with the first film, throughout the whole movie the kept revisiting scenes and circumstances (about 10) that were LITERALLY SHOT FOR SHOT with the oringinal film. IMHO it was Unoriginal and weak. This film WAS IN NO WAY A SEQUEL. anyone who thinks that is kidding themselves. It was MUCH MORE of a Remake it was close to Gus Van SAndt's remake of "PSYCHO" more focused on paying tribute than actuallydelivering a true sequel. Sequels should have similar elements that make you think back to the first films like the quotes, "Over here...Turn around", but in NO WAY should there be almost 10 circumstances and scenes that were almost exactly identical to the first film.

What makes me laugh in all these newer Predator, Alien and Terminaror films they always need to make a LATEST AND GREATEST Predator or some monster that is bigger and badder than the original Predator. I am NOT talking about the intro of the QUEEN ALIEN, T-1000 or Robo 2. theye made sense, done with class...not the BERSERKER PREDATOR LOL..... THIS IS THE GREATEST BLUNDER IN ALL FILMS trying to OUT DO THE ORIGINALS, with bigger badder NEXT GENERATION CREATURES Similar to Terminator SAlvation with those GIAGANTIC IDIOTIC ROBOTS with the Motorcycles as legs/shin bones, and the damn Predalien. THe Berserker, hurt this film more than it helped it. THIS ENTIRE FILM WAS BUILT ON PAYING TRIBUTE TO THE FIRST FILM, one would think the ORIGINAL WINSTON-looking PREDATOR would have a nice role in the FILM,,,not a chance....what did he do he was tied up...and decapitaded as quick as you can say GET TO THE CHOPPPER. This was a major blunder IMO. RODRIGUEZ, had to create a SUPER PREDATOR to say he had the MOST BADD ASSS Predator in his film, the same way that damn McG had to say he had the BIGGEST Terminator in his Salvation...they are Bastardizing the stars of the film, the WINSTON PREDATOR. If there was NO Winston Predator, I would've NEVER BEEN A FAN. THis film reminded me of HELLRAISER 2. I grew to LOVE Pinhead, horribly cool villian, what the hell happened? The had to creat a VILLIAN WHO WAS MEANER, BIGGER, and BADDER and Pinhead was killed in his movie infront of his fans. Just like ALIEN 3 when the bastard ALien killed our BELOVED QUEEN...thumbs DOWN. TALK ABOUT A KICK IN THE BALLS, RODRIGUEZ should've just ripped my spine out, because that's practically what he did. He wants to recreate the franchise with HIS SUPERPREDATOR and i'm sorry pal, you are NOT EVER GONNA win over this Winston fan, by trubuting the film and decapitating (practically) on of my family members in his own house.



This film is very forgettable, and it was like that FAN MADW BATMAN vs PREDATOR film on youtube. The multiple instances that this film mimicked from the oringinal hurt it MUCH MORE than it helped it. THis film is PERFECT for ANYONE that hasn't seen the oringinal, but what's funny is if people would then see the origninal, they would immediately say, "WAIT...i've seen this before." Which is NOT what i was looking for.

The really sad part is we are spoiled with STAN WINSTON, KEVIN PETER HALL, and the stars in the late 80's early 90's action stars. NO actor that played that PREDATOR after KPH will ever be able to to bring the creature alive like he did. KPH brought a certain mystique and believe EXTRA TERRESTRIAL movement to the Predators that has yet to be matched. This film along with all the other had laughable instances that were horrible unconvincing. Specifically with the Samurai Sword (Billy-esque stand-off which was ridiculous, an unoriginal in it's self) The Predator look like they put some random stuntman in the suit. The Predator never look more human and fake to me in ALL THE AVP films...they did not pay attention to the fine details that SWS and KPH did...simple human-like movement could kill the destroy the mystique of the Predator and in that scene it was about as believable as Barney.

Another reason this film failed IMO was because it was MUCH SMALLER SCALE for everything. The commandos were tiny, about 1/2 the size of Arnold's men, the Predators seemed horribly undersized on screen. Once again the battle with the SAmurai revealed how tiny the Predatos truly were. The SAmurai seemed like he was about 5-6 and the Predator was barely a foot taller than him with the dreads and all....THIS IS UNNACCEPTABLE.

The sad part is the 80's-90's action film were the PEAK of American Action films. When i was a kid i didn't realize what I was growing up with ARNOLD, STALLONE, JVCD, these were larger that life action stars in larger than life films...We went from Stallone to Keanu Reeves, Arnold to Brody...our action film are getting more and more pussified. At that time i didn't realize I was watching the PEAK of ALIENS, PREDATOR and TERMINATOR. I always go see these DAMNED films expecting to be proven wrong and time and time again I am let down, and i had VERY LOW expectations going into this one....It delivered the goods...similar to ACE VENTURA's HDS delivery service...did it get there? I guess so, it it all ____ed up and broken, yes broken beyond belief.

I've come to the conclusion they had to cast Adrian Brody because he is not imposing and they needed him for scale purposes, his small frame would make their tiny Predators look imposing, which was a bad move all around. I was not digging this THE DARK KNIGHT voice and his screen presence was the equivalent of Maria Conchita Alonso. I blame the casting director, not Brody, he is not an action star and he was cast in an action role. The was a square peg tring to be fit in a round hole.




Anyone that thinks this film is a better sequel than Predator 2 needs their head examined. Either their not students or film or are Easily Amused by the NEW MOVIE on the BLOCK. This film nothing more than average AT BEST. It had excellent rising action but I'm still trying to figure out where the ____ was the Climax ? ? ? when PREDATOR 1 & 2 had clear cut climaxes, this film's climax was literally nowhere to be found. Basic film elements to creating a masterful film were abandoned creating an average remake/ attempting to be a sequel.

Predator 2 still remains on of my FAVORITE SEQUELS, not the BEST sequel, one of my favorites. I can go on and on about P2 but there is no reason to. It's a wonderfully made film, pays trubute not too much and gives us A NEVER BEFORE SEEN LOOK at the Predator, his ship and how he does things. If Rodriguez saw how Predator 2 succeeded and modeled his sequel around that sequel he would have a MUCH BETTER film. Instead he modeled his SEQUEL around the Original, ultimately turing his film into a deflated remake.

At best 6 /10

you could've saved yourself some typing by just posting this link - https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nostalgia

that's why you didn't like it. which is fine, that's the only reason i like the 1st one more. but your histrionic rant didn't prove or disprove the quality of any of the films. try making points instead of melodramatic exaggerations and straw-man condescensions.

 

[fawk3s]

I'm sorry are you guts high on nostalgia or something because predator 2 was nothing short of pure and utter garbage top to bottom through and through.

That is YOUR opinion.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

I'm sorry are you guts high on nostalgia or something because predator 2 was nothing short of pure and utter garbage top to bottom through and through.

That's a little much, but yeah I'm not entirely sure why people hold this movie with such high esteem. It's not really a great movie, nor is it even a great action movie. I enjoy watching it more than the first one sometimes, but that's only because it has my favorite Predators in the end.

 

[fawk3s]

Yeah, P2 is a fun ride. IMHO, cant say that about the new movie though.

 

[8th wonder]

Yeah, P2 is a fun ride. IMHO, cant say that about the new movie though.

So i wasn't to negative afterall?

 

[SciFiGuy]

(This is kind of a rant, and needs editing. But it touches on all my issues with the film, so im just leaving it as is.)

My major gripe with the movie is the ridicules amount of throwbacks to the first movie. It was like every other scene was designed as a reference to the first film. I have seen Predator a million times, and throughout most of the movie I kept thinking to myself "I have seen this before, but done better". And why include the "Predator" when he is dead? Im sure it was meant to be "cool" but it made no sense.

Aliens was a great sequel because it brought its own story and ideas to the table while sticking to spirit of the first film. It also had a great script and the acting was fantastic. Predators on the other hand does none of this instead the writers rely on copying everything from the first movie and using it as a crutch to get from scene to scene.

Predator 2 may not have been as good as the first film, but at least the director didn't use the first film as a crutch and brought a fresh movie to the table.

My second major gripe with the film is the acting and script. The only character I found to be believable was the sniper chick. She at least displayed a sense of fear and wonderment at her predicament. The rest of the cast was kinda ho hum about the whole situation.

Like when they figure out they are on another planet, they pause for a second "insert Jaws reference" and are just kinda like "huh, we are on another planet, let’s walk a few miles and see what happens". Basically just going through the motions. In the first and second film the actors displayed true fear when they were confronted with their situation. In this film they are just kinda like whatever let’s get to the next scene, there is no emotion, it just falls flat.

Once the end of the movie approached, I was excited to see how things were going to play out. Then I see Brody standing there covered in mud looking exactly like Arnold in the first film "another fu%king throwback? and least end the picture with your own ideas" was exactly what I thought at that moment.

Predator is a great film, and the only thing Predators accomplished was to remind me of that every five seconds. Can’t touch the first two films imo. Oh yea, the Predators reminded me of little children with cool toys, not scary or intimidating in least. That was a big fail as well, at least the predator in AVP-R was on par with the predators of the first two films.

(Wouldn’t have been great if when Brody cut the predator loose it would have got up and ripped his spine out? Then have the chick and the doctor be the ones to escape... Instead they teamup slap), and we get the absolutely ridicules crazy doctor subplot.)

 

[Raymond F.]

Of course it is my opinion and should have prefixed it as such. Not disputing that at all... but I see a trend among fanboys with these types of movies... they look to the originals an even their terrible sequels as something untouchable because they have conjured up associations with them based on nostalgia that fill in the blanks, or overlook and simply forgive what is utterly terrible because it's coming from their childhood imagination which was devout of the ability to actually look at a movie through the eyes of taste.

But yet they still want sequels such as Predators to be made and post on online forums in geeky anticipation fantasizing on how cool this or that will be and then they finally come out and it's always pure sacrilege as far as the comparisons to the original goes.

Now this argument does not really apply to Alien 3, 4, AVP 1 and 2 and Terminator 3 and 4 because they really were all bad. But I've seen thousands of movies, I know what goes into movies from a writing standpoint, production, direction, editing. I know what makes or breaks a movie to make it a success in any genre. This movie is a very very strong effort for a B sci Fi sequel and is largely successful as a film.

Of course it's going to be susceptible to fanboy dissecting who simply can;t understand how the predator was so weak or something of the like and will judge it through those standards (I even threw a few of those in in my first post) and no the standards of weather or not it's a good film by the standards of B level sci fi. And the truth is it's great by those standards!

please keep in mind I'm not attacking anyone on this board here in particular... i've not even followed the thread just skimmed through and was surprised to see so many bashing predators but embracing P2 which just had me scratching my head and asking how sound their judgment really was?

there are lots of movies from my childhood i love that are utterly garbage... Ninja Turtles comes to mind.

 

[Raymond F.]

SciFiGuy's points I really do agree with too by the way. Esp the point about the moment they figure out they are not on earth.

like i said this is bound to be full of flaws, but for what it was it was great.

 

[hairlesswookiee]

there are lots of movies from my childhood i love that are utterly garbage... Ninja Turtles comes to mind.

Stop right there. You will NOT make fun of Ninja Turtles in any way. In fact, I'm going to play Turtle Power by the Hit Crew to redeem this.

 

[Raymond F.]

hairlesswookiee re: RF's opinion on ninja Turtles

"you LIE"

"Do I??"

a horrid drop into a garbage truck awaits...

 

[8th wonder]

Stop right there. You will NOT make fun of Ninja Turtles in any way. In fact, I'm going to play Turtle Power by the Hit Crew to redeem this.

The first Ninja Turtles wasn't all that bad, not great but a kinda fun cultish movie.

 

[Jaycepticon]

I thought the first TMNT movie had integrity and felt "serious". The foot soldiers not being cyborgs were probably my first movie letdown that I can remember though.

 

[Raymond F.]

I thought the first TMNT movie had integrity and felt "serious". The foot soldiers not being cyborgs were probably my first movie letdown that I can remember though.

Perfect example of what i was just talkng about...

our standards of what makes something good or not really are twisted as they come from some sick irrational fanboy place in our hearts...

The pure nature of the post is totally counteractive... praise for the serious nature yet criticism due to the fact they were a ninja cult and not ninja robots hahaha

 

[Jaycepticon]

Perfect example of what i was just talkng about...

our standards of what makes something good or not really are twisted as they come from some sick irrational fanboy place in our hearts...

The pure nature of the post is totally counteractive... praise for the serious nature yet criticism due to the fact they were a ninja cult and not ninja robots hahaha

Or maybe because I was only 7?

 

[lforigno]

Just came back from seeing this with my brother and we did not care for it. We LOVE the original predator, but this was just ok

 

[hairlesswookiee]

Turtles 2 had Vanilla Ice in it, and we all know how cool he is.