"Predators" Discuss/Grade (Spoilers)

[davejames]

They didn't want to put too many of the ideas into it that we could save for a second one. So we could see what the appetite was, because the bigger movie would actually be what comes following that. That kind of sets up a new storyline, new location and world, and then you can really go crazy from there" he said.

God, that kind of thing is just infuriating to me. They had an opportunity to create a really GREAT movie here, with a lot of fresh and interesting new ideas... but decided to give us just a safe and predictable rehash of the first movie instead, while holding all the new stuff for the sequels.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

I bit the bullet and saw it, rather than waiting for video.

It was okay. I echo what a lot of others said about too much homage, super predators being unnecessary, Topher Grace sucking, over-the-top view of the planets, Terran plant on alien world.

For Fishburne's character to have survived so long, he wouldn't have been so wreckless. With his pred gear, he could've killed them all and taken their shit, so why the smoke out?

I'd have ended the movie with Isabelle and Royce escaping, Fishburne alive and strangely choosing to stay....and more chutes dropping.

Also, why was the special forces guy's head and spine still there? Predators leave stuff behind for EXPOSITION.

Also, was that a claymore the Russian used...because those don't produce SUPER HUGE 'SPLOSIONS, they are like a shotgun, and seeing that pred shredded would've been more satisfying.

I think the overly maligned Predator 2 was more noteworthy in what it tried to do, actually changing the setting, not saying HERE'S A BIGGER NASTIER PREDATOR, SEE HOW IT PWNS YOUR DADDY'S MONSTER?

 

[saturn5]

I bit the bullet and saw it, rather than waiting for video.

It was okay. I echo what a lot of others said about too much homage, super predators being unnecessary, Topher Grace sucking, over-the-top view of the planets, Terran plant on alien world.

For Fishburne's character to have survived so long, he wouldn't have been so wreckless. With his pred gear, he could've killed them all and taken their shit, so why the smoke out?

I'd have ended the movie with Isabelle and Royce escaping, Fishburne alive and strangely choosing to stay....and more chutes dropping.

Also, why was the special forces guy's head and spine still there? Predators leave stuff behind for EXPOSITION.

Also, was that a claymore the Russian used...because those don't produce SUPER HUGE 'SPLOSIONS, they are like a shotgun, and seeing that pred shredded would've been more satisfying.

I think the overly maligned Predator 2 was more noteworthy in what it tried to do, actually changing the setting, not saying HERE'S A BIGGER NASTIER PREDATOR, SEE HOW IT PWNS YOUR DADDY'S MONSTER?

I figure the Claymore triggered a sympathetic detonation of something flammable on the ship. I liked Predator 2 as well

 

[davejames]

I think the overly maligned Predator 2 was more noteworthy in what it tried to do, actually changing the setting, not saying HERE'S A BIGGER NASTIER PREDATOR, SEE HOW IT PWNS YOUR DADDY'S MONSTER?

Eh, to me changing the setting to the city was the most obvious and uninspired thing they COULD have done for that movie. Instead of the unique jungle setting of the first one, it became just another "creature running around LA killing people" movie.

For me it was only at the end, with the Predator ship, that they finally started doing something new and interesting with the premise.

 

[Captain Craig]

With daily totals in thru yesterday the total for Predators now stands at an even $50 million and WW $103m.

As an aside to the Predator 2 talk just above this post I rewatched that this morning for the first time in 10years. Some good information in there that places the governments tracking of the Predator on Earth since Predator 1.

Predator 1 events 1987 (same as year of release)
Predator 2 events 1997 (year of release 1990, I hadn't realised this difference before)
AvP & Requiem events 2003 (same as year of release)
Predators events 2010 (unknown if same but likely)

 

[Captain Craig]

Predators come out on DVD this upcoming Oct. 19. Accompaning the release is further news that the sequel is moving forward.

Robert Rodriguez said earlier this year that due to the box office success of Predators ($125 million worldwide on a $40 million budget) 20th Century Fox were looking to make a sequel and the next step would be to have writers come in and pitch their ideas.

Brody:

“There was a version we were going to do that had a different ending that it really would have been fitting for Schwarzenegger to be there,” Brody said. “It would have been like him passing the gauntlet to my character… and the bravery of my character proven. That would have been just epic.”

Well maybe Arnold can make time for Predator 4 now that he'll be out office.

 

[RAMA]

Hated the AVP movies, expected this to be a disaster...heard some good word of mouth...and I finally watched it...and LIKED it. Surprised me..though of course, I missed Arnie.

RAMA

 

[Starbreaker]

Just watched Predators last night.

Cinematography - Good
Predator design - Good
Beginning - Good

Story- silly
Lack of Danny Trejo - bad
Lawrence Fishburne's character - bad

Didn't like any of the characters, and it couldn't hold my attention. Might as well have AVP3.

 

[JD]

I just saw this for the first time this morning and I loved it.
I see some people complaining about the characterizations, but I thought they were perfect for this movie. We didn't really need to know the characters full backstories here, all we needed was to know how they got their skill and why they caught the Predators attention, and that was exactly what they gave us. We got to learn what we needed to know as the other characters learned it, and I think that worked best. Even though none of them were particularly likeable I thought they did a pretty good job of still making the characters interesting and making me want to see the better ones survive, and the real assholes die. By the time Walter Goggins bit it, I was glad to see him get his spine and skull ripped out. Even though it was pretty predictable that he'd end up being a total psycho, I still thought the reveal of what got Topher Grace's character on the Predator planet was pretty good.
I thought the whole build up to the first big Predator encounter worked really well, it gave us a chance to get to know the characters a bit and gave us a pretty effective build up as the characters started to realize exactly what they've been dropped into.
The action was pretty well done, and while I don't really like excessive gore I thought the gory bits here worked.
My only real complaint was just the fact that the first two characters to die were a Mexican and a black guy. Although the fact that Isabelle survived to the end did help offset that a bit.
I will admit, it wasn't anything overly original, or groundbreaking, but it did what it did very, very well.
It gets an excellent vote from me.
With that ending I'm pretty pissed we never got a sequel, but I am hoping we might be lucky and get some kind of a reference in The Predator next year. I know it's unlikely, but I'm still going to hope.