"The Predator" by Shane Black (2018)

[RIDDICK]

 

[GeneralZodLives]

That looks like the Predator appropriated some ******** Iron Man armor.

 

[fosing]

Why doesn’t anyone believe me ..



He is a Monster among Predators

so he lost his ****s and nipples. that makes him a monster amongst predators?

 

[Sweet Rabbit]

Well um... whatever...

Does it fly?

 

[Caped Baldy]

Well um... whatever...

Wakanda Predator.

 

[RIDDICK]

Wakanda Predator.

Exactly.
I've said it'd look like **** as soon as I've read these words two years ago:

"It’s not to improve, it’s make it fun, make it different, make it organically different.
Ultimately it’s not about design to me."

(c) Shane Black to superherohype

 

[Python]

Ergh, the new Predator design is awful.....

 

[a-dev]

Sometimes I think I'm 'design-blind' compared to people around here but even I think that looks awful.

 

[RIDDICK]

As promised:

Spoiler

- Steve McKenna and his US special forces squad are in Cuba with orders to eliminate some drug lord and free the hostages. Suddenly an escape pod falls from the skies. The squad finds and unconscious Predator there and McKenna quickly expropriates helmet and weapon as evidence of an alien contact. They see a CIA chopper headin' to their location, McKenna runs away. Predator's up and kills USSF men then gets cought by CIA. McKenna mails the items to his storage cell right before gettin' cought as well. Because McKenna didn't pay for the storage the items are sent to the adress... where we meet his ex-wife and autistic son Robie. Of course little fella is a linguistic genius and bein' bullied at school.

- Casey (Munn's scientist character) is sent to a secret CIA base where Predator's held captive. While studying Predator's biology she learns that he was easily caught and that the base stores a lot of alien weaponry (from previous movies). Too late tho.
- Meanwhile... McKenna is bein' transported to a madhouse with six other ex-soldiers via bus when guards are ordered to deliver him to the very same "secret" base for more questioning (what the hell?). They arrive just in time for the Predator's break out and McKenna uses the moment to escape. With the support of other prisoners he rescues Casey and they all make it to the chopper ("get to the chopper" line drop).
- Meanwhile... Robie examines the items, "hacks" them and learn alien language. This starts a chain of events which resulted in another Predator comin' to Earth (he's called "Upgrade" in the script). He's three meters tall and looks more like humna than classic Predators. He needs those items.
- McKenna & co make it to his son just in time to save him from both Predators.
- When Upgrade and runaway Predator first meet face to face the tall one kills the other with one blow.
- Upgrade is some kind of an intergalactic assassin. His task is to kill dissident Predators who are hiding on Earth in Area 52 and work for the organization which protects it from aliens (umm... seriously?).
- Closer to the end our heroes find Upgrade's "hidden" ship in Florida (it was stolen from him by dissident Predator). Soon the ship's owner arives, releases a bunch of hybrids (three-legged Predators, spider Predators, etc) and they go to attack Area 52 (on foot... go figure). McKenna & co fly ahead and after a brief exposition get explained that there's urgent need to bring the rest of dissident Predators to the very same ship. From there they use cars for transportation (movie logic).

. . .

What to expect:

- Robi puts on Predator's mask / shoulder canon and decides to walk the the streets in the midst of Halloween. He stumbles on school bullies, one of them throws an apple at him which Predator tech automatically perceive as an attack... with corresponding consequences.
- Yes, it's a Halloween movie instead of Black's usual Christmas Eve.

- More Predator dogs. One of them gets an "accidental lobotomy", becomes friendly, helps the heroes and overall very cute (because we gotta sell toys).

- Obligatory "Robie drivin' the alien ship" scenes.

- Predator-kidnapper

- Predator is forced to use a machine gun.

- Lots of references, line drops and easter eggs.

- Predators actually take spinal cord to collect human DNA and inject it into themselves in order to become stronger (because hunting trophies is sooo last century, right?)

- There's a Dutch cameo but the scene can be easy cut from the story and the character can be easily replaced with Glover's or Baldwin's characters from P2.

____



Well, now I have even more plot details to add (huge spoilers):

Spoiler

- Quinn actually uses the cloacking device to get to the nearest city and send alien items to US.

- He's captured by Stargazer company (I have no idea who they are) and CIA agent (Sterling K. Brown)

- The town where Quinn's son lives is in Georgia

- The captured Perdator is after Quinn's son to get the comp tech

- The Super-Predator kills the runaway Predator and chases after Rory and Quinn, until Quinn throws the comp out of the car's window. Super-Predator takes it and leaves, but Quinn, Rory and Casey are captured by Stargazer mercs

- Predator's planet is gradually cooling down and they're preping for mass migration to Earth, which one/two generations away from global warming

- Stargazer guys are quickly killed and the trio of lead characters are taken by US military to the famous Area 51 (along with the Ark - Super-Predator's ship that was stolen by runaway Pred), where it turns out mankind has been waging a cold war with Predators for many years

Casey and Rory guess that all mutant hybrids' collars has self-destruction mechanism. Rory learns how to operate the Ark and escape-pods Casey with the transmitter. When she flies past hybrids explode. After Rory lands the Ark on a nearest school's football field Super-Predator appears, kills defector Preds and takes Rory as a most worthy opponent (the boy blew up all his hybrids and learned to fly a spaceship). Quinn is to late to stop this and rushes to the surface of the spaceship, which is then gets fired at by F-22 fighter jets. Quinn has to jump from the ship and rolls on its force field's invisible surface against the background of fire and explosions, then sees an escape pod hatch, opens it and fires in. The field turns off, Quinn falls but manages to grab the pilots of a downed F-22 mid-air. They land on a Florida swamp, near the fallin' Ark.

During the final battle with the Super-Pred Rory cuts off its arm with Ark's field, Casey uses pred camouflage and cuts off its dreadlocks, Quinn shoots at it with a sniper rifle. Eventually, Quinn mortally wounds the creature with its own arm and a self-destruction collar. The trio then waks to the arrived helicopter... Dutch meets them and tells that the real war with the Predators only just begun.

And yes, Steve is now Quinn...
Here's hope that's not the only thing they've changed since 2016.

 

[GeneralZodLives]

 

[Heavy Metal Spike]

Iron predator. AKA "Guardians Of The Predator".

OMG.

. . . and with SO many talented fan designs (and Narin!) out there to inspire them.​

WAY too high-tech/disco in design.

No excuse - that's pretty poor.


.

 

[RIDDICK]

Narin's designs are one of the worst lookin' Predators out there. No self respecting Predator fan likes his artistic interpretations. He's a very good sculptor but he doesn't give a **** about the character. Then again, most of this franchise' audience doesn't give a **** either. I'm surprised to see so much negativity from people who love DorkHorzeComix crap and think that Predators are space barbarians.

 

[Rotfish]

I actually dig the design. Nice to see some more modern influence mixed with samurai elements and some seemingly ancient Egyptian color schemes.

Note that this is also a promotional statue, not the screen-used suit. Compare it to the shot from the trailer and you'll see the shapes, colors, and small details aren't the same.

Movie suit has more nuances, recessed points, and rounded bits. This statue just looks like they built off an existing helmet. I'd wait for more screenshots.

Come to think of it, this statue could pass as a Sideshow effort. It's very much in line with how they would interpret a suit.

 

[RIDDICK]

Of course the statue looks rough.
It's the usual promo life size crap they display at movie theaters, cons, video game stores, etc.
Doesn't mean we can't judge the design by it.

 

[The Clown Prince of Crime]

Nice, very nice, the body, the face, those thighs...very nice. The pile of **** next to her, not so much.

 

[crows]

I think it looks cool. I want a neca fig of it.

The movie still sounds fun as hell.

 

[ONEYE]

The armor looks very football, AvP reminiscent. I believe kids, and less sophisticated collectors will like the new armor and story.

 

[Rotfish]

I believe kids, and less sophisticated collectors will like the new armor and story.

I'd recommend salsa to go with that chip on your shoulder.

 

[crows]

I'd recommend salsa to go with that chip on your shoulder.

 

[Khev]

A player for the "Wakanda Predators" Arena Football team, lol.