"The Predator" by Shane Black (2018)

[MaulFan]

Going to echo this sentiment and add something more. Don't let the fast cuts and hip-hop taint your impression of the film. It's just a trailer -- scratch that, a trailer for an R-rated Predator film in 2018 that's been rewritten, reshot, and pushed back. Makes sense that Fox is desperate enough to get ***** in seats that they'd cut trailers like this.

I'd agree with this, I think it's unsafe to measure this movie against the predecessors off a trailer being crafted to try and draw in as big and diverse a crowd as it can. Predators had cringe-worthy moments but was a very enjoyable entry all around, it could be that the worst is what's thrown in trailers here simply because young, mass bonehead audience might get excited by it.

I know studios play a factor and being in the original isn't a free pass, but I had hopes for this movie being made by someone very familiar with the original we hold so dearly.

 

[Biojex]

Really? The jokes surprise you? "I was talking to you mother the other night and said geez, you got a big va-jay, geez, you got a big va-jay..." waiting for laughter.
Arnold throws a knife at a mercenary and says "Stick Around". Ba-dom-chi! I like the original movie too but don't act like it wasn't just a fun, pop-corn B-Movie gore fest. I don't understand why some people expect Hamlet when ever Hollywood decides to make a sequel or remake of material that was B-movie fun the first time around. Transformers, G.I. Joe, Lost In Space, heck, even Star Wars. All pretty light, juvenile stuff the first time around, why expect it to be grown-up now? Just because you got older?

Where did anyone say the jokes surprise them? Where is anyone "acting" like the original wasn't a B movie? We can just recognize the difference here and it's the writing, delivery and comedic timing. It works in the original film. From what I've seen in this trailer, it does not. The humor of today is vastly different from the humor of the past and it's not because we "got older" It's because the style of writing is different and not as organic and the jokes need to be explained. The joke example you used is a great character specific joke that works within the narrative. The "we voted for predator name cuz it's cooler" joke from the trailer is this ******** meta humor that movies are obsessed with using these days. Compare any Melissa Mcarthy vehicle to say Animal House and you'll understand what I mean. It has nothing to do with being juvenile or growing up blah blah whatever rhetoric you choose to use. It's good comedy vs bad comedy. Some of us can recognize it. Some of us can't. Also no one is expecting Hamlet. That's vacant implication that adds nothing to this conversation or ANY. I'm not even sure why you used it. We all understand what context we're in we don't need to preface with arbitrary nonsense.

Going to echo this sentiment and add something more. Don't let the fast cuts and hip-hop taint your impression of the film. It's just a trailer -- scratch that, a trailer for an R-rated Predator film in 2018 that's been rewritten, reshot, and pushed back. Makes sense that Fox is desperate enough to get ***** in seats that they'd cut trailers like this. Having seen Black's other films (well, the ones not overseen by Disney suits), I'll chalk up the tone of the marketing to the focus groups rather than the filmmakers.

I'd agree with this, I think it's unsafe to measure this movie against the predecessors off a trailer being crafted to try and draw in as big and diverse a crowd as it can. Predators had cringe-worthy moments but was a very enjoyable entry all around, it could be that the worst is what's thrown in trailers here simply because young, mass bonehead audience might get excited by it.

I know studios play a factor and being in the original isn't a free pass, but I had hopes for this movie being made by someone very familiar with the original we hold so dearly.

I think we've all been around long enough to understand it's a trailer. We all know how studios like to sell movies, But it's all we have to talk on. Hence the current tone of discussion. I think we're all smart enough to understand that and talk without having to add that context.

 

[jye4ever]

I’m team Bio all the way to the finish line

 

[Caped Baldy]

Looks like Suicide Squad meets Predator. I expect the model with the wiggly hips to be in it to annoy everyone again.

"That's the Predator. I would advise not being killed by him -- his wrist blade traps the souls of its victims."

 

[MaulFan]

I think you touch upon one of the big issues with certain franchises going on for extended time, they're often "period pieces" in that the traits people came to really like were a product of their time and when you make sequels influence by different times, the end result doesn't seem as good.

Predator is a product of the 80s with over macho men, muscles abound and cheesy one liner's casually dropped in. Predator 2 was made during that transition where you didn't have to be gym rat to be an action star. Danny Glover and Arnold Schwarzenegger are totally different. It still worked though because even though heros differed a little bit, the overall style of films and humor were still carrying from the 80s. Once you get to AVP and AVPR, you're in the new millennium which differs a lot from 80s films.

This is why movies like Expendables fail beyond the audience who loves 80s movies, because they carry so many things from the era and today's audience has different things they're used to in movies and don't care for things from the past, they may think differently as they get older, like I couldn't enjoy a movie older than the 70s for the most part as I grew up in the 80s, but today I can enjoy some of them quite a bit with an appreciation for styles outside of the majority i'm exposed to.

I think it's safe to say The Predator is a Predator film fitting of being made in this era, where these "flaws" we speak of are commonplace in many movies.

 

[Biojex]

I think you touch upon one of the big issues with certain franchises going on for extended time, they're often "period pieces" in that the traits people came to really like were a product of their time and when you make sequels influence by different times, the end result doesn't seem as good.

Predator is a product of the 80s with over macho men, muscles abound and cheesy one liner's casually dropped in. Predator 2 was made during that transition where you didn't have to be gym rat to be an action star. Danny Glover and Arnold Schwarzenegger are totally different. It still worked though because even though heros differed a little bit, the overall style of films and humor were still carrying from the 80s. Once you get to AVP and AVPR, you're in the new millennium which differs a lot from 80s films.

This is why movies like Expendables fail beyond the audience who loves 80s movies, because they carry so many things from the era and today's audience has different things they're used to in movies and don't care for things from the past, they may think differently as they get older, like I couldn't enjoy a movie older than the 70s for the most part as I grew up in the 80s, but today I can enjoy some of them quite a bit with an appreciation for styles outside of the majority i'm exposed to.

I think it's safe to say The Predator is a Predator film fitting of being made in this era, where these "flaws" we speak of are commonplace in many movies.

That’s not really what I’m getting at though. Good comedic material can be and is still written today. There’s plenty of modern films with well written and delivered humor that I enjoy. I don’t think times or era really have that much affect. If it’s funny it’s funny. Going back to the Hawkins ***** joke. Thats a funny joke with good delivery that makes you roll your eyes at THE CHARACTER. You think “ha what a dummy” you laugh WITH the movie. The jokes SO FAR in the trailer, make you roll your eyes at the writer...you laugh AT the movie.

However I think we’re going to dive too deeply into the subjectivity in comedy so it’s rather pointless. But again...no one is “surprised” theres humor in this movie. I think we just want better huumor

But aside from that...from what ive seen in the trailers. The writing and dialogue is far cheesier and cringe inducing than a film from the 80’s. What that means...I don’t know. But that’s my perception of this film right now.

 

[abake]

Yeah...
That trailer did not work for me...
The humor fell flat, the characters don't seem very likeable, the uber-predator seems a bit silly... everything just felt like they were trying too hard.
The action might be cool.

 

[Sevreed]

That’s not really what I’m getting at though. Good comedic material can be and is still written today. There’s plenty of modern films with well written and delivered humor that I enjoy. I don’t think times or era really have that much affect. If it’s funny it’s funny. Going back to the Hawkins ***** joke. Thats a funny joke with good delivery that makes you roll your eyes at THE CHARACTER. You think “ha what a dummy” you laugh WITH the movie. The jokes SO FAR in the trailer, make you roll your eyes at the writer...you laugh AT the movie.

However I think we’re going to dive too deeply into the subjectivity in comedy so it’s rather pointless. But again...no one is “surprised” theres humor in this movie. I think we just want better huumor

But aside from that...from what ive seen in the trailers. The writing and dialogue is far cheesier and cringe inducing than a film from the 80’s. What that means...I don’t know. But that’s my perception of this film right now.

Ok, fine, you think the first movie had god comedic timing and good writing. I don't, I think it had average B-movie dialogue that most remember with the eyes of their younger selves as being much better than it actually was.

 

[Biojex]

Yeah...
That trailer did not work for me...
The humor fell flat, the characters don't seem very likeable, the uber-predator seems a bit silly... everything just felt like they were trying too hard.
The action might be cool.

Oddly, I'm kind of interested in the Uber-Pred. The whole escalation aspect of it is dumb...and i'm sad it's all CGI...but oh well. They just need to own it a little and make it something interesting. I hope they make it into a character rather then just a towering monster to serve the action... but yeah...I'm sure it's just a silly escalation archetype because "we have to go bigger!"

Ok, fine, you think the first movie had god comedic timing and good writing. I don't, I think it had average B-movie dialogue that most remember with the eyes of their younger selves as being much better than it actually was.

If you don't have anything to add to the conversation beyond personal affronts, please don't quote me.

 

[jye4ever]

Damn is that Bio laying down the smack down very rare sight lol

 

[jye4ever]

Well at least that horrendous rap song matched the dialogue and tone.

The original is a triple A title masquerading as a B movie this looks like a C movie masquerading as a triple D lol

 

[Sevreed]

Biojex,
What personal affront? I said I don't see Predator as being as good as you do. That's not a personal affront, that's just me saying I see it differently. I also said that people remember things from their youth as being better than they actually were. That's a fact, and I do that sometimes too. I never said anything insulting about you.

 

[Biojex]

Damn is that Bio laying down the smack down very rare sight lol

I ain't got time to bleed!

Well at least that horrendous rap song matched the dialogue and tone.

The original is a triple A title masquerading as a B movie this looks like a C movie masquerading as a triple D lol

The original Predator commits it's own sins...but the new film has already committed more sins with just a few trailers

I can't wait to see the Pred-Puppers with their little dreadlocks in action

 

[jye4ever]

lol @ bleed

A Predator feeding his dog was actually in the trailer i’ve seen all I need to see.

 

[Heavy Metal Spike]

Looking ever-better.

Awesome.


.

 

[MaulFan]

That’s not really what I’m getting at though. Good comedic material can be and is still written today. There’s plenty of modern films with well written and delivered humor that I enjoy. I don’t think times or era really have that much affect. If it’s funny it’s funny. Going back to the Hawkins ***** joke. Thats a funny joke with good delivery that makes you roll your eyes at THE CHARACTER. You think “ha what a dummy” you laugh WITH the movie. The jokes SO FAR in the trailer, make you roll your eyes at the writer...you laugh AT the movie.

However I think we’re going to dive too deeply into the subjectivity in comedy so it’s rather pointless. But again...no one is “surprised” theres humor in this movie. I think we just want better huumor

But aside from that...from what ive seen in the trailers. The writing and dialogue is far cheesier and cringe inducing than a film from the 80’s. What that means...I don’t know. But that’s my perception of this film right now.

I agree, well written humor is not subject to a time in history, what I was getting at is that I feel like the times have an effect on writers. I discuss with my coworker all the time how comedy movies for the past 10 years or so just seem lacking, like people forgot how to be funny, like comedies likes of Dumb and Dumber that end up quoted all the time and such, I’ve laughed at movies but I feel like I get more humor from Marvel movies now than movies actually meant to be comedies.

I feel like some of the attempts at humor here are trying to be like the one offs of the 80s, but the problem is, they’re trying, it feels like they’re trying and not natural and that’s usually where humor fails.

 

[ONEYE]

Rap sucks. I want it to die. Sooner the better.

 

[Chakor]

...people remember things from their youth as being better than they actually were. That's a fact...

 

[jye4ever]

Chakor

Predator 1 is not an example of a movie living off nostalgia fumes it is the real deal.

Very few movies are action/sci-fi/horror masterpieces and Predator is one of them.

 

[Chakor]

Chakor

Predator 1 is not an example of a movie living off nostalgia fumes it is the real deal.

Very few movies are action/sci-fi/horror masterpieces and Predator is one of them.

Said by the Pumpkinhead hater.

But I love Predator 1; it's always good fun.

Though the sequels were all mediocre (Predator 2) to awful (AvPR) IMO. I don't think this one is even going to be worth watching via a bootleg copy.