"The Predator" by Shane Black (2018)

[Khev]

The more I think about it the more I realize that this really is just the Predator series' version of Terminator 2. The first Terminator/Predator shows up and wreaks havoc and so you assume it's the bad guy again but then the film introduces a kid and a more powerful Terminator/Predator partly brought to life with CGI. But it just doesn't click or have the same polish as T2 (obviously.) Try and imagine watching T2 but in the Galleria the T-1000 grabs Arnold and rips his head off and then the rest of the film plays from there.

I think you'd naturally think "aw man I wanted to see more of the first guy" which is how I felt watching the second half of TP. It did have a lot of creative kills and even some genuine tension and the finale with the humans on the Predators ship did remind me a bit of the Harrier in True Lies but Black just isn't Cameron and so he couldn't quite stick the landing (no pun intended.)

I do see myself revisiting the film for the sweet first half though.

 

[Biojex]

Ill echo the sentiments of the first half being pretty good. The lab breakout is a ****ing cool scene. Well shot. Well choreographed. I want to say as soon as the dogs show up it turns to ****.

The characters were actually enjoyable. The science mumbo jumbo was annoying and eye rolling. The final fight was a mess. The ending scene was super lol.

Um...it wasnt worth the loss of overtime but I enjoyed my theater experience. So it gets a “Predator holding severed arm thumbs up out of 10”

 

[Khev]

Yes the inclusion of the dogs was bizarre to say the least. When they showed up I thought we'd see some sweet dog kills and then they just dispatch one and befriend the second with essentially no pay off *at all* for such an odd introduction to the film?

I just read up on the reshoots (very cool that they're seemingly well documented online) and it appears that everything really changed from the point that the super predator showed up. That's the point where multiple "good guy" predators were going to join the fight (hence the ridiculous camo predators riding with the heroes), multiple hybrids being sent to hunt the humans, Olivia Munn in the spaceship and all kinds of weird zaniness.

It looks like Fox didn't like how the good guy Preds were testing at all and demanded that the Fugitive Predator be killed off instead of joining the humans with no introduction at all of the other good preds. A cut sequence with Olivia Munn on the spaceship explains how she was magically able to join the final showdown between McKenna and the super pred. Fox also demanded that the big forest fight be changed from day to night (a *really* good move IMO since that CGI needed all the obsuring it could get) so in this case I really am under the impression that the studio was trying to help reign in some of Black's goofier sensibilities in an attempt to make the best film that they could.

The lame final scene was obviously a rush job to add an "MCU-ish" ending in lieu of a Dutch cameo. And at least they tried for one. Old Man Dutch would have been a welcome addition and just giving him one "moment" at the very end of the film would have prevented Arnold from tarnishing his character with increased campiness like he did with Genysis.

Oh well. I actually find the development of this film to be pretty fascinating with two parties (Black and the studio) playing an interesting chess match in which battles to fight and what to keep in and what to cut out or reshoot. The awesome Predator tech, creative gags, genuinely funny quips and constant and brutal violence are definitely lingering with me so I can see this being a fun and schlocky diversion from time to time.

 

[Biojex]

Yes the inclusion of the dogs was bizarre to say the least. When they showed up I thought we'd see some sweet dog kills and then they just dispatch one and befriend the second with essentially no pay off *at all* for such an odd introduction to the film?

I just read up on the reshoots (very cool that they're seemingly well documented online) and it appears that everything really changed from the point that the super predator showed up. That's the point where multiple "good guy" predators were going to join the fight (hence the ridiculous camo predators riding with the heroes), multiple hybrids being sent to hunt the humans, Olivia Munn in the spaceship and all kinds of weird zaniness.

It looks like Fox didn't like how the good guy Preds were testing at all and demanded that the Fugitive Predator be killed off instead of joining the humans with no introduction at all of the other good preds. A cut sequence with Olivia Munn on the spaceship explains how she was magically able to join the final showdown between McKenna and the super pred. Fox also demanded that the big forest fight be changed from day to night (a *really* good move IMO since that CGI needed all the obsuring it could get) so in this case I really am under the impression that the studio was trying to help reign in some of Black's goofier sensibilities in an attempt to make the best film that they could.

The lame final scene was obviously a rush job to add an "MCU-ish" ending in lieu of a Dutch cameo. And at least they tried for one. Old Man Dutch would have been a welcome addition and just giving him one "moment" at the very end of the film would have prevented Arnold from tarnishing his character with increased campiness like he did with Genysis.

Oh well. I actually find the development of this film to be pretty fascinating with two parties (Black and the studio) playing an interesting chess match in which battles to fight and what to keep in and what to cut out or reshoot. The awesome Predator tech, creative gags, genuinely funny quips and constant and brutal violence are definitely lingering with me so I can see this being a fun and schlocky diversion from time to time.

Yeah. You can tell theres a lot that got chopped up in those final scenes. Just the way everything jumped around. Especially with the “badguys” starting to use Pred tech. I felt like there was a scene missing that introduced that better

It’s not a complete write off and all in all I like this better than Predators. If that movie is “on” I’ll “change the channel” but with this I’ll probably leave it on in the background

I do wish they left the original film alone and didn’t try to add an unwanted aspect to it. But it’s easy to just ignore. It won’t suddenly ruin my enjoyment of the first film. I can easily say “ya ok guys lulz”

 

[Wor-Gar]

Would you say this was a well-written film, Khev?

Would you say this was a well-directed film, Khev?

 

[Khev]

It’s not a complete write off and all in all I like this better than Predators. If that movie is “on” I’ll “change the channel” but with this I’ll probably leave it on in the background

Agreed.

Would you say this was a well-written film, Khev?

Would you say this was a well-directed film, Khev?

The writing and directing shine in the first half. The second half gives the impression that both the writer and director (Black) was losing more battles than he was winning, though I don't know that that's a bad thing considering how idiotic some of his apparent ideas were and the decision to go full CGI with the main alien villain.

I could be wrong but I think the fact that scenes were reshot due to attempts to make them less stupid instead of reshooting to sanitize the subject matter are going to make this film a little more accepted by fans of the franchise. Because it doesn't skimp on blood and mayhem. In fact it's pretty ironic that the "good" Predator in this film slaughters more humans than all the previous "bad" Predators combined, lol.

There's no getting around the fact that this film is pure schlock, the question is just how much you like that sort of thing.

 

[jye4ever]

But why is the good Predator killing humans i’m so confused lol

 

[Khev]

They keep getting in his way, lol.

I actually really liked that aspect. He's an alien on a mission that benefits humans but he's definitely no "Uncle Bob." Or just picture Uncle Bob if John didn't make him swear not to kill anyone.

 

[jye4ever]

a-dev’s T2 senses just went off.

You should run.

 

[Khev]

Yeah I toned down my slight dig against T2's biker bar scene, hopefully I edited it before a-dev saw it, lol.

 

[jye4ever]

Damn I should’ve screen grabbed lol

 

[Biojex]

Yeah and I dont think he kills anyone else once he’s out and away from the lab facility.

 

[Khev]

And in case anyone is wondering the scene from the trailer where the kid seemingly remote crashes the ship by plowing through his toy building blocks isn't in the movie at all. The ship crashes for a completely different reason.

 

[Jayrod88]

And in case anyone is wondering the scene from the trailer where the kid seemingly remote crashes the ship by plowing through his toy building blocks isn't in the movie at all. The ship crashes for a completely different reason.

Spoiler: It crashes because the script was transmitted during entry and the Pred died at the console.

 

[Wor-Gar]

There's no getting around the fact that this film is pure schlock, the question is just how much you like that sort of thing.

I bet Black uses that excuse; schlock. Good cover.

The original Predator was kind of schlocky relative to Alien or Terminator. It was the definition of a good B-movie in all its glory.

 

[jye4ever]

What would you categorize Robocop 1 as?

 

[Wor-Gar]

What would you categorize Robocop 1 as?

Ouch... that's a tough one. I'm not a Robocop fan. But its schlocky B-movie too.

Truthfully, most of the greats are B-movies: Star Wars, Jaws, Raiders, Die Hard, etc... but some come with extra amounts of cheese or schlock. Robocop had both cheese and schlock.

 

[uscmhicks]

Re: "The Predator" by Shane Black (2018)

We can discuss spoilers now?

I don't understand how anyone who considers themselves a fan of this franchise could be entertained by this movie. I had no hopes at all and it was so so much worse than I thought possible. I still can't believe that horrible cgi iron man suit ending. The dog that gets lobotomized and decides to help out. The predator trying to kidnap a kid with autism for his superior knowledge? Really? The kid working in the lab at the end? Really? The same kid who hust happens to be the soldiers son. The same soldier that randomly ran into a predator. I know the predator decided to kidnap the kid later on but still.

The thumbs up scene. The terrible dialouge. The cringey translation scene. I'm sure I'm missing so many terrible things.

Did anyone notice how bad the cgi was on a paticular scene near the beginning where the fugitive predators eyes glow?

When an 80s films special effects look better than a film released in 2018 there is something wrong.

How could anyone have thought this movie was a good idea? I just find it bizzare that it ever got this far.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[uscmhicks]

Also how did the kid manage to wear the helmet? I'm sure I saw tape on the back of his head. How light are bio masks then haha?

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[Heavy Metal Spike]

Re: "The Predator" by Shane Black (2018)

We can discuss spoilers now?

I don't understand how anyone who considers themselves a fan of this franchise could be entertained by this movie. I had no hopes at all and it was so so much worse than I thought possible . . .

Remove the dogs, the DNA & global warming crap, the UPGRADE idea, the Gundam/Jaeger armour gift – just have it as a Pred from 1 clan vs. another, ALL the way through the movie (instead of killing 1 off half-way through!), with our cast caught in the middle. Would have been much better.


I've started making notes about the good vs. the bad vs. the dumb, along with a whole lot of questions about things I didn't understand - the list keeps growing (although the "good" list is smallest)


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