Predators

[Michael Anthony Horrigan]

I enjoyed it. Much better than all that AvP crap. Not that I've even seen them all.
This movie served up exactly what I expected. I thought some of the characters were pretty interesting as well.

MAH

 

[Captain Pierce]

I understand this film was supposed to 'reboot' the franchise

Actually, one of the things that I liked about this was that it was not supposed to "reboot" the franchise, in the current Hollywood sense of the term. There is nothing in "Predators" that pushes the "magic reset button" to wipe out everything that happened before--for crying out loud, the longest stretch of dialogue in the whole movie is Alice Braga's summation of the first movie! This movie was supposed to revitalize the franchise, after it had been buried by something called "AvP," I'm not really sure what that's supposed to mean (and these are not the droids you're looking for)...

And I'll ask anyone who's annoyed by an Earth plant in the "game preserve"--they can grab people, all the way back to Samurai times, but they couldn't grab a deadly plant that they thought might be cool?

 

[Nektonic]

In lieu of recent events, I think preceding the name Mel Gibson with the word 'crazy' is completely redundant.

Okay, then I'd like to see a sane Mel Gibson.

Actually, they should jump at the chance to cast him in Lethal Weapon 5. His character in those films was crazy too. Although, there's a good chance Danny Glover would turn down the offer with, "I'm too old for this shi*."

Actually, one of the things that I liked about this was that it was not supposed to "reboot" the franchise, in the current Hollywood sense of the term. There is nothing in "Predators" that pushes the "magic reset button" to wipe out everything that happened before--for crying out loud, the longest stretch of dialogue in the whole movie is Alice Braga's summation of the first movie! This movie was supposed to revitalize the franchise, after it had been buried by something called "AvP," I'm not really sure what that's supposed to mean (and these are not the droids you're looking for)...

That's what I thought too. There's nothing here that either negates or refutes what happened in Predator or Predator 2.

Actually, I think this is the route they should be taking in terms of revitalizing the Alien films as well. Start it out on some backwater colony world and have the colonists stumble upon either another derelict ship filled with eggs, or that alien pyramid that Giger designed but was cut from the first film. No need to prequelize things and try to tie it in with the first film.

And I'll ask anyone who's annoyed by an Earth plant in the "game preserve"--they can grab people, all the way back to Samurai times, but they couldn't grab a deadly plant that they thought might be cool?

Same here. The plant thing didn't bother me.

 

[Carlos Corral]

I had a chance to go to the Predators screening in Austin, TX last week. Check out some of the after party photos I was able to nab!

Girlfriend and myself with Machete/Lost actor Jeff Fahey:

Sandy & Darlene. These two can start their own bad girls club:

Girlfriend and I with Predators director Nimrod Antal:

Spy Kid Daryl Sabara now officially a Spy Teen:

Producer Robert Rodriguez and myself at the party:

Girlfriend and I with the lovely Elizabeth Avellan, also producer of Predators:

 

[Richard J. Johnson]

now that is one helluva night at the movies!

 

[Kegan]

That is AWESOME.

Kegan

 

[J.R. Hudson]

I saw this finally with my boy; very very enjoyable. No complaints.

 

[ZetKey]

Dull movie. No plot. For me stupid plot counts as "no plot" There are many questions left unanswered.
L. Fishburne probably had his worst role.

Still the original The Predator is the best!

 

[Scott F]

Wow, guess I am in the minority. I went and saw it the other night and was disappointed.

You may be in the minority, but you've got company. I thought it sucked pretty hard. Once the sun went down on this mystery planet, the god Hypnos invaded my living room and I could barely keep my eyes open.

"Get to da chopper!" and stick with the original.

 

[Rick Burnett]

You may be in the minority, but you've got company. I thought it sucked pretty hard. Once the sun went down on this mystery planet, the god Hypnos invaded my living room and I could barely keep my eyes open.

"Get to da chopper!" and stick with the original.

I even thought Expendables was better, and the plot to that movie actually had me laughing it was so bad (which I kind of feel was the point). I guess if all you enjoy is special effects it is probably pretty good, but I like to have at least a little more thought put into the story. When I think back to watching the original Predator, the reveal of the unknown was awesome. They can't remake that for me, so it just kind of felt like watching something I already knew the outcome.

I look at Aliens versus Alien and here are two movies with the same basic premise yet I love them both. The second one just amplifies the aspect of the first movie to a whole never level. WE already know about the Aliens, but DAMN I didn't know about the queen. (Of course, they blew it with the third one).

This is what it felt like to me

Investor 1: "Well, Predator was pretty damn good, what could we do to make it more epic?"

Investor 2: "Hmmmm, wait, get this, we add MORE predators!!"

Investor 1: "Oh yeah, and let's make them different sizes, you know, like how dogs are different sizes!"

Investor 2: "Brilliant, now, what are we going to call it?"

Investor 1: "Oh wait, you are going to love this, just add an S to the name, Predators!! Man, we are so brilliant!"

Furthermore, oh look, thats not the sky we have on earth!!!! Which was used MUCH more effectively on Pitch Black. Just boring all the way around for me. But like I said, we seem to be in the minority.

 

[agcohn]

This was okay. Entertaining, but not as good as I was hoping.

With the one exception of Lawrence Fishburne, the characters were all cliches.

Their only purpose was to go up against the Predators and die.

At least in the original Predator, the guys who got offed along the way were interesting characters, and I didn't want some of them to die.

 

[Rick Burnett]

This was okay. Entertaining, but not as good as I was hoping.

With the one exception of Lawrence Fishburne, the characters were all cliches.

Their only purpose was to go up against the Predators and die.

At least in the original Predator, the guys who got offed along the way were interesting characters, and I didn't want some of them to die.

I felt like Lawernce Fishburne's character acted just like Leland (Eddie Rouse) from Pandorum.

 

[agcohn]

I felt like Lawernce Fishburne's character acted just like Leland (Eddie Rouse) from Pandorum.

You're right, but at least Lawrence's Fishburne's character made the story somewhat interesting in Predators, as compared to most of the other characters who did nothing to complicate the story at all. Most of the characters were worse than cliches... they didn't do anything.

There was really only one other character twist near the end, but it didn't really feel motivated by the story at all.


In Pandorum, Eddie Rouse played one interesting character among many.

 

[Scott F]

At least in the original Predator, the guys who got offed along the way were interesting characters, and I didn't want some of them to die.

And there you go. Exactly how I felt about Predators. Just cliched characters that I cared nothing about.

Let's take the 2nd Alien movie. Talk about character development. The dude who was like "Owww man, we're dead! We're toast, game over, man" The girl with the steadicam machine gun. Paul Resier? Come on, what a scumbag he was! You wanted him dead, right? I saw that movie like 20 years ago and I still remember these people. I saw Predators this afternoon, and it's already a fleeting memory.

I could chalk it up to "They don't make 'em like they used to." Buuuullllllsh*t. With shows like Mad Men and Breaking Bad, I've got renewed faith in screenwriting. I've just been real mindful of crappy character development since I saw that dude with the hookers in his basement review the Phantom Menace on Youtube.

PS: The Walking Dead is "getting it right" in my book. Guess I'm better off watching cable TV series than films, right? :beer: