Predators.......potential?

[Pinckle Wicker]

I have to say i think this may be good but i am not going to get my hopes up!

http://www.predators-movie.com/ 

[El Unicornio, mang]

Well, it has a pretty good, unusual cast, and it's got Predators in it, and it's set in the jungle. I'm vaguely hopeful.

[mobias]

'You're hit man, you're bleedin' - I aint got no time to bleed'

At least it doesn't have any Aliens in it which is a start.

[Mr Colossal]

Suprised i've not actually heard of this until now, with the July release date being so close. But after watching that video it seems to be one of those  'lots of straight replications from the original movie' sequels- Being smothered in mud, minigun, fiesty foreign woman etc... although it DOES also have that 'the sequel that should have been' feeling after those alien vs predator crapfests shitted on the legacy somewhat...


Just read 'Robert Rodriguez Says People Need To Fear The 'Predators' Again'.



I will remain open to the possibility of it being decent...  But its hard to be filled with optimism during a time when i've pretty much been battered into a cinematic anomie with hollywoods lack of originality and tendency to whore the life out of just about anything thats franchisible in recent years...  A lot of  the 'better' directors seem to be falling back on a staple diet of lazy remakes and sequels.  And there have been plenty of films that have looked awesome on trailers and just been unforgiveable pieces of shite.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

I'd be more excited if Rodriguez was actually directing it himself. Than at the very least we'd be guaranteed some rollicking entertainment, which a lot of this current crop of action schlock directors (Len Wiseman etc.) can't even seem to manage.

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Interview with Rodriguez and the film's director.

The director's name is Nimrod, which could only be more apt if his surname was Jaeger.

[thehungerartist]

Nice one. If ever a franchise needed rescuing it's Alien this one: will be interesting to see how they pull off the

Spoiler alert

Predator hunting 'dogs'

[close]

.

The recent game had me revisiting the AvP celluloid atrocities which I've avoided since first viewing and - whilst both appalling - the second is a much better movie and not quite as bad as I recalled. In fact, had I been watching it for the first time as a 12 year old I would have even enjoyed it in much the same way I find Predator 2 ridiculous today.

[VegaLA]

Predators movie gets good reviews:

http://movies.yahoo.com/feature/weekendroundup-7-8-10.html

[SavageHedgehog]

The recent game had me revisiting the AvP celluloid atrocities which I've avoided since first viewing and - whilst both appalling - the second is a much better movie and not quite as bad as I recalled. In fact, had I been watching it for the first time as a 12 year old I would have even enjoyed it in much the same way I find Predator 2 ridiculous today.

I'm not sure how much you'll care three months later but I must say I disagree. The first AVP was an empty brain-dead snoozer,  but it did have some things you come to appreciate in light of a film like AvP: Requiem. Little things like adequate lighting. The first was made by one of Holllywood's premier hacks, but the second was made by two fanboys with far more entusiasm than competance, and boy did it show. And the writer must have written the script when he was 14 or younger; how else to explain taking possibly the only major horror franchises which have avoided teen soap opera bollocks before into precisely that territory? Predator 2, while seriously flawed, is streets ahead of both movies. Busey's Martin Fry-esque getup alone is superior.

Anyway, Predators looks fun

[biggytitbo]

Predators would be a much better film if one of the predators was a bear.

[falafel]

And the other one was a mongoose,

[The Masked Unit]

I've seen it. It's not completely terrible but you'd be much better off just staying at home and watching Predator.

Although there's a good bit for about ten minutes in the middle where

Spoiler alert

Morpheus turns up and is the only interesting character in the whole film, but is killed all too quickly.

[close]

Honestly, the characters and dialogue are about as hackneyed as you can get.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Honestly, the characters and dialogue are about as hackneyed as you can get.

When Brody started talking with that slightly whispery croaky Bauer timbre I just knew it was going to be celluloid gash. I was right. Why the fuck is this getting positive reviews?

[mobias]

Damm, I was sort of looking forward to seeing this during the week. The Arnie one is ace and even the sequel isn't so bad. Really had high hopes for this re-boot of the franchise. Is it well and truly terrible then?

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

When Brody started talking with that slightly whispery croaky Bauer timbre I just knew it was going to be celluloid gash.

So, if I understand this correctly, you bamlem Jack Buaer?

[Spiteface]

Damm, I was sort of looking forward to seeing this during the week. The Arnie one is ace and even the sequel isn't so bad. Really had high hopes for this re-boot of the franchise. Is it well and truly terrible then?

I didn't mind it.  Kept me entertained for a couple of hours. I would have preferred something more violent (only a 15?  I'm not one of those who watches on the basis of gore or whatever, but this is fucking PREDATOR) but I did get a kick out of

Spoiler alert

the predator ripping the convicted murder's spine out, MK style

[close]

[SavageHedgehog]

In fairness it's pretty hard to get an 18 these days (unless you say "cunt" more than once), you get 15 films that certainly would have been well into 18 territory ten years ago, maybe even with cuts. Even stuff like Evil Dead II (and perhaps more relevantly Predator 2) is being reclassified as a 15 by the current bbfc.

[lipsink]

It's a solid 3 star film. I was hoping it was gonna be great as it had a brilliant setup. The direction and action lacked any bite (I can barely remember any of the setpieces

Spoiler alert

except perhaps the samurai fight

[close]

) and never gets the blood pumping. The predators were barely used and Brody was a bit bland as the main protagonist. They should've got someone at least a bit fun like Jason Statham. I didn't realise until the end credits that Rodriguez didn't even direct the fucking thing. Predator 2 was probably better. It's an attempted reboot similar to 'The Incredible Hulk' in that by playing it safe it just ends up instantly forgettable.

[El Unicornio, mang]

Inspired by this new film I watched Predator last night. Still awesome, fantastic action scenes (before the Predator even appears) and dialogue which is awful ("Stick around", "I aint got time to bleed!") but works in the context of a film about a bunch of testosterone-fueled beefcakes getting picked off in the jungle. Also the tension is built up beautifully, which I fear might not be the case with this one.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Also the tension is built up beautifully, which I fear might not be the case with this one.

Absolutely. I had never seen the original Predator before and saw it just last night. It is a perfect example of the fact that the building of tension is a cinematic art that is not reliant on money, but rather an intuitive understanding of genre. Predators fails on so many levels to build or sustain any kind of tension. I seem to remember that the recent Star Trek film also got good reviews and I am starting to think that the action-sci-fi genre is something that I must have grown out of. I don't get it at all.

By the way, did anyone notice that the TV advert for Predators features multiple sights being trained upon Brody, whereas in fact in the film it is only one? Marvellous bit of bullshitting and lying masquerading as artistic metaphor. If it looks so cool put it into the fucking film in the first place fuckheads.

[thugler]

Just seen it. It's terrible, despite the cast. It's just charmless. They really didn't have enough money to make a film on a bigger scale than the first predator. The effects are fucking dire.

[mobias]

I seem to remember that the recent Star Trek film also got good reviews

Funnily enough I bought the new Star Trek on Blu-ray this afternoon. I wouldn't class myself as a Trekkie at all but I totally love this film and its stunning in high definition.

Definitely giving Predators a miss at the cinema after reading these reviews. I'll wait until it comes out on DVD.

[thehungerartist]

I'm not sure how much you'll care three months later but I must say I disagree. The first AVP was an empty brain-dead snoozer,  but it did have some things you come to appreciate in light of a film like AvP: Requiem. Little things like adequate lighting. The first was made by one of Holllywood's premier hacks, but the second was made by two fanboys with far more entusiasm than competance, and boy did it show. And the writer must have written the script when he was 14 or younger; how else to explain taking possibly the only major horror franchises which have avoided teen soap opera bollocks before into precisely that territory? Predator 2, while seriously flawed, is streets ahead of both movies. Busey's Martin Fry-esque getup alone is superior.

Ah, but I didn't say AvP: Requiem was a better film than its predecessor, I said it's a better movie.  There is nothing remotely canon about these piece of shit releases so I judge them both purely for brainless entertainment value and on that basis AvP:R wins out for me.

[Johnny Townmouse]

Funnily enough I bought the new Star Trek on Blu-ray this afternoon. I wouldn't class myself as a Trekkie at all but I totally love this film and its stunning in high definition.

Definitely giving Predators a miss at the cinema after reading these reviews. I'll wait until it comes out on DVD.

I think this really is a "it's not you, it's me" situation as I found Star Trel charmless and tedious. I think Inception will be the final straw in some ways. If it fails to deliver I will give up on mainstream film I think.

[SavageHedgehog]

I also found Star Trek rather charmless, maybe not quite tedious but not something I'd really choose to watch again. It just seemed like the bog-standard blockbuster mix of barely comprehensible action scenes and smug one-liners. Granted, I've enjoyed films which fit that description before, so I'm not sure why that one didn't quite work for me, I guess maybe because I'd had it built up to be something more. It certainly didn't help that it fell into that odious modern trend of coming up with cringeworthy"cute" explanations for things that never needed explaining. "All she's left me with is my bones!" Ugh!

Ah, but I didn't say AvP: Requiem was a better film than its predecessor, I said it's a better movie.  There is nothing remotely canon about these piece of shit releases so I judge them both purely for brainless entertainment value and on that basis AvP:R wins out for me.

Fairy nuff. Personally, I remember the first one as at least having a couple of (I kind of hate this phrase but I have to use it) solid unintentional laughs which left me feeling I hadn't totally wasted my time, whereas the second just seemed like a frustrating botch of potentially entertaining B-movie material. Though it did leave me with Chronicles of Riddick syndrome; unentertaining movie, very intruiging ending which meant I would have seen another one.

[JPA]

I watched Star Trek the other day and found it merely okay. I thought there were numerous problems with it - misplaced comedy sequences, lack of engaging plot, a leading man who I found pretty unlikeable (I'm supposed to root for this cunt?) etc. Not sure why there is lens flare almost every scene either, though in general the visuals are great.

I thought Zachary Quinto was well cast as Spock and they've done well to reboot the franchise by setting it in an alternate timeline, but I was pretty underwhelmed by it.

[turnstyle]

Well, I really enjoyed this film, so screw the lot of you!

[mobias]

Well, I really enjoyed this film, so screw the lot of you!

No I did as well, hence parting with 25 quid to own it on Blu-ray. What I loved about were all the little acting observations done by the new cast on the older lot. Spock is superb but McCoy and Kirk are a joy to watch too. I must admit I was very very cynical of the remake when it was announced, I wouldn't call myself a huge Trekkie but I like it when its at its best. But I did think why are they bothering with this? Hasn't Star Trek been done to death? They really pulled it off brilliantly I thought, all hugely enjoyable. Good script too.

'misplaced comedy'  - isn't that the real heart of Star Trek?

[chocky909]

I think he was talking about Predators.

[mobias]

I think he was talking about Predators.

Damm! Film threads here are so much better when people discuss a movie entirely unrelated to the one in the title.