co2
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With a new, and generally regarded decent edition to the franchise, it would be nice to hear how everyone thinks they all stack up. Rank or rate them in whatever method you prefer. And it would be nice to hear your reasoning.
For he purposes of this thread, and to keep it more interesting, I will include the AVP movies in my rankings. After all, the only reason the AVP movies were made is beacause John Davis, the producer of all the Predator movies, finally gained the rights to Aliens too. But if you only want to include 3 films that's your choice.
Predator
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The first will probably always be the best. Action. Suspense. Firepower. ....Two Governors!! This is one testosterone driven movie. It starts out as Commando, and becomes Alien (It's remarkable how many similarities this film has with the original Alien that's it's no wonder the two would eventually collide). I remember going into this movie you really didn't quite know what you were getting. The TV spots didn't tell much, other than it was an Arnold action movie, and that's pretty much it. This was the days before the internet, leaked footage and massive spoilers, so your experience watching this movie progressed as follows
..."this is a cool Arnold action movie"..."wait, something is chasing them!"..."Holy Hell, look at it!!"
Because of today's world, just like there will never never be an experience like a gasp across the theater with the words "Luke, I am your father", there will never be an experience like Predator again. This was the reason you came to the movies.
Predator 2
Rating: 3 out of 5
This movie is what I call a guilty pleasure. Not a great movie per se, but so much fun, so full of crazy action, you can't help yourself. It's indulgently violent with a strong a helping of cheese, but you find yourself laughing with it.
We got Danny Glover instead of Arnold..Not as good, but not unforgivable. I read someone say that Glover goes through this movie like he's one step away from a heart attack, which I thought was a good description. Though the real star of this is Kevin Peter Hall, The Predator himself. I would equate Hall's Predator, to Karloff's Frankenstein's monster or even Lugosi's Dracula. They created the personality of those monster's that from that point on, everyone else has to just immitate. Hall's Predator in this movie expands on what he did in the first to the point that we see more Predator personality than any other movie. Plus more Predator weapons and a ship are revealed as well as even more Predators..and a trophy case containing an Alien skull! This movie in my opinion expanded on the Predator universe in a great way.
AVP
Rating: 2 out of 5
OK, you take two franchises that should be a natural fit, mash them together and what do you get? A catasrophe. On paper, this movie is a no brainer. It even had a decent cast, with a particularly smart move in bringing in Lance Henrikson from the Alien franchise. It also had pretty good effects...as far as the Aliens went. In fact, I think this might have been the best the Aliens ever looked. But the look of the Predators?...They really got the short shaft in this movie. They looked so prosthetic and rubber. And they lumbered around looking like exactly what they were...big guys in rubber suits. I also didn't like the idea of the shifting pyramid...for what reason did it shift every 10 minutes beyond being a silly plot device?
And what is the biggest issue I had with this movie? It was PG-13!! I'm sorry but no Alien NOR Predator movie should ever be less than R! These characters shouldn't be lowered to being "13 year old" friendly in story, action OR gore...and that is what happened here. When I saw a Predator and human running slo-mo, toward camera, away from a fireball explosion in action movie cliche' style, I heard myself groan out loud in the theater. I was so psyched for this movie, and it nearly broke the heart of this Predator fan.
AVP-Requiem
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
You have to give Fox some credit. They must be at least listening to what fans are wanting because the complaints about a kid friendly AVP movie are totally shattered here...with a vengance. The shock and gore factor is high. And there are some pretty nifty gimmicks. What this movie rightly does is make the creatures scary as Hell monsters again. And Ian Whyte, who on his second go round as the Predator, nails it on this one. Whyte must have really been studying Kevin Peter Hall, because this movie may have the most insteresting non-Hall Predator. His movements and even his look this time, were great. Plus, we get a quick sequence with the Pred home world! I even liked the Pred-Alien. There is one thing that bother me. Why would a Preator stop and skin a cop when he is in the middle of an important mission?
What really takes this movie so far down is the human side. It has crappy characterization, worse dialogue, and even WORSE acting. That, along with the fact that it is so poorly lit, which I don't quite understand. The monsters actually looked decent in this one, but half the time you can't tell what is going on because of the lighting.
I don't hate this movie as much as most others seem to. For the most part it got both Aliens and Predators right, and if you are a fan, that is what you are buying your ticket for.
And I still think there is gold in combining these two franchises, it just hasn't been done quite right yet. And after these two attempts, I doubt another chance will ever happen again.
Predators
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Not a perfect film or near the level of the first, but I would say the best of the sequels. From the jungle, mini-gun, and the all important score, this film was made by people that were fans and knew to pull in all of those elements that made the first film work so well. Take note of the Little Richard song over the end credits. And Fox seems to still be listening because the cast was aces this time around. Adrian Brody..the oscar winning actor of The Pianist, that everyone doubted could be an action hero..manages to pull it off and just about be the best thing about the movie. In fact, one of the complaints I have about this movie is that the cast was so packed with intersting characters, that I feel like some of them were dispatched with too early. The biggest victim of this is Lawrence Fishburne, who's character seemed introduced and then brushed aside rather quickly.
We are introduced to more Pred culture here, like the separate clans and the Predator Dogs which were very cool. My only other complaint as a fan is that the Predators themselves didn't seem to have personalities, or anything distinctive like what Hall created or even Whyte tried to carry on. It's a pity that Whyte couldn't come back this time around since it seemed like he had perfected the character by AVP-R.
Overall, I'd say Predators was a giant step in the right direction that hopefully continues.
So there you have my opinion. Please jump in with your own.
For he purposes of this thread, and to keep it more interesting, I will include the AVP movies in my rankings. After all, the only reason the AVP movies were made is beacause John Davis, the producer of all the Predator movies, finally gained the rights to Aliens too. But if you only want to include 3 films that's your choice.
Predator
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The first will probably always be the best. Action. Suspense. Firepower. ....Two Governors!! This is one testosterone driven movie. It starts out as Commando, and becomes Alien (It's remarkable how many similarities this film has with the original Alien that's it's no wonder the two would eventually collide). I remember going into this movie you really didn't quite know what you were getting. The TV spots didn't tell much, other than it was an Arnold action movie, and that's pretty much it. This was the days before the internet, leaked footage and massive spoilers, so your experience watching this movie progressed as follows
..."this is a cool Arnold action movie"..."wait, something is chasing them!"..."Holy Hell, look at it!!"
Because of today's world, just like there will never never be an experience like a gasp across the theater with the words "Luke, I am your father", there will never be an experience like Predator again. This was the reason you came to the movies.
Predator 2
Rating: 3 out of 5
This movie is what I call a guilty pleasure. Not a great movie per se, but so much fun, so full of crazy action, you can't help yourself. It's indulgently violent with a strong a helping of cheese, but you find yourself laughing with it.
We got Danny Glover instead of Arnold..Not as good, but not unforgivable. I read someone say that Glover goes through this movie like he's one step away from a heart attack, which I thought was a good description. Though the real star of this is Kevin Peter Hall, The Predator himself. I would equate Hall's Predator, to Karloff's Frankenstein's monster or even Lugosi's Dracula. They created the personality of those monster's that from that point on, everyone else has to just immitate. Hall's Predator in this movie expands on what he did in the first to the point that we see more Predator personality than any other movie. Plus more Predator weapons and a ship are revealed as well as even more Predators..and a trophy case containing an Alien skull! This movie in my opinion expanded on the Predator universe in a great way.
AVP
Rating: 2 out of 5
OK, you take two franchises that should be a natural fit, mash them together and what do you get? A catasrophe. On paper, this movie is a no brainer. It even had a decent cast, with a particularly smart move in bringing in Lance Henrikson from the Alien franchise. It also had pretty good effects...as far as the Aliens went. In fact, I think this might have been the best the Aliens ever looked. But the look of the Predators?...They really got the short shaft in this movie. They looked so prosthetic and rubber. And they lumbered around looking like exactly what they were...big guys in rubber suits. I also didn't like the idea of the shifting pyramid...for what reason did it shift every 10 minutes beyond being a silly plot device?
And what is the biggest issue I had with this movie? It was PG-13!! I'm sorry but no Alien NOR Predator movie should ever be less than R! These characters shouldn't be lowered to being "13 year old" friendly in story, action OR gore...and that is what happened here. When I saw a Predator and human running slo-mo, toward camera, away from a fireball explosion in action movie cliche' style, I heard myself groan out loud in the theater. I was so psyched for this movie, and it nearly broke the heart of this Predator fan.
AVP-Requiem
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
You have to give Fox some credit. They must be at least listening to what fans are wanting because the complaints about a kid friendly AVP movie are totally shattered here...with a vengance. The shock and gore factor is high. And there are some pretty nifty gimmicks. What this movie rightly does is make the creatures scary as Hell monsters again. And Ian Whyte, who on his second go round as the Predator, nails it on this one. Whyte must have really been studying Kevin Peter Hall, because this movie may have the most insteresting non-Hall Predator. His movements and even his look this time, were great. Plus, we get a quick sequence with the Pred home world! I even liked the Pred-Alien. There is one thing that bother me. Why would a Preator stop and skin a cop when he is in the middle of an important mission?
What really takes this movie so far down is the human side. It has crappy characterization, worse dialogue, and even WORSE acting. That, along with the fact that it is so poorly lit, which I don't quite understand. The monsters actually looked decent in this one, but half the time you can't tell what is going on because of the lighting.
I don't hate this movie as much as most others seem to. For the most part it got both Aliens and Predators right, and if you are a fan, that is what you are buying your ticket for.
And I still think there is gold in combining these two franchises, it just hasn't been done quite right yet. And after these two attempts, I doubt another chance will ever happen again.
Predators
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Not a perfect film or near the level of the first, but I would say the best of the sequels. From the jungle, mini-gun, and the all important score, this film was made by people that were fans and knew to pull in all of those elements that made the first film work so well. Take note of the Little Richard song over the end credits. And Fox seems to still be listening because the cast was aces this time around. Adrian Brody..the oscar winning actor of The Pianist, that everyone doubted could be an action hero..manages to pull it off and just about be the best thing about the movie. In fact, one of the complaints I have about this movie is that the cast was so packed with intersting characters, that I feel like some of them were dispatched with too early. The biggest victim of this is Lawrence Fishburne, who's character seemed introduced and then brushed aside rather quickly.
We are introduced to more Pred culture here, like the separate clans and the Predator Dogs which were very cool. My only other complaint as a fan is that the Predators themselves didn't seem to have personalities, or anything distinctive like what Hall created or even Whyte tried to carry on. It's a pity that Whyte couldn't come back this time around since it seemed like he had perfected the character by AVP-R.
Overall, I'd say Predators was a giant step in the right direction that hopefully continues.
So there you have my opinion. Please jump in with your own.
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