Shane Black Directing Predator Sequel! - Part 2

[DarthSkywalker]

I liked the first AvP more than The Predator. AvP sort of reminds me of the 90s MK films (which was made also by Paul WS Anderson). It's a fun movie, but it is 100% stupid. But I was more entertained.

I can't call it fun, and I like both Mortal Kombat flicks. The Predator I do find legit entertaining for a good portion of its run time.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I can't call it fun, and I like both Mortal Kombat flicks. The Predator I do find legit entertaining for a good portion of its run time.

The biggest thing that off put me in the movie is no one seems afraid of the Predator in the movie. It's just part of some action beats. Yeah, they acknowledge the monster is tough, but it feels no different than the Avengers trying to take down Thanos or something. At least in AvP, the Predators are still treated by the characters as scary. So yeah, the Predator is fun in spots but it is fun in a way I found off putting.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The biggest thing that off put me in the movie is no one seems afraid of the Predator in the movie. It's just part of some action beats. Yeah, they acknowledge the monster is tough, but it feels no different than the Avengers trying to take down Thanos or something. At least in AvP, the Predators are still treated by the characters as scary. So yeah, the Predator is fun in spots but it is fun in a way I found off putting.

See, I don't agree. I think they are plenty afraid of the Predator, but a lot like Dutch and Danny Glover, these are some hard people. Even then, plenty of fear in them, imo.

Spoiler

The Predator break out scene to me is better then anything in the series outside of the finale of the first film. The bit when Munn is in the containment room had me legitimately questioning her survival, even though I knew she had to survive. IT was a great, tense moment, in the middle of a ridiculously fun scene.

In AvP the Predators don't look like Predators, and get embarrassed by the Aliens. They also have one have a weird romantic subplot and it is one of those movies that doesn't follow its own rules and can't even get Predator vision right.

 

[Spider-Fan]

See, I don't agree. I think they are plenty afraid of the Predator, but a lot like Dutch and Danny Glover, these are some hard people. Even then, plenty of fear in them, imo.

Spoiler

The Predator break out scene to me is better then anything in the series outside of the finale of the first film. The bit when Munn is in the containment room had me legitimately questioning her survival, even though I knew she had to survive. IT was a great, tense moment, in the middle of a ridiculously fun scene.

Spoiler

In AvP the Predators don't look like Predators, and get embarrassed by the Aliens. They also have one have a weird romantic subplot and it is one of those movies that doesn't follow its own rules and can't even get Predator vision right.

The one scene you mentioned was great, I agree. I wish the whole rest of the movie did things like that, but they had this one great scene, and then it becomes fairly slapstick. Instead of improving some jokes, some attention needed to be paid to making the creature scary, IMO. Throwing in a few jokes is fine, but it seemed like jokes and silliness is all this film wanted to do. That's not Predator.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

The one scene you mentioned was great, I agree. I wish the whole rest of the movie did things like that, but they had this one great scene, and then it becomes fairly slapstick. Instead of improving some jokes, some attention needed to be paid to making the creature scary, IMO. Throwing in a few jokes is fine, but it seemed like jokes and silliness is all this film wanted to do. That's not Predator.

I feel like the first Predator was definitely Predator. The Super Predator, not so much. Still, way more Predator then anything in AvP or its sequel imo.

 

[Aximili86]

Yeah. Still not seeing this until Saturday, but I don't think it'll be much of an issue for me if the military guys here aren't all shock-terror-horror at the sight of the Pred. Holbrook's guy's encountered one before and probably passes on the basics, plus they're all supposed to be bat**** wackadoodle screw-loose crazy, right?

Honestly, Glover's guy never seemed that pants-p*ssing terrified over that pred either. Certainly not after the first few encounters. All comes down to execution, which I have nothing to go on so far - but if any human's going to be "I don't even really care if I die, I'm with some like-minded buddies, we're doing what we do well, besides, trying to kill space monsters sounds like a fun time in a ****ed-up way", it'd be these guys. They're military hardcases, and they're nuts.

 

[Spider-Fan]

I feel like the first Predator was definitely Predator. The Super Predator, not so much. Still, way more Predator then anything in AvP or its sequel imo.

You have no argument from me in regard to AvP:R, lol. That movie is probably one of the 10 worst films I have ever seen in a movie theater.

 

[Filmfan93]

Saw this 3 days ago.

Can't believe that the human bit of the film was basically a comedy and one-liners. Never expected this in a Predator film.

The Predator (Fugitive) barely had any moments to shine and while the Ultimate was cool, there were too many convenient moments for the humans to survive.

And don't get me start on that ridiculously stupid ending - it almost ruined the Predator lore for me and reminded me of the ID:Resurgence ending -

Spoiler

oh yeah we got provided tools by an alien race to fight them - let's do it!".

Just...

And is it just me or it totally copied an Alien:Covenant moment with the scene of

Spoiler

McKenna on top of the Predator ship? It reminded me of Waterston's character hanging from that ship in Covenant.

Black dropped the ball on this one, in my opinion.

 

[TheVileOne]

Resurgence is a pretty good comparison point for this film.

 

[Kane52630]

You never expected comedy and one-liners in a Predator film?

Do people usually skip the first 30 minutes of Predator?

 

[Kane52630]

Such a serious and scary scene.

 

[Spider-Fan]

Such a serious and scary scene.

I expect those in the movie, I just don't expect them when you're about to be killed by a Predator. Once the Predator gets involved, the tone should not be so jokey and the characters should take it seriously. Otherwise, how do you expect the audience to? In a Marvel movie, that tone works. But the Predator needs to be taken seriously.

 

[Punisher_MAX]

Just saw it. Saying this movie is "Marvel"-ized is a stretch because MCU movies are good.

As a huge fan of the Predator series this movie was a massive letdown and honestly does ruin the first movies by crapping all over the established lore. This is the Alien: Covenant of the series in that it retcons everything from its two best movies in a horrible way and almost destroys what made them great.

I love Shane Black but he screwed the pooch with this one.

 

[TheVileOne]

You never expected comedy and one-liners in a Predator film?

Do people usually skip the first 30 minutes of Predator?

What happens in Predator is good and directed well. Not garbage like, "You're one beautiful mother-forker."

 

[TheVileOne]

Just saw it. Saying this movie is "Marvel"-ized is a stretch because MCU movies are good.

As a huge fan of the Predator series this movie was a massive letdown and honestly does ruin the first movies by crapping all over the established lore. This is the Alien: Covenant of the series in that it retcons everything from its two best movies in a horrible way and almost destroys what made them great.

I love Shane Black but he screwed the pooch with this one.

I agree I found it more comparable to Michael Bay's Transformers and the amateurish, immature attempts at humor.

 

[Verbal21]

To be clear, was there another Fugitive Pred that was hunting McKenna’s men in the beginning after the crash? I always thought it was a second one and when he died, that’s when he de-cloaked and you saw his eyes.

My buddy is saying that was the same Pred on the table and I guess my brain is getting slower but I figured I’d ask you experts,lol.

 

[Ninjablade]

To be clear, was there another Fugitive Pred that was hunting McKenna’s men in the beginning after the crash? I always thought it was a second one and when he died, that’s when he de-cloaked and you saw his eyes.

My buddy is saying that was the same Pred on the table and I guess my brain is getting slower but I figured I’d ask you experts,lol.

No, there's only the one. McKenna only injured him in the beginning.

 

[Filmfan93]

You never expected comedy and one-liners in a Predator film?

Do people usually skip the first 30 minutes of Predator?

One thing to have a few one-liners here and there, another thing to have entire scenes revolving around a person telling jokes.

And jokes when the Predator is around.

And a Predator hound that is acting cute and friendly most of the time.

 

[Schlosser85]

You never expected comedy and one-liners in a Predator film?

Do people usually skip the first 30 minutes of Predator?

I feel like this is being deliberately obtuse.

 

[Loki882]

People who bring up the one-liners in the first two films miss the point. In those films, and in Predators even, there was one character who was the designated "jokester." In the first film it was Shane Black (and Hawkins died FIRST remember), in part 2 it was Bill Paxton, and in part 3 it was Walton Goggins (and they both died before the climax of those films as well).

The other characters may have gotten individual funny lines here and there, but they were relatively limited and spread out over the film. Heck Billy, Mack and Dillon in the first film were pretty serious like 99% of the time. The point is, every single character wasn't basically trying to be funny, and they weren't doing it constantly. That's the difference between them and this film, this film tried WAY TOO hard and WAY TOO much to be "funny" and it didn't work imo.

Also things got very serious once the actual Predator (Predators) showed up as well.

 

[P Supreme]

The predator escape scene was indeed cool and even though I knew Munn was going to survive for a moment thought are they going to? but then the absurd scene of her chasing it down happened and the movie couldn't make me care anymore
the one liners thing I agree they stopped in the previous movies once the predator(s) showed up

 

[Nathan]

Basically Shane Black did exactly what Paul Feig did with the Ghostbusters reboot, where everyone was Venkman.

 

[Loki882]

And missed the point of why Venkman worked/was funny on top of it.

 

[kguillou]

Such a serious and scary scene.

I think theres a very stark difference between that winking "action movie" charm humor and the Shane Black "Iron man 3" style COMEDY that breaks the tone of the film and takes you out of it. Predator 1987 had natural humor coming from its colorful characters, but the tension and atmosphere of the film was never broken.

 

[Loki882]

Also one of the best things about the first film is that, Arnold was scared!! Like that must have been something to behold for movie fans in the 80's. Badass muscle-bound action hero Arnold in his prime, not only going up against something that was just toying with him and throwing him around like a ragdoll, but Arnold really selling the fear that Dutch was feeling at that point. And it was played straight in the climax.

This film, has none of that tension and suspense, it's just not scary.