"Predators" Talkback (Spoilers)

Rate this movie.

  • *****

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • **** 1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ****

    Votes: 4 50.0%
  • *** 1/2

    Votes: 2 25.0%
  • ***

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • ** 1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • **

    Votes: 1 12.5%
  • * 1/2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • *

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1/2 *

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    8

Lord Dalek

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THEY ARE THE MOST DANGEROUS KILLERS ON THE PLANET.
BUT THIS IS NOT OUR PLANET.

predators_ver3.jpg


Release Date: June 9, 2010
Studio: 20th Century Fox/Troublemaker Studios
Director: Nimrod Antal
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1 (HDTV)
Starring: Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Alice Braga, Walton Goggins, Lawrence Fishburne

Plot Summary: Robert Rodriguez presents a bold new chapter in the Predator universe, "Predators," shot on location under Rodriguez's creative auspices at the filmmaker's Austin-based Troublemaker Studios, directed by Nimrod Antal. The film stars Oscar®-winner Adrien Brody ("The Pianist") as Royce, a mercenary who reluctantly leads a group of elite warriors who come to realize they've been brought together on an alien planet... as prey. With the exception of a disgraced physician, they are all cold-blooded killers - mercenaries, Yakuza, convicts, death squad members - human "predators" that are now being systemically hunted and eliminated by a new breed of alien Predators.

COMMENTS?

LD Movie Talkback #114

MANKIND'S CONFLICT WITH THE XENOMORPHS:

1987 - Predator
1997 - Predator 2
2004 - Alien Vs. Predator
2004 - AVP:R

2122 - Alien
2179 - Aliens
2179 - Alien 3
2381 - Alien Resurrection

 

King_of_doom

kiva fan
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May 23, 2005
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I can't wait to see this movie today, some are saying that it has the same style as the original Predator movie and not to mention that Robert Rodriguez has made some awesome movies so i don't think I'm gonna be disappointed.
 

Mr. Hypocrite

Detective. Hero. Hypocrite.
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They got smart

I like the idea behind this movie. After getting curb-stomped everytime they go to earth, I can picture a group of Predator's just sitting around saying:

"You know what, let's just bring some of them to us this time!":evil:

Will the Predator's win for the first time in the history of the franchise, or will our intrepid band of humans pull off an upset?
 

Michael24

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King_of_doom said:
not to mention that Robert Rodriguez has made some awesome movies so i don't think I'm gonna be disappointed.
Rodriguez was merely a producer on this film, and it was apparently based on a story concept he pitched to the studio over ten years ago. It was directed by someone else. Personally, I'll probably just wait for DVD.
 

King_of_doom

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Messages
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Rodriguez was merely a producer on this film, and it was apparently based on a story concept he pitched to the studio over ten years ago. It was directed by someone else. Personally, I'll probably just wait for DVD.

Still Rodriguez put a big part into the movie so he might know what fans of the original Predator movies know what they want, well whatever floats boat if you want to watch it on DVD i for one will go to see it.
 

Batmex

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Just came back from seeing it and...............

It was actually pretty good, it felt like a remake of the first one in a good way, with several little nods to the original film and gotta love the new Predator theme:evil:
 

Robin2099

Active Member
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Messages
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Just got back from seeing this, and the movie was awesome and a great starting point to relaunch the predator franchise after it's basically laid dormant for twenty years.

Positives:

-The cast: The entire cast of this movie was really good, and each actor gave us characters that we care about and wanna root for. The stand outs being Walton Goggins, and surprisingly Adrian Brody. After bombing with Danny Glover in a lead role, I was unsure how Brody would do. But he's ripped and has a great screen presence.

-The action: The action scenes in this movie were all really well directed, and best of all had no use of the stupid shaky cam.

The score: The score in this is very similar to the original. Just hearing the score, you realize your watching a real predator movie and it pulls you right in.

The Predators: The predators in this movie all look great. Compared to the AVP movies, the look natural and very much unlike a man in a suit. The best though was still seeing the design of the original predator back again.

Negatives:

-Blood: The blood in this movie is CGI and it really does look horrible.

-"The Twist": There is a twist in the movie involving one of the characters that was so obvious when he's introduced, it was actually kind of stupid to just not reveal it right away.

-The Ending: The ending is not really satisfying and tries to leave things open for a sequel.

Overall I would give this movie a 4/5. This movie is the best since the original and if you are an action movie fan, or SCI-FI fan you owe it to yourself to see this movie and support it. It took us twenty years to get it, but we finally have a worthy sequel to one of the best action films ever made.
 

King_of_doom

kiva fan
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May 23, 2005
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Forgot to add my opinion:

It was what i had expected to be, just awesome! Really felt that i was watching the original movie only there are more predators. The action was nice and like all the characters that appeared on the movie. Looks like it did well at the box office, third place yet earning $25 million.

I hope the Prequel of the Thing its just as good as this one, i know they will use CGI but hopefully some classic special effects as the original remake would be cool to see, those effects where ahead of its time.
 

Zeonic Freak

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My positives and negatives on this film:

Positive:
- The opening. That brief 2 second title after Broady lands is like "heres the title and ok down to business".
- The ending battle. Pretty much the last 15 minutes of the film or from the battle with the 2 predators to when Brody decap the bezerker predator. I thought all of that was great.
- Entertainment. The movie was nothing but entertaining, but thats what you can expect from a Troublemaker film.
- Yakuza vs Predator. This was another homage to the first film with Billy and the Predator, only this time, you saw the battle not hear someone yell 10 seconds later. And this was a cool fight I thought for what it showed.

Negatives:
- Charactor development. I guess for a hour and a half movie, you can only do so much with the charactors and the plot of "survive or die". But Brody seemed to understand everyone within the first 10 minutes with "That guy is Spentnaz and hes Yakuza and blah blah blah" like he knew everything from being "ex military".
- Writing. I kinda got the feeling this was like a fanfic at first with the all knowing Brody telling everyone what to do. But this was a concept written like 15 years ago. I think the plot and story are fine but you really didnt get to know the charactors much, but then again, why bother, there gonna die anyways.
- A retarded first movie refrence. For a minute there in the film, i thought the sniper chick was the south american girl that survived with Arnold in the first film, so it was like "yea, after i survived that i killed people for the next 20 years". But apoun checking the internet, that wasnt true. I thought the whole reference to tie in the first movie was kinda stupid at first, but it was very brief and was kept at that.
- Lawrence Fishburne. He should have had more than 15 minutes of screen time, but oh well. I thought he would have made a cool "part villain" along with the Predators that the rest of the gang could fight against.
- The death row inmate. He got annoying after 5 minutes being the "comedic guy", but i thought when he prison shanked that Predator from behind was well worth it. But before then, no.

All in all, despite its flaws here and there, I liked it. Its not great, but its just a movie to not take seriously and enjoy. For a Predator movie that goes a tad below the first film i think its great. Theres probably more good things about it i could list and how the characters seemed to be redone characters from the first movie, still wasnt that bad. I gave it 4 outta 5...
 

Goodfellow

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I have mixed feelings on this movie. On one hand, it is by far the best Predator movie since the original. On the other hand, that is not saying much. It had some really great moments, as the creature designs are by far the best since the original's design. The acting was surprisingly solid though, but the characters were one dimensional, and some were pointless other than just being canon fodder. The plot was average, but they did take some homage's to the original movie, while also mentioning the first and none of the others thankfully. The cinematography was great at times, especially between a specific sword duel with a Predator and Yakuza, and the coloring was impressive. However, the plot was redundant and predictable, while also being very slow moving to the point that I was bored half the time. Overall, not a bad movie, but definitely not anywhere near as good as it could have been.
 

tiger45

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It was an ok movie. Not on the same level as Predator or the second one, but better than the AVP series. I felt that this movie had more potential though.

The characters could have been intriguing if they let them live longer, let them play into their roles more. Addtionally detracting was the pace and plot latter half of the movie. It felt rushed. Fishburne's character either should have lived longer (as he was a interesting addition) or not been in it at all. They could have also expanded more on the interactions between the Predator types.

That said, I did like it. Adrien Brody and Alice Braga acted well. It would be nice to see them in a sequel maybe.
 

Temple Fugate

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I've never seen a Predator film before, and knew nothing of this story going into the theater. I was very pleasantly surprised by the interesting plot and fun action. They were smart and made this film accessible to someone who never saw the other four films.

One thing that got me on-board with the film early on was the Battle Royal-esque setup. Individuals plucked from their normal lives, outfitted with unique weapons, and forced to kill or be killed.

The characters were interesting to watch interact with one another. The convict could easily have been written badly, as most stereotypical cons in movies are, but this guy was great. When the boars attacked and everyone is cocking their guns, he pulls out his shiv and instantly knows how outclassed he is. "Where's my gun? I want a gun!" He was one of my favorites.

And then Laurence Fishburne shows up out of nowhere. I never liked him as Morpheus, but in this film he plays crazy so well it elevates things to a new level of fun.

I would have liked to see more Predators, but the human cast was the true focus of the film...and in a sense the true monsters. The Predators are simply following their species' code of existence: become better hunters. The humans they hunt are the ones who made choices in their lives to be saviors or killers.

Many of these characters are not ashamed to think of themselves as killers, and that's the real heart of the story. This film makes no excuses for them, but it doesn't condemn many of them either. It's a great example of how passive lessons are easier for audiences to take in than one character lecturing to the camera for five minutes. We get to take what each of us wants from the movie, and I ended up taking a lot of good stuff.
 

Hanshotfirst1138

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A solid, trashy B-movie that gets the Predator franchise back to its roots. Not a great work of art, but a fun way to kill a few hours. I can't believe I was so stupid that I missed the twist at the end with Grace's character. The characters are pretty much just cyphers, barely given names, though the actors do what they can with them, and the CG generally looks a little subpar ($40 million? Doesn't quite look it!), but it's a B-movie that's about gritty goods, so it doesn't matter too much. I'd LOVED to have seen how Neil Marshall would have handled things, but Antal and the cinematographer he brought back from Hungary handle themselves well. There're some striking visuals, great set pieces, gorgeous cinematography, and a nice sense of atmosphere and testosterone-fueled thrills. The movie takes entirely too long to get started. I understand the attempt at suspense, but lets get things moving! The fans know the deal, and I think that for a regular audience, it's a just dragged out too long considering the film's thin structure and lack of characterization and plot. The meat itself was terrific though; Nicotero and Berger (We miss you Bob!) are at the top of their game, and the effects work is great. Rubber suits and prosthetic over CG any day. The action is really gritty, and avoids the Bay/Greengrass way-too-frenetic-for-its-own-good aesthetic. I don't think the movie entirely knows where to take every plot thread, and sequel-ripe ending is a bit odd, has the ultimate effects of being quite unsatisfying because it just feel like a setup for another film rather than a proper resolution. Rodriguez says it in continuity with the original series and not the AVP ones, which muddles the mythology insanely, but since apart from a passing reference to the original, nothing is mentioned, it doesn't matter anyway. It's obvious that Rodriguez was involved-it has his brawn-over-brains B-movie style all over it (Along with lots of holdover Tarantino-Rodiriguez crew), but this is a franchise to which it's perfectly suited, so that's fine. There's nothing complicated here, and there's nothing that needs to be. Like Stallone's Rambo, it's a journey back the foul-mouthed world of 80s action films where everyone bled gallons of blood. And what a fun trip it is fanboys! Buckle up and enjoy. It only took two-and-a-half decades.

Rodriguez was merely a producer on this film, and it was apparently based on a story concept he pitched to the studio over ten years ago. It was directed by someone else. Personally, I'll probably just wait for DVD.

If you're a Predator fan, I'd say give it a look. It took 25 years, but there's finally a decent installment after the original.

After bombing with Danny Glover in a lead role, I was unsure how Brody would do. But he's ripped and has a great screen presence.

Brody is clearly having a blast channeling his inner Clint Eastwood badass, and it's fun to watch..

-The action: The action scenes in this movie were all really well directed, and best of all had no use of the stupid shaky cam.
YES! Antal, as you can see in his grungy foreign debut, is obviously a guy with a good eye, and he's got a great Hollywood calling card here. It's nice to see some meat-and-potatoes action in the world of over-the-top CGI. Good, old-fashion action it is, and it's fun to behold. Actually, the CG tends to look so-so anyway. For a guy with such a patchy resume, Rodriguiez and Antal have editor Dan Zimmerman doing very good work indeed. And no second unit either. He's doing all of this himself. Wonder who choreographed that Kendo swordfight? It looked great.

The Predators: The predators in this movie all look great. Compared to the AVP movies, the look natural and very much unlike a man in a suit. The best though was still seeing the design of the original predator back again.
I didn't notice that things had been redesigned so substantially over the years! But KNB were in great form, no doubt. Once again, a great nostalgia trip that makes the movie a great macho action flick and a fun creature feature.

-Blood: The blood in this movie is CGI and it really does look horrible.


I didn't find it as bad as usual, though CG blood never, ever looks good.

"The Twist": There is a twist in the movie involving one of the characters that was so obvious when he's introduced, it was actually kind of stupid to just not reveal it right away.

I can't believe I was stupid enough to miss it.


This movie is the best since the original
Yes, well, not withstanding how badly Predator 2 managed to mangle such a fantastic premise, that's a very low bar to set.

Edit: OK, there should be four Predators in the movie: the Classic is the one chained up, meaning that three others should be the hunters. One is killed by Nikolai, one by Brody, what's the third? There's now a Tracker and a "Berserker?"
 
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Azeke

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OK, there should be four Predators in the movie: the Classic is the one chained up, meaning that three others should be the hunters. One is killed by Nikolai, one by Brody, what's the third?
Yakuza killed one.

Which was quite impressive, though the ending was kinda weak -- they both just fell into the grass.
 

Hanshotfirst1138

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Yakuza killed one.

Which was quite impressive, though the ending was kinda weak -- they both just fell into the grass.

I suppose that a bit more blood would've been cool, but I like it as a sort of homage to the old chambara pictures.
 
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