Movies to dread

dwarfkicker said:
In love there's this little thing called compromise, thus I've had to sit through all three of these Twilight movies with my fiance. Shiny diamond vamps, where the hell's Blade at?!
Haha. If I was with one ex, I would've totally be in your boat man. Fortunately my current gf is awesome and is on the same wave length as me. :guts: Geek love.

Eluvei said:
Well, if she loved you, she wouldn't have you go through torture like that, right? Just kidding, man. Love is beautiful. :rakshas:
This is true duder. :serpico:

On bad movie note. They're actually making Clash of the Titans 2. Why?
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Just got back from Predators. It wasn't that bad. Definitely not epic reboot that everyone is hoping for, but I wasn't as disappointed as I thought.

I'd like bounce some ideas with anyone else who has seen it, namely Proj.
First of all, about Morpheus being "liquefied", I do believe that the rogue predator that killed him had different technology from the ones we've seen previously and the shoulder guns were different too. That could explain the different type of death. I'll agree though, it wasn't that cool anyway. About Morpheus, I really didn't mind his character, and I didn't get that "he's too fat" vibe either. Maybe I was trying to rationalize it in my mind after reading your comments, but it didn't bother me. I actually liked his character and the things he explained were pretty interesting, as you said. Also about the blood being wrong, I didn't catch it. Was it the Rogue Predator blood? if so it's possible that it could have been different for that reason alone. I will agree that some of the biggest letdowns were the "sword fight" scene (your totally right about the predator looking like a guy in a suit) and the fact that the rogue preds had zero personality. That and the overall feel to the whole movie.
The Classic Predator's inner jaw doesn't move.
This actually bothered me more than anything. :azan: Very distracting!

The music was good though, even more when the credits rolled. I bet you can guess what song played :carcus:

And yea, this scene wasn't in the movie, probably for the best
1269333357057.jpg


Overall I honestly didn't hate it (I know, I like anything right guys?)

... I'm hungry, wheres my twilight bars?
 
Haha. If I was with one ex, I would've totally be in your boat man. Fortunately my current gf is awesome and is on the same wave length as me. guts Geek love.

Oh she plays games and watches the same movies as me. But she also likes the chick flicks so I have to tag along for them. It's only fair.....right? :troll:

Anyways, saw it. Enjoyed the hell out of it. All 5 of us did. It wasn't perfect but it certainly was the best Predator movie since the first one.

Pros:
-I like how their was some build up/exploration before the killing really got going. Added a sense of foreboding.
-I like how the Super Preds differed from the Regular/Average Preds in both design and weaponry (no netting for clothing, single wrist blade, more powerful cannon, mask style and face).
-Samurai Showdown! I thought this was cool as hell. I immidiately thought of Billy from the first one, only this one shows the skirmish. Also showed the Predator sense of honor.
-Loved how the convict got the most brutal kill. Him taunting the Pred only to have his spine torn out was just so fitting.
-I liked the group of characters. They meshed well, and their sense of survival was believable for the most part.
-"Morpheus" was amusing as hell. I thought of Castaway with Tom Hanks when he started talking to his imaginary friend. His death was fitting for the snake that he turned out to be.
-The music was a nice touch. Especially during the credits. Instant flashback to the chopper scene in the first movie.
-The ending was great in my eyes. I'm so glad they didn't pull some shit with the Pred flying them home or the survivors flying home on their own.
-I like how they handled the mud in this one. Brody owned that Predator until it busted out a sound visor mode (pretty cool) and was able to track him through his heartbeat.
-The hounds (if you can call them that) were pretty gnarly. I liked them. Little bastards took some heat. Gave some of the characters a chance to shine as well.
-Absolutely loved the Super Pred detonating the ship as it flew away. I could just imagine if Brody was in there thinking he was in the clear. Such a ruthless alien.
-I also liked the throw back briefing to the first movie. I guess if Arnold's cameo couldn't work out it was the next best thing.

Cons:
-Claymore explosion was unrealistic as all hell and the accompanying cg was horrible. Even if the explosion triggered the drill blowing it was still pretty far fetched. Claymores don't blow big enough to do that.
-Claymore point blank offs a super Pred but a dozen grenades don't do the trick? Meh....
-Didn't like any of the throwback dialogue at all. "Over here" and "Turn around" belong to Mac. "Kill me. I'm here. Come on. Do it now." belongs to Dutch. :mozgus:
-Wished some of the kills were more brutal.
-Wished we got a clear shot of the Regular Predator using his double wrist blades. I missed them in this movie.
-And I didn't like how the Predators could just take off and remove their masks. How are you gonna have the masks fastened on in ALL of the other movies but not in this one?

Indifferent:
-Pred vs Pred. I'm bummed because it seemed like two retards attempting to play foot ball with all the attempted talking. Then it turned into some UFC crap with one being mounted and pummled on the ground by the other one. Loved the unmasking and the decap at the end of the fight. It was cool to see two Preds go at it. But it could have been better.
-I liked the display of, let's call it rough honor, that the regular pred shows after it's freed by Brody. Choking him out like that and then examining his skull much like what was done to Arnold in the first one. Thankfully it didn't turn into an AVP team up as Brody made no attempt to go back and help the regular pred take on the super pred. Still though, I wasn't liking the fact that there was this exchange between the two species. Brought back a hint of the nasty taste that the first AVP left in my mouth (that movie sucked).


All in all I give this movie an 8.5 out of 10. If those cons were taken care of this movie would've been on par with the first one for me :guts:
 
8.5 Dwarfkicker?! You're extremely generous man. It may boil down to a matter of taste, but what you cite as 'pros', I cite as 'travesties'.

The movie ends kind of seriously only to have Little Richard come and destroy the mood. Sorry, but it worked in the original, not here.

You liked the samurai fight?! Did we watch the same movie?

"Morpheus" couldn't act his way out of paper bag in this flick IMHO.

I'm really surprised no one is mentioning the complete lack of new Predator weaponry. :femto:

Also,
they literally waited until the last 6 minutes of the movie to show what Edwin really was. A serial killer. Come on. He was practically the comic relief of the movie.
Why does this only bother me?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk0g_fppVHI

Note: "He may prove to be the most deadly of them all." :schierke: And the plant bullshit.
 
8.5 Dwarfkicker?! You're extremely generous man. It may boil down to a matter of taste, but what you cite as 'pros', I cite as 'travesties'.

I can read between the lines when it comes to certain things. It wasn't poor writing, just required a little reasoning to make it work for me. Apparently though you seem to be the type that needs a movie to have every little detail spelled out for you. Not knocking you. After all, who goes into a mindless action movie wanting to think about what they're watching :slan:

Edwin knowing his poisonous substances just by look, smell, or texture through possible similarity to something on earth isn't surprising. He's a sick whacked out freak, and based on this I'm sure he's used types of various paralysis on some of his victims. When something about character like that occurs, I don't need things explained to me in crystal clear detail. If he's a doctor then he obviously knows his shit about the body and the kinds of things that might affect it. It would be like Royce rigging Edwin's body with the grenades. I didn't need something explaining that he's a demolitions expert. I see that he's a soldier/merc and know that he knows his shit about setting traps like that.

And for the fight,
Billy drew his knife in the first movie. We didn't see what came of that fight other than the outcome. King Willie drew his sword in the second movie. Once again only the outcome was shown. It was nice to see a blade match between a Predator and a human. Then again you have the final fight at the end of the second. Harrigan was using a weapon he never used before and it showed with the Predator, being one armed, overwhelming him for the whole fight. Now you've got a man, clearly trained to use a sword, with a much longer reach then the disk weapon, and so you have a different kind of fight. And for me it worked. However, it wasn't perfect. A better showing of that duel would have been to showcase the Predator's overwhelming strength which seemed to disappear just for that fight. But it's forgivable cause even though they killed each other with all or nothing strokes, the match was still in favor of the superior Predator.

Oh, and as for the complaints about the blood being wrong in an earlier post, it wasn't wrong. They have glowing green blood. They've had it in every movie.
 
dwarfkicker said:
I can read between the lines when it comes to certain things. It wasn't poor writing, just required a little reasoning to make it work for me. Apparently though you seem to be the type that needs a movie to have every little detail spelled out for you. Not knocking you. After all, who goes into a mindless action movie wanting to think about what they're watching :slan:

I don't need every detail spelled out, I just don't enjoy sloppy story telling. After suffering through shitty Aliens and Predator movies, yes, I would like one to be chock full of detail and not have corners cut.

On Edwin: Alien plant man. Don't make excuses for lameness. Edwin's a surgeon, they never mentioned anything about him being a horticulturalist. :schierke:

On Yakuza-Billy:
The fight was painful to watch man. How can you not admit it? I bet you could go into your backyard and film something better. It was so forced on us. (I can see how it would work better if they kept the scene where Hanzo voices his feeling that he belongs on this plant with the Hunters. Alas, they cut it.)

As for the blood. I miss the 'glow', the charming glow. Compare the new vs the old, you'll see it.
 
If it looks like I'm trying to convince you to change your opinion, that's not my intention. You have yours and I have mine. I'm simply stating (mainly with Edwin) how I rationalize the story telling. I can do that here because
after Edwin gets Isabell with the poison, he explains to her the sensations and effects she's feeling, while letting her know that while she's numb, she'll still be able to experience everything he does to her. This to me shows that he knows his shit.
I wouldn't call that piss poor story telling, so much as leaving it until the end to help you, the viewer, figure out that 1+1=2. I personally didn't need him to mention in casual conversation that he was a horticulturalist or a botanist.
He spoke of the plant so matter-of-factly that I figured he knew his shit, or at least had a good idea.
That's my rational.

And before Grif comes in makes some kind of smartass comment like how I could possibly rationalize at "how a piece of shit sprayed with perfume could make it any more than a piece of shit" I'll simply say that it would still be a piece of shit...just nicer smelling :ganishka:

And I believe I stated that the fight wasn't perfect, though I was still able to enjoy and appreciate it. I have seen far better.

Bottom line, I went into that movie hoping to see a good Predator movie. I saw a movie that walked all over both AVPs and entertained me more than the second Predator. 10 bucks well spent for me.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
dwarfkicker said:
And before Grif comes in makes some kind of smartass comment like how I could possibly rationalize at "how a piece of shit sprayed with perfume could make it any more than a piece of shit" I'll simply say that it would still be a piece of shit...just nicer smelling :ganishka:

Why would you so perfectly set yourself up for a cruel comeback zinger like this!? Just know I'm showing a lot of restraint right now in the spirit of unity. :guts:


P.S. Was going to see it today, but my friend bailed out because he didn't want to spend the money. Another time, perhaps.

P.P.S Made yet another attempt tonight, but apparently you really do need to be kidnapped and dropped off on the Predator planet to get a group there.

P.P.P.S. BTW dwarf, someone knowing something they really shouldn't be able to know isn't explained by them knowing it. That's a basic circular logic fallacy, and another reason rationalizing is a poor substitute for solid writing. Anyway, not an unforgivable reach in a movie like this, but not good either, however you want to spin it.

Speaking of which (RANT ALERT), the context surrounding that fallacy sounds pathetically trite and tacked on for a Predator movie, same for the Japanese sword fighting faggotry (I hope the guy had Hanzo steel!). I mean, gimme a break, did Rodriguez manage to stuff every more passé than risqué modern cliché into this flick? It reminds me of that new Mortal Kombat movie trailer, right down to the exact same hackneyed, fucked out and oh so "edgy" character devices, "He may prove to be the most deadly of them all!" They really should have had Laurence Fishburne play Morpheus, complete with Predator kung fu fighting in bullet time; and if there wasn't one among the cast already, I can't wait for Predators 2: Predators Vs. Vampires! I just hope the kills will be brutal and hardcore enough for those of us with exacting standards and good taste! Ok, I'll stop now, I'm just so excited to see the movie I can't contain myself! =)
 
I liked the Pred movie didn't add to much but what I like most is where it takes place that was all the difference it needed and this kinda felt like a direct sequel in a way.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Breed1Ghost said:
I liked the Pred movie didn't add to much but what I like most is where it takes place that was all the difference it needed and this kinda felt like a direct sequel in a way.

Most convincing positive review I've seen.

Speaking of which, Predators is down to 65% at RT, and up to 50% at Metacritic. Seems about right from what I've heard.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Since Predators is doomed to remain in this thread, I found this interesting http://www.movie-moron.com/forum/index.php?topic=1605.0

That was the creature that Morpheus shot and killed.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
I think what you said earlier, Oburi, about not really hating it, was an appropriate and measured response. I didn't hate it either, but despite it's best efforts, it was disjointed and mediocre all-around.

That's what I'm going to focus on here for the most part, I'll leave the praising or defending it to those that truly liked it. I thought it was a par for course action movie, enjoyed some parts, thought it was good to see the Predator back in the jungle, but that's about it. One thing I'll give it is you could tell its heart was in the right place. They really tried to get what made Predator great and duplicate it, they just couldn't pull it off. Though this literally is what you'd get if you tried to make Predator today. The problem with that sentence is the today part. It's rife with the same modern BS that plague a lot of movies now, particularly action movies. It's not just a matter of not living up to the original, it also really didn't excel at anything in its own right. It kept my attention and wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't satisfying either, and just about everything could have easily been better with some tweaks, and when that's true of everything, it's hard to overlook. I watched in good faith, my expectations were low, but I was open-mined, and I kept waiting for it to go to another gear, the potential was there, but in the end it just didn't, and when it showed me all it had, I was left wanting. It was merely mediocre.

The story was mediocre. It just sort of meandered along from one station to the next, sometimes they'd set a course and it'd go nowhere, arbitrarily transitioning into something else, and most things happened or worked just because the script needed them to, not because it made sense or followed some natural progression or order (they learn the Predators' weakness halfway through the movie, then forget about it until the very end, and not surprisingly the stuff in between is the worst of the movie). Stuff just happened for the sake of doing it, and most of it wasn't even very spectacular, so I'm not sure what it was worth doing it that way. The dialogue and scenes were generally kinda hacky, self-important but off the shelf. It's not for lack of effort, they were trying and taking it seriously, but it's just the kind of movie that even if you enjoy it while you watch it, there's no satisfaction to be had in analyzing it afterward, because it had so many holes.

The characters were mediocre. I didn't buy them or their behavior, which was easy because they didn't make much sense. The ensemble didn't work because they were literally and figuratively just thrown together, there was no intuitive group dynamic that made it all fit. Also, how'd they find these guys again? I understand plucking soldiers off a battlefield, but some of those characters had complex and private backgrounds in everyday life. How'd the Predators identify them, are they keeping tabs on everyone on Earth? Doesn't make sense, and in the first two movies they met their main targets by happenstance. In any case, Topher Grace's character was unfit as a Predator opponent however you look at it (again, didn't make sense, but the script calls for it for a gimmick). As for Adrien Brody, he wasn't believable as the hardass, or his character wasn't, though I blame Brody because the guy is just too emotive to be talking about what a cold-blooded killer he is, and so it all came off very forced. Not a believable leader either, especially among this crowd, who were sure blindly loyal to him for a bunch of murderous strangers. He was still fine as a soldier dangerous with modern weapons, but they really should have left his shirt on. Again, not their fault, there is no Arnold today, let alone supporting guys like Carl Weathers to surround him with. So, we literally get a bunch of lightweights, but the writing didn't help. They were supposed to be rugged and rough & tumble, but they continually engaged in conversation and behavior that suggested otherwise. They were way too normal and soft for what they were supposed to be, but that's typical today.

The action was mediocre. Not only were the action set pieces underwhelming anyway, but they felt staged, inconsistent, and synthetic. Again, things happened because they were supposed or needed to, not because they naturally made sense, and so it never felt authentic. The first predator dog takes extensive fire from the entire party to go down and still almost reaches them, the others die instantly when it's convenient. They also attack when and how it's convenient. One second they're charging full speed like they're totally wild and kill crazy, but once their prey becomes helpless and they could easily kill them with half the effort they previously displayed, they suddenly become shy and slow. It's like watching the WWE, guys are obviously pulling their punches and putting themselves in position to lose, because that's the script. It reminds me of Terminator Salvation, particularly in the last fight, how the Terminator would just throw John Conner around for the sake of an implausible wrestling match, even though it was supposed to just kill him, and could easily have with one hit at any time. Same exact thing happens again and again here, particularly at the end, and there's simply no sense of gravity, urgency, or realism because of it. It used to be in these movies that when the killing machine got to you, you were dead, it killed you. That's what made it scary and effective. It's like even R-rated movies are made for PG-13 audiences these days, or made with a PG-13 mentality and technique, like they just can't get out of that mode. Instead of real violence, they're going to wrestle and fly around and have slick CGI violence that might look visually impressive, but not at all real (for the record, Predator 2 was considered so violent, it was originally rated NC-17 =). Anyway, these people don't act like they're really dealing with monsters, and the monsters don't act like it either. So, why should I feel any differently? Speaking of which...

The Predators were mediocre! Seemingly plucked right from AvP stock, uninspired pseudo-redesigns with no substantial additions (subtractions, actually), personality, or common sense. They weren't Predators so much as they were just monsters. They weren't intelligent, actually they were pretty dumb, and again, their behavior was dictated by whatever the scene called for. Including just standing in harm's way, taking damage, even death, like they're Michael Myers or The Terminator, and in the same vein as the modern Terminator, they're surprisingly ineffective at actually killing people. At times they seemed to have little to no concern for their own safety, welfare, or whether or not they actually, ya know, won. They'd mindlessly march forward after their victim like Jason. So much for evolving as hunters/killers, this was another step back, and despite being the big baddies of the movie, they were kinda lame, displaying no hunting/survival prowess and walking stupidly into cheap deaths. Also, I wasn't expecting there to be less Predators in this movie than in Predator 2, not to mention the mythology introduced at the end of 2 was infinitely more interesting than the vague gobbledygook spouted here. A Predator movie can't be that good if the Predators themselves are one of the movie's weak links.

Finally, the sword fight was... muy malo. It encompasses all of the above, it didn't make sense from a story, character, action, or Predator standpoint, and was totally contrived and wedged into the movie, seemingly from another (AvP perhaps). There's no reason or clear motivation behind it, it's just thrown in there for vapid fanboys, and it's not even very satisfying or well done in its own right. It was on par with the action in Batman: Dead End, a fan movie. It was actually kind of surreal to sit through, like was this really happening (even the setting), and was the only part I felt was really bad and inappropriate in an exploitative kind of way (though speaking of exploitative, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that they try to riff on the original Predator as much as possible, to the point you can't help but compare them, it's like a remix =).

That's basically my (incomplete) take on what's wrong with Predators, the movie isn't all bad by any means, but all that bad stuff, and more, is in there. If you don't think about it, it's alright, even nostalgic, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny. It's really not in the same vein as the original Predator, not intrinsically; while it's certainly made in its image, it's not made out of the same stuff, but the more modern materials that comprise movies like AvP. That's what it's truly successor to, and by that standard, it's definitely a step back in the right direction.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
Good review Griff.

It's like even R-rated movies are made for PG-13 audiences these days, or made with a PG-13 mentality and technique, like they just can't get out of that mode.

This is so true, I was thinking the exact same thing and it goes to almost all movie these days, at least all hollywood movies. I don't want to sound like one who needs extreme violence in movies or I'm not satisfied but seriously I remember as a kid actually being frightened to see how some death scenes would play out with practical effects. These days it's like I know I won't be shocked or scared I just hope there is enough to earn the R rating. Predators could have been pg-13 with some language tweeks.

I mean, can you imagine what a remake of The Thing would look like?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0905372/ guess we'll find out.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
Oburi said:
Good review Griff.

Thanks, I'm just glad to know somebody read the damn thing! I actually intended to do a brief review... :schierke:

Oburi said:
This is so true, I was thinking the exact same thing and it goes to almost all movie these days, at least all hollywood movies. I don't want to sound like one who needs extreme violence in movies or I'm not satisfied but seriously I remember as a kid actually being frightened to see how some death scenes would play out with practical effects. These days it's like I know I won't be shocked or scared I just hope there is enough to earn the R rating. Predators could have been pg-13 with some language tweeks.

Yeah, I saw Predators with my dad and he still wasn't sure what it was rated afterward until I reminded him that they dropped multiple F-Bombs. Otherwise, like you said it could have been PG-13. I'm also not out for extreme violence or gore porn, but the violence should have some impact, whereas everything feels like cartoon violence these days. Even when guys get cut in half or something in a mainstream action movie, it's done in such a way that it has no weight. Compared to the stylized violence of today, those 70's and 80's horror/action movies were filmed like documentaries. I remember Texas Chainsaw Massacre being described as having the quality of a film you'd watch in science class.

Oburi said:
I mean, can you imagine what a remake of The Thing would look like?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0905372/ guess we'll find out.

It's going to look like a video game. Speaking of which, we think of the uncanny valley as it applies to video games all the time, but it just as well describes what's wrong with most action/effects movies these days.
 

Johnstantine

Skibbidy Boo Bop
グリフィス said:
I think what you said earlier, Oburi, about not really hating it, was an appropriate and measured response. I didn't hate it either, but despite it's best efforts, it was disjointed and mediocre all-around.

That's what I'm going to focus on here for the most part, I'll leave the praising or defending it to those that truly liked it. I thought it was a par for course action movie, enjoyed some parts, thought it was good to see the Predator back in the jungle, but that's about it. One thing I'll give it is you could tell its heart was in the right place. They really tried to get what made Predator great and duplicate it, they just couldn't pull it off. Though this literally is what you'd get if you tried to make Predator today. The problem with that sentence is the today part. It's rife with the same modern BS that plague a lot of movies now, particularly action movies. It's not just a matter of not living up to the original, it also really didn't excel at anything in its own right. It kept my attention and wasn't a bad experience, but it wasn't satisfying either, and just about everything could have easily been better with some tweaks, and when that's true of everything, it's hard to overlook. I watched in good faith, my expectations were low, but I was open-mined, and I kept waiting for it to go to another gear, the potential was there, but in the end it just didn't, and when it showed me all it had, I was left wanting. It was merely mediocre.

The story was mediocre. It just sort of meandered along from one station to the next, sometimes they'd set a course and it'd go nowhere, arbitrarily transitioning into something else, and most things happened or worked just because the script needed them to, not because it made sense or followed some natural progression or order (they learn the Predators' weakness halfway through the movie, then forget about it until the very end, and not surprisingly the stuff in between is the worst of the movie). Stuff just happened for the sake of doing it, and most of it wasn't even very spectacular, so I'm not sure what it was worth doing it that way. The dialogue and scenes were generally kinda hacky, self-important but off the shelf. It's not for lack of effort, they were trying and taking it seriously, but it's just the kind of movie that even if you enjoy it while you watch it, there's no satisfaction to be had in analyzing it afterward, because it had so many holes.

The characters were mediocre. I didn't buy them or their behavior, which was easy because they didn't make much sense. The ensemble didn't work because they were literally and figuratively just thrown together, there was no intuitive group dynamic that made it all fit. Also, how'd they find these guys again? I understand plucking soldiers off a battlefield, but some of those characters had complex and private backgrounds in everyday life. How'd the Predators identify them, are they keeping tabs on everyone on Earth? Doesn't make sense, and in the first two movies they met their main targets by happenstance. In any case, Topher Grace's character was unfit as a Predator opponent however you look at it (again, didn't make sense, but the script calls for it for a gimmick). As for Adrien Brody, he wasn't believable as the hardass, or his character wasn't, though I blame Brody because the guy is just too emotive to be talking about what a cold-blooded killer he is, and so it all came off very forced. Not a believable leader either, especially among this crowd, who were sure blindly loyal to him for a bunch of murderous strangers. He was still fine as a soldier dangerous with modern weapons, but they really should have left his shirt on. Again, not their fault, there is no Arnold today, let alone supporting guys like Carl Weathers to surround him with. So, we literally get a bunch of lightweights, but the writing didn't help. They were supposed to be rugged and rough & tumble, but they continually engaged in conversation and behavior that suggested otherwise. They were way too normal and soft for what they were supposed to be, but that's typical today.

The action was mediocre. Not only were the action set pieces underwhelming anyway, but they felt staged, inconsistent, and synthetic. Again, things happened because they were supposed or needed to, not because they naturally made sense, and so it never felt authentic. The first predator dog takes extensive fire from the entire party to go down and still almost reaches them, the others die instantly when it's convenient. They also attack when and how it's convenient. One second they're charging full speed like they're totally wild and kill crazy, but once their prey becomes helpless and they could easily kill them with half the effort they previously displayed, they suddenly become shy and slow. It's like watching the WWE, guys are obviously pulling their punches and putting themselves in position to lose, because that's the script. It reminds me of Terminator Salvation, particularly in the last fight, how the Terminator would just throw John Conner around for the sake of an implausible wrestling match, even though it was supposed to just kill him, and could easily have with one hit at any time. Same exact thing happens again and again here, particularly at the end, and there's simply no sense of gravity, urgency, or realism because of it. It used to be in these movies that when the killing machine got to you, you were dead, it killed you. That's what made it scary and effective. It's like even R-rated movies are made for PG-13 audiences these days, or made with a PG-13 mentality and technique, like they just can't get out of that mode. Instead of real violence, they're going to wrestle and fly around and have slick CGI violence that might look visually impressive, but not at all real (for the record, Predator 2 was considered so violent, it was originally rated NC-17 =). Anyway, these people don't act like they're really dealing with monsters, and the monsters don't act like it either. So, why should I feel any differently? Speaking of which...

The Predators were mediocre! Seemingly plucked right from AvP stock, uninspired pseudo-redesigns with no substantial additions (subtractions, actually), personality, or common sense. They weren't Predators so much as they were just monsters. They weren't intelligent, actually they were pretty dumb, and again, their behavior was dictated by whatever the scene called for. Including just standing in harm's way, taking damage, even death, like they're Michael Myers or The Terminator, and in the same vein as the modern Terminator, they're surprisingly ineffective at actually killing people. At times they seemed to have little to no concern for their own safety, welfare, or whether or not they actually, ya know, won. They'd mindlessly march forward after their victim like Jason. So much for evolving as hunters/killers, this was another step back, and despite being the big baddies of the movie, they were kinda lame, displaying no hunting/survival prowess and walking stupidly into cheap deaths. Also, I wasn't expecting there to be less Predators in this movie than in Predator 2, not to mention the mythology introduced at the end of 2 was infinitely more interesting than the vague gobbledygook spouted here. A Predator movie can't be that good if the Predators themselves are one of the movie's weak links.

Finally, the sword fight was... muy malo. It encompasses all of the above, it didn't make sense from a story, character, action, or Predator standpoint, and was totally contrived and wedged into the movie, seemingly from another (AvP perhaps). There's no reason or clear motivation behind it, it's just thrown in there for vapid fanboys, and it's not even very satisfying or well done in its own right. It was on par with the action in Batman: Dead End, a fan movie. It was actually kind of surreal to sit through, like was this really happening (even the setting), and was the only part I felt was really bad and inappropriate in an exploitative kind of way (though speaking of exploitative, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that they try to riff on the original Predator as much as possible, to the point you can't help but compare them, it's like a remix =).

That's basically my (incomplete) take on what's wrong with Predators, the movie isn't all bad by any means, but all that bad stuff, and more, is in there. If you don't think about it, it's alright, even nostalgic, but it doesn't hold up to scrutiny. It's really not in the same vein as the original Predator, not intrinsically; while it's certainly made in its image, it's not made out of the same stuff, but the more modern materials that comprise movies like AvP. That's what it's truly successor to, and by that standard, it's definitely a step back in the right direction.

ya know, i had the EXACT same feelings after i saw the movie. the sword fight was the only major problem i had with the movie. it seemed out of place and completely UTTERLY unnecessary. times, like, a billion.

great review.
 
You're dreading Tron 2.0?! I hope it's as good or is better than the original, and so far those clips/ trailers look badass *phew*

I'm dreading the Akira, Full Metal Panic, Gungrave, Rurouni Kenshin (or Samurai X) Live Action movies. Maaan, NO!
 
Just read your review Griff. Meh, it was mediocre. Totally kidding. I can't talk about the movie without getting emotional about it, you summed things up nicely and without it being laced with HATE.
 

Rhombaad

Video Game Time Traveler
Based on your review I think I'll wait until I'm really drunk one night and order it on Comcast. Until then, I'm going to rewatch the original on Blu-ray the second it arrives in my mailbox (should be here tomorrow afternoon). It's been years since I've seen it and I've never actually owned it until now. Can't wait!
 
Saw Predators. Didn't see many big deal problems with it. It was just an OK movie. You can't expect much out of Hollywood these days when it comes to sequels. The only way the movie will annoy some people is if they go into it a die-hard fan of the Predator franchise or with high hopes on it being great. I'm not a die-hard fan (I loved the original) and didn't go into it thinking it will top Predator. I mean let's face it, in recent years not many movie sequels top their predecessors.

It seems just everyone hated it from the get go and were just dead set on it being terrible. In the end it really wasn't that terrible. Yes, Predator was an amazing movie and yes they shouldn't tarnish the legacy with crap. But at least it's no AVP. I don't understand the need to nitpick on movies now. With all the crap constantly being released it's as if everyone's surprised Hollywood produces crap.


My main problems with Predators are:

-If the Predators are these highly skilled hunters who enjoy the hunt and the challenge, then why place their prey in a seemingly impossible situation to survive in? I figured if I was a Predator and wanted a real challenge, I would be on equal ground with my prey and supply them with the same weapons and technology I have. The humans are already at a disadvantage with the physical size and strength differential, the human weaponry, gear and supplies. True, that the Predators are killed but apparently this whole "planet prey" thing lasted 10 seasons. Which I assume is a long time given the mental condition Fishburne's character is in. And we can assume the Predators have easily been collecting their trophies within that time. So it's like the Predators are setting themselves up to win a majority of the time. Why couldn't they have done the whole "planet prey" from the beginning? It makes more sense their culture would do something like that instead of a lone Predator traveling to a remote planet and just stumbling upon Arnold Schwarzenegger AKA Earth's most powerful warrior and waging battle.


-I was disappointed with the final fight Adrien Brody had. In particular the final blow. Why didn't he just peck the Predator to death with his beak of a nose?

From reading reviews online and hearing people's thoughts in real life, I hear one thing that is consistent. That it was entertaining. It kind of falls inbetween a movie you should rent and a movie you should see in theaters. I guess if you've seen all the summer blockbusters and you or someone else feel like watching a flick it isn't a bad movie to go for.
 

Oburi

All praise Grail
IncantatioN said:
You're dreading Tron 2.0?! I hope it's as good or is better than the original, and so far those clips/ trailers look badass *phew*

Who said they were dreading Tron? I already made a post on it when I first saw the trailer a while back. I don't know why but I have a good feeling on that one. The trailer was awesome.
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
ori said:
So it's like the Predators are setting themselves up to win a majority of the time. Why couldn't they have done the whole "planet prey" from the beginning? It makes more sense their culture would do something like that instead of a lone Predator traveling to a remote planet and just stumbling upon Arnold Schwarzenegger AKA Earth's most powerful warrior and waging battle.

It doesn't make more sense than a hunter going on a hunting trip in their desired prey's natural environment, that's what hunting is. If you want to go hunt deer, you go to the forest. That's the original Predator concept, and remember, it wasn't shackled yet by all of this dumbed down Predator mythos that's totally one-dimensional. Everything about the Predator mythology was basically extrapolated just from the little information about the Predator in the first movie. Even how they expanded on it was one-dimensional, it was all focused on hunting and honor. Well, that doesn't explain their intelligence, knowledge, and how they developed a highly advanced technological culture and civilization greater than our own (yet, all they do is hunt! =). Theoretically, there should be Predator scientists, doctors, and engineers that spend most of their life dedicated to advancing and building this technology. In the first movie, for all we knew, that was exactly the case. The Predator could have been just one individual from an alien race who happened to be a trophy hunter (hell, maybe it was just his vacation =), and even if that was the main facet and foundation of their culture, there was obviously more to it (medicine, space travel, codes of conduct, etc). That was actually one of my hopes when I heard this movie was supposedly taking place on a Predator planet. It was a great opportunity to show us more of the Predator civilization and what actually makes it tick. Buuuuut... nope, they just hunt all the time! Though, not very well according to this film.

ori said:
-I was disappointed with the final fight Adrien Brody had. In particular the final blow. Why didn't he just peck the Predator to death with his beak of a nose?

That's why I had the opposite feeling about the Predators' advantage, it was mitigated by the fact that they just allowed themselves to be killed and didn't care. I could be wrong, but I don't think that's the point of trophy hunting. :ganishka:
 

Aazealh

Administrator
Staff member
ori said:
I don't understand the need to nitpick on movies now. With all the crap constantly being released it's as if everyone's surprised Hollywood produces crap.

Yes, let's all have the lowest possible standards and passively accept bad quality as an unavoidable fact.
 
Oburi said:
Who said they were dreading Tron? I already made a post on it when I first saw the trailer a while back. I don't know why but I have a good feeling on that one. The trailer was awesome.
I thought I read someone say that! All I remember was that the person has a lot of posts, if it helps :rakshas:
 

Griffith

With the streak of a tear, Like morning dew
IncantatioN said:
I thought I read someone say that! All I remember was that the person has a lot of posts, if it helps :rakshas:

It couldn't have been me, I'd have posted it in the "Movies to take or leave" thread.
 
Top Bottom