The Predator (2018)

[BetterButter]

Quote

When a young boy accidentally triggers the universe's most lethal hunters return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.

[Joe]

I love all three Predator movies. However, this just doesn't move me. My feeling is that predators like a bit of a challenge, and stay only a couple of steps above their prey, technology-wise. OTOH, at least two predators have been killed on Earth. If we count Predators, humans have racked up a decent tally. Maybe that's why these ones are upgrading themselves. They think humans are dangerous enough to warrant it.

[WildFlower87]

As I expected this looks awful. And anything with Olivia Munn in it, is usually crap.  I  don't understand how she keeps getting work.

[Couver]

On 5/10/2018 at 6:35 PM, Joe said:

I love all three Predator movies. However, this just doesn't move me. My feeling is that predators like a bit of a challenge, and stay only a couple of steps above their prey, technology-wise. OTOH, at least two predators have been killed on Earth. If we count Predators, humans have racked up a decent tally. Maybe that's why these ones are upgrading themselves. They think humans are dangerous enough to warrant it.

See I've always found it odd that they come to Earth. They outclass people technologically by a lot (especially in the first movie) and physically as a species they are superior. It always seemed cowardly to me that they would want to hunt us with such an uneven playing field. When they have faced threats closer in ability to them (the xenomorphs) they haven't even fared that well.

This looks decent though and very in keeping with the spirit of the films in the franchise. The only truly terrible one for me was Requiem which was just way too dark, as in I couldn't see anything that happened on the screen.

[Morrigan2575]

On 5/15/2018 at 4:50 PM, WildFlower87 said:

As I expected this looks awful. And anything with Olivia Munn in it, is usually crap.  I  don't understand how she keeps getting work.

True but Sterling Brown....might just counter act it. Of course that's assuming he's more than a cameo/extra.  Looking at IMDb Brown and Edward J. almost don't even have names just titles (govt agent, military general). ?

Trailer doesn't look good at all. I'm not a huge fan of either franchise, I liked the first (the best) and 3rd movie, the 2nd (with Glover) wasn't very good, IMO. I never warmed to those Alien vs Predators movies.

I'll pass..

Edited May 18, 2018 by Morrigan2575

[BetterButter]

[Bruinsfan]

On 5/18/2018 at 12:00 PM, Couver said:

See I've always found it odd that they come to Earth. They outclass people technologically by a lot (especially in the first movie) and physically as a species they are superior. It always seemed cowardly to me that they would want to hunt us with such an uneven playing field.

Odd? They're just big game hunters compensating for their feelings of inadequacy, like rich American gun enthusiasts going on safari armed to the teeth so they can pose for selfies with a dead lion.

[BetterButter]

[Robert Lynch]

Does Jacob Tremblay look like a young Sean Astin from The Goonies from the first trailer or was it just me?

[Joe]

I'm not convinced by that trailer. I might wait for reviews. Which is a shame, because I love the other three. And September is IMO a great time to release it. That's when I start feeling like I want to go to the cinema, but there's normally nothing good on.

[Couver]

On 6/12/2018 at 9:35 AM, Bruinsfan said:

Odd? They're just big game hunters compensating for their feelings of inadequacy, like rich American gun enthusiasts going on safari armed to the teeth so they can pose for selfies with a dead lion.

I haven't looked at it this way but it makes more sense when you do.

[SimoneS]

Good to see Sterling Brown getting more movie roles.

[BetterButter]

[Morrigan2575]

That was a great Honest Trailer. I wonder if OG Predator holds up over time?

[Stenbeck]

Opening Weekend Tracking: $25-30 million at the box office. 

Most articles related to the film are now focused on the the sex offender scene. 

Edited September 11, 2018 by Stenbeck

[Joe]

I've been trying to work up the enthusiam for this movie, and failing. The recent news about Shane Black and the way Olivia Munn was treated, I don't think I'll bother. I'm not going to support that behaviour.

[Danny Franks]

I mean, the likelihood is that it's going to be bad anyway. Every Predator movie since the first one has been bad. But I would have considered seeing it, because I like Olivia Munn and Keegan-Michael Key. As it is, I might wait until it turns up on Netflix.

[Joe]

1 hour ago, Danny Franks said:

I mean, the likelihood is that it's going to be bad anyway. Every Predator movie since the first one has been bad. But I would have considered seeing it, because I like Olivia Munn and Keegan-Michael Key. As it is, I might wait until it turns up on Netflix.

My favourite is Predator 2, and I like Predators as well. But frankly, reviews haven't been great. Between my lack of enthusiasm, my lack of money, reviews, and misbehaviour, it's just a perfect situation to miss.

[SimoneS]

I will miss skip the theater and wait for this one to hit Blu Ray. Too many bad vibes from the director.

I liked Predator 2 as much as the first movie. I liked Alien vs. Predator and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem. 

Edited September 12, 2018 by SimoneS

[Joe]

1 hour ago, SimoneS said:

I will miss skip the theater and wait for this one to hit Blu Ray. Too many bad vibes from the director.

I liked Predator 2 as much as the first movie. I liked Alien vs. Predator and Alien vs. Predator: Requiem. 

I watched about 10 minutes of Requiem. But you're saying it's actually good? Or enjoyably bad?

[SimoneS]

15 minutes ago, Joe said:

I watched about 10 minutes of Requiem. But you're saying it's actually good? Or enjoyably bad?

Not good, but it is an entertaining B or -C sci fi movie. There were some fun gross out daring moments like the alien in the pregnancy ward. I always watch it when I catch it on tv.

Edited September 12, 2018 by SimoneS

[thuganomics85]

Yikes!  The first Predator is still one of the best action/sci-fi films of the 80s, and I actually enjoyed Predators for at least trying something different (and I want to rewatch because I was looking at it on IMDB and totally forgot Mahershala Ali was in it too.)  But this?  Outside of a few fun action bits (which still aren't anything to write home about) and a good; and honestly overqualified; cast, this was pretty much a walking dumpster fire for me.

Overall, it was just a tonal mess, the storyline was stupid in an unentertaining way, the humor was forced and seem to rely on profanity and getting laughs over "dirty words" and sex jokes, and the direction was sloppy and all over the place.  Not sure how much of it was studio interference and how much as Shane Black just dropping the ball, but it was very amateurish.  I would have expected this quality from a student film: not someone who has three movies under his belt.  I mean, the chase throughout the woods near the end was so dark and horribly cut that I honestly missed Sterling K. Brown's character getting killed.  So, I kept waiting for him to pop back up, but nope, never happened, and I had to go online to find out that he had apparently accidentally blew his own head off with the Predator gun.  I guess that was suppose to be some kind of gag over watching the main human villain kill himself like an idiot, but that was a total dud thanks to how horrible it was shot.

The characters were pretty much walking cliches and not all that interesting, which was too bad because, again: the cast did what they could.  While he didn't have the star-powered charisma Arnold Schwarzenegger had in the first film (granted, I don't know if anyone could match Arnold on that front during his heyday), Boyd Holbrook was fine in the lead role, although I did think Trevante Rhodes outshone him, and wished he was the lead instead.  I actually like Olivia Munn even if she has limited range, so I thought she was good as another variation of the "awkward, but clearly the smartest and most sane person in the room" character.  Keegan-Michael Key and Thomas Jane had good chemistry, even if the jokes feel flat and were dated (is laughing at Tourettes really still a thing?)  Alfie Allen and Yvonne Strahovski were wasted in their roles, but it was cool seeing them on the big screen.  But the highlight for me was easily Sterling K. Brown, since he was just devouring the scenery left and right, in all of his smirking, sneering, nicotine gum-chewing glory.  Again, I just wish this cast had more to work with.

So, yeah, a major dud for me, and it's a contender for one my personal worst of the year.  Between the quality of this film and how he hid his friend being a sex offender from Olivia Munn (and how he treated her after), my feeling towards Shane Black have dropped by a massive amount.  At least they'll always be The Nice Guys.

[AimingforYoko]

34 minutes ago, thuganomics85 said:

At least they'll always be The Nice Guys.

And Kiss, Kiss, Bang, Bang.

Yeah, this was meh.

[MrsRafaelBarba]

Definitely one of the worst in the franchise.

 

On par with AvP: Requiem.

[JessePinkman]

On 9/16/2018 at 9:35 PM, thuganomics85 said:

I mean, the chase throughout the woods near the end was so dark and horribly cut that I honestly missed Sterling K. Brown's character getting killed.  So, I kept waiting for him to pop back up, but nope, never happened, and I had to go online to find out that he had apparently accidentally blew his own head off with the Predator gun.  I guess that was suppose to be some kind of gag over watching the main human villain kill himself like an idiot, but that was a total dud thanks to how horrible it was shot.

A literal blink and you'll miss it moment. They spent so much time building him up as an antagonist (he threatened to have a kid's knees shot out!) and then killed him off in a bizarrely cut shot of a head exploded. If I hadn't heard that a character died and the audience didn't notice I wouldn't have noticed his death either!

Agreed that Trevante Rhodes should have been the lead, he radiated charisma.

I thought the special and practical effects in the movie looked so...obvious. Like the Predator's helmet looked like it was hot off a 3d printer. Nothing looked weathered or worn or real. And the Predators weren't scary at all, they looked like tall mean in suits and the positioning them next to CGI alien dogs didn't help.

[Stenbeck]

This was awful.

Random thoughts:

• I forgot what the plot was and I just saw the movie an hour ago. Why did the rogue alien decide to help the humans? Why did the bad Wolverine ExoSkeleton Predator want to kill him?
• How the hell did Olivia Munn get ON FOOT from point A to point B at the same time as the people who TOOK A SPACESHIP?!?! 
• When they were fighting in the swamp I was half expecting a crocodile to jump out.
• If the space ship's force field chopped Nettles in half how did the main guy not get harmed when he was sliding all over it?
• Where did the first spaceship land? In Mexico...? If so, how the heck did they get from Tennessee to Mexico in 4 minutes?
• How did the alien's gear just get FedEx'ed to his house? ALL PACKAGES are checked by US customs. You'd think ALIEN HELMET AND ALIEN BRACELET WITH BLASTERS would raise some red flags. 
• I kinda pity Thomas Jane...from being The Punisher to this?!
• Did not understand the alien dog. How did he go from vicious to man's best friend?
• The story is way too complicated with two villains: The Predator AND Sterling K. Brown/The Government. Keep it simple folks, Humans vs. The Predator. 
• I was half expecting the final pod to be a mini Alien (like the final scene of Alien vs. Predator).

[krankydoodle]

Maybe it's because I was expecting it to be abysmal based on reviews and box office performance, but I thought this was ok. It definitely has a lot of problems, though. Apart from what others have already mentioned, there's the fact that Jacob Tremblay accidentally destroying someone's house and likely killing the occupant is never discussed, that Olivia Munn's discovery and use of a microscope while on the run allows her to figure out the aliens' true objective, etc.

I got a solid laugh out of the scene where the predator kills all the soldiers in the back of a truck, making enough noise for the oblivious driver to ask if everyone's ok. In response, the predator grabs a soldier's severed arm and sticks it through the partition with its thumb up, then sits down to enjoy the rest of the ride.

I wasn't clear about what happened with the brain-damaged predator dog at the end. When Boyd Holbrook is gathering together the items from his dead friends, Olivia Munn tosses in a dog-shaped figure made from aluminum foil, which I thought meant the dog had died. But I watched this scene again and it looked to me like the dog was in the background, moving around a little.

[BetterButter]