My Only Complaint About PREDATORS...

[PredatrHuntr]

I have to get this off my chest...it's been bugging me and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

I feel we have lost something important in PREDATORS and it took me a while to figure out what it was. I watched the movie twice in theaters and during the second time I was paying very close attention to the way the Predators move. They don't have the mannerisms and traditional "Predator" characteristics. What do I mean? It's been mentioned before how Kevin Peter Hall created the slow methodical movements that Ian Whyte later replicated in AVP: Requiem.

I'm talking about how the Predator curled his fingers around the Bio when he took it off; cocking the head; tilting the head quickly; the taunting body language, etc, etc.

If you watch The first and second Predator movies, you see KPH bring the creature to life just by the way he moves. I can't describe it any way other than to say he moves very methodically and in an "alien" way.

Ian Whyte also did a phenomenal job of portraying that as the Wolf Predator in AVPR. He was able to mimic KPH perfectly. Ian was a perfect Predator. The only problem is that the film was too dark too see him!

Now don't get me wrong...I did enjoy Predators very much. It brought back the character to the big screen and introduced some cool ideas and new faces. While Brian Steele did portray Berzerker I felt that the Predator was...missing the feel of a Predator. He looked and sounded like a Predator but the movements were more like Jason Voorhees.

Should the new Predators be exactly the same as KPH and Ian Whyte? No but they should be recognizable by not only the way they LOOK, but also by the unmistakeable ways a Predator moves.

Some y'all might disagree with me but I feel that I had to speak up so that whoever does the next movie can take some time to study Kevin Peter Hall in P1 and P2 and Ian Whyte in AVPR. The Predator became a legend because of the way KPH brought it to life with his own style of acting...I only hope the next guy in the suit trys to emulate that again in a way that makes me and everyone else INSTANTLY recognize the creature on the screen...

 

[VaderDave]

I concur. There is a distinct style at work and it needs to be continued.

 

[Estelle]

I agree with you spot on. The Predator's unique body English is one of his main signatures.
~Estelle

 

[JehdinThwei]

I agree 100%

 

[alienQNhunter]

I agree. Good point.

 

[munson]

Good observation. There is a distinct difference in the movement. But don't forget, the main Predators [Bezerker, Flusher, and Falconer] aren't the same type as portrait ed by Kevin Peter Hall and Ian Whyte--they are different. I believe that this deserves a somewhat different approach in how they move.

When I saw the P1S chock Royce, it seemed pretty close to that of the P1.

But, I do agree that there is a difference, by I believe a "different type" of Predator needs a "different type" of body movement.

 

[Justin1]

I agree with munson to some degree. I feel that the new "black" predators in the film felt victim to themselves more than anything: overconfidence, hubris if you will. And I thought the way they moved had a very deliberate sort of... carefreeness to it. I don't want to say carefree, that sounds fruity... Maybe almost carelessness... They move with a careless because they KNEW they were top dogs, there was NOTHING that was going to get the drop on them, they had NOTHING to worry about. And I felt the sort of brutish way they moved really fit that well. Perfect example, for me, was when Tracker was rollin up on Nikolai while he was crawling. PERFECTLY protrayed my point: Nikolai was basically already dead, he'd killed him, now he's gonna enjoy finishing it off. But then what happens? Claymore to the face. Hubris.

That being said, I think Ian Whyte was phenomanal, and if ever there were someone else who SHOULD protray a predator in KPH's place, it's him, because for me, what these new predators really lacked, was something obvious: SIZE! Derek Mear's only aroudn 6'5" IIRC! That's a few inches taller than Brody! C'mon! Ian Whyte was TOWERING over the humans in AVP:R, and we all know that KPH was a behemoth in the first two.

There were a few things wrong with the movie, and as far as I'm concerned, the size of the creatures was the biggest thing wrong with the protrayal of the predators.

 

[PredatrHuntr]

But don't forget, the main Predators [Bezerker, Flusher, and Falconer] aren't the same type as portrait ed by Kevin Peter Hall and Ian Whyte--they are different. I believe that this deserves a somewhat different approach in how they move.

When I saw the P1S chock Royce, it seemed pretty close to that of the P1.

I get how the Zerker, Flusher and Falconer are a different type of Pred. But they should still MOVE like a Predator. They could be more sadistic and twisted, but the basic movements have unfortunately been lost.

Obviously I expected things to change with these new Preds, but I also expect a certain amount of the existing character to be retained in the process. This is no doubt when the hard-core fans get upset by the drastic changes in their favorite character. Change is inevitable, but when the characteristics that drew us in to this character originally get dropped or removed...well thats not always the best thing.

So - my request to FOX and the next actor(s) who are in the Pred suit for the next movie: please please please PLEASE just watch KPH and Ian and try to mimic the movements and body language that made the Predator such an intriguing alien that we couldn't take our eyes off of...

 

[boca]

They reminded me of Elwood and Dennis from the comedy 'Without A Paddle'.

I half expected Mr Black to start singing " Do you really want to hurt me" as he was dragging those two around in the net.

 

[munson]

I get how the Zerker, Flusher and Falconer are a different type of Pred. But they should still MOVE like a Predator. They could be more sadistic and twisted, but the basic movements have unfortunately been lost.

Obviously I expected things to change with these new Preds, but I also expect a certain amount of the existing character to be retained in the process. This is no doubt when the hard-core fans get upset by the drastic changes in their favorite character. Change is inevitable, but when the characteristics that drew us in to this character originally get dropped or removed...well thats not always the best thing.

So - my request to FOX and the next actor(s) who are in the Pred suit for the next movie: please please please PLEASE just watch KPH and Ian and try to mimic the movements and body language that made the Predator such an intriguing alien that we couldn't take our eyes off of...

I understand where you're coming from. I agree that it was a big part of what made the Predator a Predator too. Maybe they should just get Ian Whyte to play in the next one too. But for instance, if they put Scott/Rob's Samurai in the next movie, I would expect a blend of the way KPH/Ian Whyte's movement mixed with the movements of a samurai.

 

[ptgreek]

Ah, but let's not forget that there is a director at play here. I've watched our creature actors practice spefic movements in their suits...only to have the director change them for his interpretation in the scene

 

[TUSKY]

Too true, that does happen more than one would think

 

[tommynator1024]

I agree in so far that they moved like what felt careless to me. Like nobody could harm them anyway.

What I disliked most was the way the Berserker screamed for the first time, it's in the trailer too. Frankly the stance reminds me of Lord Homungus from Road Warrior:

We'll never see a human in suit move like a real Predator should or like the P1 did in cloaking. It was F/X. That's the sad part. Fun thing is, even if we ever did see that, we'd bitch and moan about it for looking unrealistic.. (Yoda in Ep. 2, anyone?) ;-)

 

[Usurper]

The preds need to appear AGILE, even if they are not moving a great deal. there is no need cgi for that, anyone remember the P1 virtually skipping across the rocks after he failed to see Arnold in the mud? that was not cgi generated, nor were the little movements.

I think the sub species of the trio lent itself to not be so agile, they did not need to be all bouncy and steathy, more in your face and down and dirty, meant we did not see to much of the pred traits we have come to think of as TYPICAL.

would still love to see some more of the stealth/hunter type of behaviour though

 

[Garo Predator]

Hmm to be honest didn't bother me they were a different version of predators and I think their hunting training could be totally different from the others. I actually like the way Mr. Black roared it gave a holly **** im unstable look to him. We will see what happens next movie.

 

[A Hunters Moon]

It was deliberate carefulness for sure. Deliberately choreographed that way. Meaning that it seemed the actors were just going through the motions. Counting off in their heads, “One, I step here. Two, swing my arm there.” It all meant for poorly executed Preds.

Now, I might buy the whole different Pred thing but don’t we all kinda listen the same way, cry the same way, scream the same way, and in the end move in virtually the same fashion. Point is that we may all be from a different area of the planet but we do a lot of the same things despite our cultural differences. Chalking it up to the separate types of Preds can quickly become an excuse for bad movie making. I think how the new Preds moved had nothing to do with that and more to do with the choreography.

That's my two cents anyway.

 

[JehdinThwei]

There is very little athleticism in Predators.

Even AVP showed SOME.

Predator, Predator 2, AVP and AVPR all have scenes where the intergalactic hunters are shown doing what they do as intergalactic hunters. They are fast, they jump HIGH, their hand to hand is full of prowess, speed and cunning. I think Wolf was actually portrayed as an athlete more than any of the others, but Predators is missing that.

The fight scene with Hanzo was terrible in this regard. The pred looked like a B rated movie monster swinging his lumbering arm back and forth while Hanzo did the action. ....terrible. I liked the cinematic art of that scene, with the grass being blown in the night wind, but the fight needed to be better.

These should be athletes that can run faster than us, jump higher, and can fight hand to hand better than any MMA fighter does. It is their specialty.

I think RR needs to address this in Predators 2.

 

[Robillicus]

Actually Jay, there was something; or lack-there-of, in the movie that bugged me even more than the choreography. Let us see if you can guess what it is - hell, they used it repeatedly in the previews. Give up?

The Predators trademark roar.

This was one issue that bugged me about AVP:R. Anyway, I understand that they're different creatures, BUT in Predator 2 the hero Predator had a whole catalog of cool sounding noises, AND even let loose with the trademark roar in a few scenes. The sound engineer probably had a hay-day.

I wanted above-all to hear that noise come out of the 8-track Predators mouth. I thought it would've been great if he'd let loose with that as he was charging at Mr. Black. Or hell, even if he'd mimicked the first Predators crouch with arms open. Kevin Peter Hall even carried some of those movements over for Predator 2 to kind of tie the two characters together.

But, no. Instead they made these generic, gargled, oral farts. What I really liked about the trademark roar, is that it's LOUD and it gets your attention. It was a completely original sound that you were like: "holy ****, did that come out of THAT?!" Not only that, but the Predator looks like he'd make that noise... if that makes any sense.

Ah, but let's not forget that there is a director at play here. I've watched our creature actors practice spefic movements in their suits...only to have the director change them for his interpretation in the scene

That's pretty much what I figured. I think in AVP:R Ian took it upon himself to study the first two movies, and the Strauss Brothers just gave him free reign. I think that as fans we expect the character actor to interpret the creatures a certain way, however the director might feel differently. We all want an agile, tree-hopping hunter; but in the end it's up to the director and his vision of the creature. Yeah, it sucks and you can't blame the guys in the suits; who all had crazy experience. Perhaps they went in to the movie prepared to move like the previous Predators, but were shot down and told not to. They were different creatures, and that probably wasn't the direction the makers wanted Mr. Black and the others to go in, BUT I thought it would've been cool to see 8-track move in a cold and calculating way.

EDIT: There's a scene in the King Kong remake that used it. Right as Adrian Brody escapes with the chick by way of bat-thing. It's really a cool interpretation of the roar - or manipulation of it. Either one. Oh that's right, Peter Jackson, I totally noticed. Hah!

Just my thoughts.

 

[Mektar]

While its been a while since i seen the movie already i cant really recall the scene exactly but i think that the tracker (carey jones) fighting hanzo was most accurate when it came down to pred movement. Correct me if wrong tho

I might take notice to it when watching it again but due to work etc been to busy to go see it again...

 

[tommynator1024]

(... ) I thought it would've been cool to see 8-track move in a cold and calculating way.

Right on, but then again, he was never more than cannonfodder. Which is a middle finger thrown in the face of great potential. That scene could have kicked ass, even if he had died anyway.