The Predator Franchise

[Jedi2016]

I remember reading the original Aliens Vs. Predator comic that had Machiko Noguchi and really liked how it depicted both the Predators and the Aliens. It showed our main predator as someone who loved the thrill of the hunt, but didn't consider humans as prey. He even went as far to save a human's life from another predator.

You should read the novel by Steve Perry, based on the comic. He really expanded the Predators' side of the story, and told quite a bit of it from the perspective of the Leader. After the previous run-ins with the humans, the Predators were actually wary of us, and the Leader (Broken Tusk) was actually frightened when he thought he'd been captured, after they'd taken him in for medical treatment. He saved the doctor because she was a doctor, and he knew it. He killed the youngster because it was hunting unarmed humans before being blooded, and because it had the gall to stand up and threaten the Leader. It even mentions how he shattered the youngster's skull after he killed him, to prevent it from being taken as any kind of trophy, apparently one of the worst insults/punishments that exists among their kind. He didn't really like Machiko, but she earned his respect as a fellow hunter, especially when she succeeded where many of his own students had failed. As for his attitude toward the humans overall, he simply wasn't there to hunt them. They didn't even know humans were on that planet. There were only two other Blooded hunters with him, both killed in the explosion, and none of them were equipped for hunting humans. And, as the Leader of the expedition, his responsibility was to his students and for containing the Aliens.

They really should have used that story as the basis for the AvP film. At one point, I think they were going to.. I have a script around here somewhere that's based largely on the comic. The final film had none of what made the original book great, and took way too many liberties with what they did borrow.

 

[James Kenobi 1138]

P1 is the only one for me. P2 is okay for Saturdays.

 

[micdavis]

Predator is the only really good movie.

I can't even remember P2. Saw it once.

The others were okay.

I'll watch more.

 

[Paracord Junky]

Predator is awesome
Predator isn't awesome but it's still pretty good.
Predators(geez, they're so out of ideas they're even copying title motifs) will probably suck, just because sequels made decades after the originals usually do.

Me and Jedi2016 are of the one mind regarding AVP. I read the Perry novels a few years before the movie was made, and was really excited that they were going with that storyline. i actually liked the movie and bought the DVD. I haven't watched it in a while though, so i might think it sucks now. Probably just as well that it had some generic tough gal instead of Noguchi(something that annoyed me back then) Haven't seen AVPR at all, and probably never will.

pre-hive ALIENS colony - CMC + a Yautja dropship = what AVP should have been.

 

[cayman shen]

I like the Predator race, so I'll see anything featuring them. I could care less about plotline, really. Just show me some Predators doing some cool sci-fi type stuff and I'll always be happy. Sure, some of the movies were better than the others, but I still like all Predator movies.

Yeah, that's it for me too. The creatures are cool--they rise above the films they're in. As long as I have a predator with cool gizmos and lots of gore (a big AVP issue), then I'll leave the theater happy. And I'll take the hospital climax in AVPR and hold it up against anything in the other Pred films, except maybe the mud-covered Tarzan routine in P1, which was awesome.

 

[TECKNOVIKING]

Willie Thank`s mate, that was a Hoot

Predator & Predator two are for me mixed due to the different stories & settings so have to say Both go hand in hand as fav.
Now AVP & AVPR. I think AVP was okay, more could have been done don`t get me wrong however the idea that all the Pred warriors who`ve proven themselves throughout the 100 years now have to take on the Ultimate test of Aliens, well that idea works. They tried to cram too much into it & at the same time not enough of what we wanted. Wish they had gotten Arnie to do that cameo at the end ;/

AVPR on the other hand I DID enjoy. My only regret is the Commando unit who turned up at the crashed helo towards the end, that SHOULD have been Dutch there with his new team. I liked the idea of the "Cleaner" Predator & after AVP well we knew the hybrid was going to be in. My only regret was how dark (lighting) the film is, yea I know works for the storyline. Still think having some of the US Army have one or two ALIENS USCM quotes (Game over man, Short controlled bursts for instance) would have been a hoot.
The end of the day don`t know about you lot but ideally AVP should have been the Dark Horse comics original story, set in the future on another planet with humans getting in the way.
The likes of AVP have damaged the ALIENS storyline I think in that the bugs have been here in the past & not as the films had them going from space, slowly towards earth.
Predators I`ll see but I`m expecting a mismash of Predator,AVPR & god knows what in it. I really do hope it does more good than harm to the franchise.

Jason

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Well... considering... many people just want more of the same... I find the franchise pretty much dead.

 

[Art Andrews]

My only regret was how dark (lighting) the film is

That was absolutely maddening. I thought it was just the theater we saw it in... got the DVD only to find it wasn't the theater... I paid to see predators and aliens... not dark blobs that are predator and alien shaped!

 

[Jedi2016]

That was absolutely maddening. I thought it was just the theater we saw it in... got the DVD only to find it wasn't the theater... I paid to see predators and aliens... not dark blobs that are predator and alien shaped!

Yeah, I think some director's get confused when the studio tells them to make the film "darker" than it's predecessor. Hell, most of the scenes in the original Predator took place in broad daylight.

 

[CessnaDriver]

They're idiots.

We were shown a flintlock musket with a name and date on it in P2.

There is a story there, these guys have been coming to earth a long time, and showing some of those battles in the past is where they need to pick up the story.
Earth's greatest warriors are not confined to the present afterall.
Hell most of the best ones are probably in the past.

 

[Toni Plutonij]

I loved both Predator movies, maybe I like first one a bit more.

Both AVP movies were good entertainment, but didn't evoke any emotion in me.
However, I'm looking forward to see what will Predators have to offer.

 

[frosty]

I loved the first two, and AVP wasn't that bad, AVP2, nah, they forgot to take the lens cap off for most of it, i liked the wolf pred though

 

[terryr]

GOOD
Predator
Alien
Aliens

BAD
Predator 2
Alien 3
Alien 4
AVP
AVPR

3 good, 5 bad.

The 3 with good stories and character development are good. What a surprise.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

One thing I find interesting is how zeroed in on the very simplistic one-dimensional aspect of the whole Predator race. "they're hunters". Well... duh... we've seen them hunt... but that was only as a rights of passage type of deal where a youngster has to prove himself by collecting trophies to impress those back home with his skills - but other than that we have absolutely NO clue about what makes the Predator race. It's just too damn simple to say they are just hunters, 'cause that doesn't explain their technology. We don't know what they are really like in their society and how they move about in the galaxy. It simply can't just be like hunters. There has to be more to these creatures.

The aliens are pretty simple... egg... drone... then what? Are they more or are they just killing machines? The original writers had more in mind with their development than what ended up on screen. What was the Derelict ship - a bomber or a transport ship? What were the eggs - a weapon or food being transported across space?

There just has to be more... yet with every film we just get more of the same silly one-dimensional simpleton crap as what came before. It's pretty clear that there are many species out there in the void of space and we have proof of two space faring species - the predators and the derelict race - but what is the deal? Are they at war... are they at peace... is one dominating the other... what? I'm completely ignoring the AvP movies here as they were total garbage - watchable sure, but garbage nonetheless.

What are the female Predators like? Bigger, smaller, bulkier, skinnier, ugly as hell or sexy, matriarchal or patriarchal society? Religion? Are they spiritual or pragmatic or both or neither? How long do they live and why did that Elder have a flintlock musket in P2 - was it passed down to him or did he collect it himself? Are they time travelers when traveling through space? Why do they hunt humans as a rights of passage... and how many other species do they have to hunt in their rights of passage?

None of such things are even pondered with any of the subsequent movies. All they do is take what has already been done and then add a little food coloring and calling it a whole new dish.

 

[Solo4114]

Did you see some of the comments above? Nobody cares. People are happy just to see some alien ass-kickin' action. Stick enough of that in at a reasonable budget and you'll make bank. Or at least make decent cash in the opening weekend, and can then release a "director's cut" DVD later.

 

[Too Much Garlic]

Yes, which is why I think the franchise is dead.

 

[cayman shen]

AVPR IS too dark, but if you just adjust your TV screen you can see it just fine. Just gotta tweak your picture settings. Then it's just as clear as any other film. Can't do that in the theater, of course, but now on DVD there's no reason to level that criticism.

 

[Toni Plutonij]

AVPR IS too dark, but if you just adjust your TV screen you can see it just fine. Just gotta tweak your picture settings.

But I just don't feel like messing up my TV setting just for one movie, not to mention that lightening up picture, will result in daylight scenes to look washed out.

They shouldn't have to make the movie so dark, it's not like they are just on one location, but wherever they go, it's dark.....and fast....

 

[Sluis Van Shipyards]

They're idiots.

We were shown a flintlock musket with a name and date on it in P2.

There is a story there, these guys have been coming to earth a long time, and showing some of those battles in the past is where they need to pick up the story.
Earth's greatest warriors are not confined to the present afterall.
Hell most of the best ones are probably in the past.

Yeah, but how much fun would it be to watch Predators knock off those soldiers? They just march at you in a line. One Predator disc and they got a bunch of trophies.

 

[Jeyl]

Came up with this alternate ending for the first AVP movie.

Alexa Woods: Was put in charge of maintaining safety and responsibility for several archeologists, scientists, security personnel and a billionaire who funded the expidition. Comes out the only survivor.

I just find that freaking hilarious because she sucked as a character.