Predators:- Robert Rodriguez helmed reboot

[Alan Wake]

...man, did you even see the first Predator movie?

That I did.

[DigiFluid]

It was just people getting butchered in the jungle. And it was awesome!

[Alan Wake]

'Predators' Return: Movie Review Roundup

Here

After several poorly received sequels, the "Predators" return to theaters this weekend.

This time, instead of battling Ah-nold (as they did in the original 1987 film) or aliens (as they did in the two woeful "Alien vs. Predator" flicks), the dreadlocked hunters duke it out with Oscar winner Adrien Brody and the less-than-intimidating Topher Grace. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but (surprise, surprise) many critics like the franchise reboot....

Here's also a trailer, pretty cool.

[Snowman37]

For those who've seen the movie... I've read the film is intended as Predator 3 and effectively ignores both AvP films. Is this true? Do the events of the first two movies get acknowledged in this film? Does Lawrence Fishburne have a big role in the film? I read a post saying that he only has a cameo.

What is the story in a nutshell? Predator was about Dutch leading a team of soldiers to rescue some hostages. Half way through the movie, the Predator shows up and starts killing everyone off, leading to an awesome showdown. Predator 2 introduces the Predator early on during a drug war set in Los Angelas. You've got men in black types hunting the Predator. Danny Glover's character has this journey from fighting in a drug war to dealing with government agents. From there, he finally has to deal with the Predator. When it starts killing some of his cop team, it gets personal, leading to an epic showdown. The first AvP film was about Charles Weyland leading an expedition to explore an ancient pyramid. Unkown to them, it's an ancient hunting ground where humans are used as hosts to create Aliens for the Predators to hunt. While the story was full of holes, it was still entertaining. In AvP2... there was no story. We're introduced to a bunch of random people in a small town with NYC-size sewers that don't exist in a small town... A Predator ship crashes, aliens escape, and we're left with a slasher film with no depth.

I'm hoping the new movie has more to it than a bunch of people running around the woods, trying not to die. That's been done to death.

[SaberBlade]

For those who've seen the movie... I've read the film is intended as Predator 3 and effectively ignores both AvP films. Is this true? Do the events of the first two movies get acknowledged in this film? Does Lawrence Fishburne have a big role in the film? I read a post saying that he only has a cameo.

What is the story in a nutshell? Predator was about Dutch leading a team of soldiers to rescue some hostages. Half way through the movie, the Predator shows up and starts killing everyone off, leading to an awesome showdown. Predator 2 introduces the Predator early on during a drug war set in Los Angelas. You've got men in black types hunting the Predator. Danny Glover's character has this journey from fighting in a drug war to dealing with government agents. From there, he finally has to deal with the Predator. When it starts killing some of his cop team, it gets personal, leading to an epic showdown. The first AvP film was about Charles Weyland leading an expedition to explore an ancient pyramid. Unkown to them, it's an ancient hunting ground where humans are used as hosts to create Aliens for the Predators to hunt. While the story was full of holes, it was still entertaining. In AvP2... there was no story. We're introduced to a bunch of random people in a small town with NYC-size sewers that don't exist in a small town... A Predator ship crashes, aliens escape, and we're left with a slasher film with no depth.

I'm hoping the new movie has more to it than a bunch of people running around the woods, trying not to die. That's been done to death.

Spoiler:

The general plot is a bunch of guys running around the jungle being hunted, but the movie does things differently by including other aliens into the mix. They find out they are on an alien world fairly quickly so it's not about just running, but fighting back to get off the planet and using the Predators habits against them.

Laurence Fishburne has a cameo, but it's fairly pointless overall and could have been done by any lesser known actor. I think he's just in it because he's got more recognition than anyone else in the cast (including Adrian Brody, who portrays the main character). Fishburne's real potential would be his character in a prequel, showing his time on the planet before the movie happens because that could be interesting.

As for ignoring the other movies, I don't remember any direct references to the events of Predator 2, AvP1 or AvP2. One of the characters pretty much just retells the events of Predator 1 (which made no sense to me as the character isn't part of the US military and shouldn't know such things) but there is a line spoken in the movie and something which happens which is a blatant ripoff from AvP. Oh, and a guy suffers the same fate as Bill Paxton from Predator 2 which looked awesome. I was actually looking out for things like Xenomorph (the alien) skulls and saw one which looked exactly like Riply's "child" from Alien Resurrection and maybe it was just me, but the main Predator from the movie for a split second near the end reminded me of the AvP2 Predalien (just something about the mouth).

[Snowman37]

Bringing other aliens into the mix and setting the story on an alien world doesn't really enhance the plot all that much. It's still a bunch of killers running around the woods for two hours, trying not to die. That's been done, and it sounds like a retread of the original movie instead of something new. What's the point of setting it on an alien world if the jungles look just like those here on Earth? What's the advantage in regards to the story? What are the objectives of the characters besides not dieing? There has to be more to the story then, "Let's not die." Are they trying to fight their way to a space ship so that they may escape? The story has to move forward in some direction.

[SaberBlade]

They are trying to escape, so yes an alien ship is involved. That's why I previously said the only thing the movie was missing was someone saying "get to the space choppa".

[DigiFluid]

So I guess the combined Alien/Predator chronology right now is....


1987 -- Predator
1997 -- Predator 2
2004 -- Alien vs. Predator
2004 -- Aliens vs. Predator 2: Requiem
2010 -- Predators
? -- Alien prequel 1
? -- Alien prequel 2
2122 -- Alien
2179 -- Aliens
2179 -- Alien 3
2381 -- Alien Resurrection


Unless we're just smart about it and pretend the AvP movies never happened, and so the two universes never shall meet (except in comics and video games)

[DigiFluid]

Sidenote: watching Predator 2 now for the first time since I was like 9 years old, I'm absolutely floored at the number of known faces in it!

Danny Glover, Bill Paxton, Gary Busey, Robert Davi, Adam Baldwin, Kent McCord....holy smokes!

[Alan Wake]

So I guess the combined Alien/Predator chronology right now is....


1987 -- Predator
1997 -- Predator 2
2004 -- Alien vs. Predator
2004 -- Aliens vs. Predator 2: Requiem
2010 -- Predators
? -- Alien prequel 1
? -- Alien prequel 2
2122 -- Alien
2179 -- Aliens
2179 -- Alien 3
2381 -- Alien Resurrection


Unless we're just smart about it and pretend the AvP movies never happened, and so the two universes never shall meet (except in comics and video games)

The AvP ending is canon for establishing future events in the series. With the weapon they have. Can't ignore that.

[SaberBlade]

Bill Paxton is awesome. He and Lance Henriksen deserve a medal for being the only guys killed by a Predator, a Terminator and an Alien. Now if they can just be killed by Robocop for pure instant win.

As for the chronology, I'd say you're right about the order but I'd be tempted (although probably wouldn't) include a Predators sequel as well because if it does well, I can see it being done.

[DigiFluid]

The AvP ending is canon for establishing future events in the series. With the weapon they have. Can't ignore that.

They managed to make 4 Alien films and 2 Predator films without AvP being in the picture. I think we can manage without

[SaberBlade]

If it hadn't been for AvP, I doubt we'd be seeing Predators or two Alien prequels. 15 years between Predator 2 and AvP, plus 8 years between the last Alien movie and AvP (but about 15 years between the last good Alien movie and AvP). Like it or not, the series did something good, not only did it bring both back onto our screen together, but also reignited their individual franchises.

If only ignoring made them go away, I'd be doing that with Terminator 3, everything made of Robocop after the first movie most movies based on videogames.

[DigiFluid]

And....there's something wrong with that you say?

[Replicator Todd]

The AvP ending is canon for establishing future events in the series. With the weapon they have. Can't ignore that.

It makes me feel better to ignore the AVP stuff.