Predator sequel/reboot (film) - Arnold back?

[Neil]

So rumours are that Arni may be in the sequel/reboot? From what I've read I believe it is a sequel and not a reboot and is due out March 2018...

http://www.hitfix.com/the-dartboard/arnold-schwarzenegger-im-meeting-with-predator-director-shane-black


"I haven’t talked with him (Shane Black) yet but I’m going to meet with him for lunch sometime soon," said Schwarzenegger. "Just as soon as I’m finished with this (Arnold Sports Festival) and [hosting] The Apprentice and all this stuff. But I will get together with him. If there is any news, we’ll of course let you know right away."

[EvilNed]

I don't mind a sequel. I thought the Rodriguez one was alright. The franchise lends itself to just telling more anecdotes set in the Predator universe.
Don't know how I feel about Arnold being involved. The thing is this; reading his autobiografy I realized that this was a person who very much cared for the end product from every angle. He would get involved in the marketing and the production of the film beyond what was required of him. His reasoning was that these films were his flagships and that he wanted to deliver as fine-tuned a product as possible. I respect that and I think it shows in most of his older films.

Some of the films he admits got off-track, like Running Man for instance. Most of these are due to circumstances which he feels out of his control - for instance the director of Running Man was replaced during filming.

I can't see this in his latest outings. I get the feeling now that he's jumping at the chance to revisit every one of his old franchises that were huge successes. Terminator is an obvious one, but let's not forget the Twins sequel that's in the making, in addition to the upcoming Conan film. Now this? I don't know... Skip this one, Arnie. You're too old.

[MinionZombie]

A new Shane Black led Predator movie? I'm on board with that.

How Arnie can figure into it ... ... I'm not so sure. With the mixed output he's had of late, I am a bit ambivalent on the issue. On the one hand it could turn out great, on the other hand it could be a bit ropey.

I'd agree that Rodriguez's movie worked well. I rather enjoyed it ... admittedly it was quite heavy on the references/influences of the first movie, but it was a fun flick that generally delivered without going the remake route (which was merciful). I think the trouble with the Predator franchise is that it's not necessarily open to a long run of stories ... it's kind of finite what you can do storytelling wise. The Terminator films have kind of proven that - it should have ended with T2, and everything since has been either awful or going around in circles and diminishing what came before.

However, with Shane Black involved I'm certainly very interested to see how this one shakes out. :)

[bassman]

The new synopsis suggests that that predators are now “genetically modified”. Uh oh....that angle hasn’t worked too well with other sequels...

“From the outer reaches of space to the small-town streets of suburbia, the hunt comes home in Shane Black’s explosive reinvention of the Predator series. Now, the universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. When a young boy accidentally triggers their return to Earth, only a ragtag crew of ex-soldiers and a disgruntled science teacher can prevent the end of the human race.”

Still, it’s Shane Black, so I’m giving it the benefit of the doubt. Although, it’s also a bit troubling that we haven’t even had a teaser yet and the film is out in about 5 months?...

[MinionZombie]

Hmmm ... if the Predators are modifying themselves, then that might be okay (it'd be awful if it had been some boring cliche with 'da gubmint' trying to use alien tech as a weapon, for instance), although the 'young boy triggers their return' bit seems a bit ... ... huh?

We'll see. I'm a fan of Shane Black's work, so like you, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt ... but I'd forgotten about this project completely until now. Fingers crossed for it!

[Neil]

“...Now, the universe’s most lethal hunters are stronger, smarter and deadlier than ever before, having genetically upgraded themselves with DNA from other species. ..."And that's required and better... because...?

[bassman]

And that's required and better... because...?


And that's required and better... because...?

Sounds like typical Hollywood thinking that sequels MUST be bigger. Hopefully it’s just the way the studio created this synopsis and Black has a better take on sequels...

It’s also a bit troubling that they recently finished re-shoots that were done to completely change the entire third act of the film. http://www.superherohype.com/news/414765-predator-reshot-nearly-entire-third-act

[Neil]

Sounds like typical Hollywood thinking that sequels MUST be bigger. Hopefully it’s just the way the studio created this synopsis and Black has a better take on sequels...

It’s also a bit troubling that they recently finished re-shoots that were done to completely change the entire third act of the film. http://www.superherohype.com/news/414765-predator-reshot-nearly-entire-third-act

Well, maybe the end just didn't work, and the fact they were willing to invest and do so much rework is possibly a good indication of the film in general?

[bassman]

https://youtu.be/494VI0S4pmA

494VI0S4pmA

Hard to tell from the trailer, IMO. Looks like it’ll be on the same level as the last one, which I enjoyed...

[MinionZombie]

Hmmm ... ... we'll see, I guess. I'm a fan of Black's movies, so it should be good fun, but I don't know what to make of the trailer, though ... feeling a bit luke warm about the whole thing.

Regarding "Predators" - yeah, I enjoyed that one as well. Good flick, that. :thumbsup:

[bassman]

Trailer Two:

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Two trailers in and I’m still not sure what to think. Apparently this new genetically enhanced Predator is fuckin twelve foot tall?? Lovin the gratuitous callback to Black’s character with the bad pussy jokes.


https://i.redd.it/jooou17vec611.jpg

[MinionZombie]

Likewise I still don't know what to make of this yet. I'm really on the fence about this. Notice how this trailer downplays the kid angle, that we saw in the first trailer, for like 99% of this trailer. Whether there's anything in that or not, I don't know, but the balance was off in the first trailer.

This is a more interesting trailer to me, although I assume the 'classic Predator' doesn't stick around long to be allied with the humans against this new roided-out Predator.

[EvilNed]

I think it looks alright. The trailer does show too much of the plot, tho. It basicly spells it out for us. I wonder why? Isn't this the kind of film that get's sold on imagery alone?

[shootemindehead]

Generic action meh, by the looks of things.

[bassman]

This behind the scenes video got me more excited for the film than either of the trailers...

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[bassman]

New poster out of SDCC:

http://cdn1-www.superherohype.com/assets/uploads/gallery/the-predator/predpost3.jpg

It’s a bit unusual when compared to current poster trends, so I dig it. Those that attended the panel also say that the footage shown displays heavy and classic Black-styled dialogue. If nothing else, fans of Black’s work will love the character interactions, which Black has always been great at.

[bassman]

I’m surprised to see that Black has brought over the “hunting dogs” idea from the last film, Predators.

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[bassman]

Final Trailer. Tons of Shane Black’s signature banter in this one!

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[MinionZombie]

Shite music aside, that's the best all-round trailer they've released. I dig the bit about the scientist guys opting for a "cool" name rather than an accurate one. :D

[bassman]

This was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival. Some snippets from multiple reviews...



Joblo: There’s no doubt in my mind that THE PREDATOR will be divisive among fans, with some loving the thorough Shane Black-ness of it all, while others will whine about it coming off as more of a spoof of the franchise (and genre) rather than the reboot/continuation they may be hoping for. In its own way though, Black’s approach is refreshingly original and the Midnight Madness audience I saw this with at TIFF ate it up. I had a good time with it and it’s nice to see that the studio let Black make the film he wanted to make.

ety: “Alas, within the Black oeuvre, ‘The Predator’ lands more between ‘The Last Boy Scout’ and ‘Iron Man 3,’ being a mixture of the flippant-knucklehead-machismo species with frantic comic-book action. Though there’s gore and creatures aplenty, say goodbye to any remaining horror element in this series. Now we’ve got a sort of mashup of Indiana Jones, ‘Jurassic Park,’ and a flying-kung-fu movie, no longer scary in the least but hella loud and busy.”

The Hollywood Reporter: “Taking up the reins of the franchise after a few underwhelming sequels and an even more problematic handful of tie-ins with the ‘Alien’ movies, writer-director Shane Black strays rather far from the original film — in which he co-starred as a bifocaled trooper who literally gets turned inside out — but he also takes things in a fun direction. Beyond adding a definite article to the title, Black applies a more-is-more approach to the material, revealing the extraterrestrial hunter in the very first sequence, then doubling down on the number of predators and corpses we see on screen, introducing a bigger, badder species and even a pair of predator pit bulls.”

IGN: “With its bawdy sense of humor, disorderly cast of characters, and hardcore kills and action, ‘The Predator’ does a lot right to reinvigorate the 31-year-old series. But everything crashes down during its frenzied, messy final act, a disappointing conclusion to what had largely been a fun romp up until that point.”

Nerdist: “In ‘The Predator,’ comedy and action are at war with each other. Characters spew rat-a-tat quips, while tussling with Predators and their pets, essentially neutralizing the effect of both the humor and the action. We’re given nothing to hook into, so it’s impossible to care about any of the events, which are wildly incomprehensible anyway. It devolves into a mundane mush of bullets and neon-green blood, hardly recognizable as one of Black’s usually slickly-plotted and stylishly-executed detective noir features.”

RogerEbert.com: “Shane Black’s ‘The Predator’ is a fun, brutal, fighting machine that wastes no time getting down to business—not unlike its title character. It’s not big on wasted dialogue or too many attempts at meta humor, playing both like an homage/throwback film to the action of the ‘80s and something that feels new and fresh. There’s nothing pretentious or whimsical here as we so often see in films that almost parody ‘80s action instead of trying to figure out why these movies have endured in the first place.”

JoBlo: “‘The Predator’ is Shane Black through and through. It’s fitting that this was co-written with his ‘The Monster Squad’ cohort, Fred Dekker. This feels very much like a hybrid of Dekker’s eighties output, as filtered through Black’s sensibility and know-how, mixed with the predator mythology, which is turned inside out here in a way that will thrill some and put off others.”

The Playlist: “‘The Predator’ knows exactly what type of picture it is. This is an action-filled, popcorn movie with no aspirations for anything more. This movie throws caution to the wind in service of creating 2-hours worth of brain-melting thrills. Black knows his genre tropes inside and out and he loves throwing out cliché setups and then subverting your expectation for the payoff. Most often, he does this for laughs. Whenever you think you’re going to see a heroic moment, the director pulls the rug out in service of a joke. This tactic never cheapens the movie, though.

Den of Geek: “Plot points are left dangling. Characters are thinned out. Things don’t really make much sense. The effects at the end look unfinished to the point of making me recall ‘The Mummy Returns.’ Most damningly of all, there’s no sign of who the author is. It certainly doesn’t feel like a Shane Black project, that much is certain. The last thing I’d expect of one of his films is something so bland, so lacking in identity, and so much a mish-mash of stuff that, bluntly, doesn’t mish-mash together very well. More than that: I can’t remember a Shane Black project so boring, and, sadly, so offensive.”

Digital Spy: As for the plot, it’s serviceable. Half-heartedly tapping into some ‘hot-topic issues’, it’s sometimes silly and doesn’t show us much we haven’t seen before, but it’s rarely boring. Issues of coherence do arise in both the narrative and action, with moments in which you might find yourself wondering if something small but vital has been cut out to explain a) why the heroes have to do this now or b) where that guy’s head has gone.”

[bassman]

Saw this a few nights ago. As most reviews summed up, the greatest things going for this flick is that it knows it’s a throwback to eighties action and Black’s dialogue. I can’t tell you how many times I was cracking up at the character interactions. Thomas Jane’s character is unexpected and something totally new for his career, as well as quite funny.

The last couple acts have their issues. Most of which seem like studio notes that Black May have had trouble juggling. It gets to the point that certain BIG characters are killed off in a flash without the fanfare they deserve, or some of them seem to go missing entirely. And the very last scene seems like studio-mandated sequel setup.

Although it has its issues, I loved the flick. It’s an unapologetic 80’s action film with great laughs. I look forward to checking out the Blu Ray and giving it’s place right next to the other films. Ymmv, but I say it’s worth the price of admission, for sure.

[MinionZombie]

I've heard some mixed reviews - some love it, some hate it - and it does sound like it's a bit of a jumble at times. Fingers crossed for a Director Cut on Blu-Ray???

[bassman]

I've heard some mixed reviews - some love it, some hate it - and it does sound like it's a bit of a jumble at times. Fingers crossed for a Director Cut on Blu-Ray???

I think there’s a good chance we could see one. Some reviews out there are just ridiculous. The movie of course has its flaws, but people calling it the worst piece of garbage ever created and such nonsense are just insane. These days it seems like people go into films WANTING to hate them. Even if someone dislikes the film, if they’re a rational reviewer they’ll know that there are some redeemable qualities mixed in there.

It’s not Mctiernan’s film and it was never going to be. Besides....if we look at that original film objectively, it’s not considered a classic because it’s an award-winning piece of art. It’s over the top eighties cheese with its own share of flaws. Black’s film is it’s own beast, while also being over the top action, gore, and with more of black’s signature banter/jokes. Go into the theater expecting a good time, expecting fun, and you’ll walk away pleased. Certain things could no doubt have been handled better, but in the end it’s just a solid piece of entertainment.

So far, it’s reception is reminding me of the VERY similar reactions to “Solo”(which I happen to be watching at the moment). Not award-worthy films, but fun to watch and very undeserving of the “complete garbage” reviews some people like to give. Apparently people have forgotten how to just enjoy two hours at the movies if the film isn’t exactly what they’d pictured in their own mind...

[EvilNed]

I've only heard good things about it myself.

[MinionZombie]

Most of what I've heard has been good, but there were a few bad reviews that stuck out (Mark Kermode really didn't like it at all).

You're right though, in this day and age of friggin' clickbait bullshit and goddamned Twitter there's no room for subtlety anymore, so it's either the 'BEST THING EVER' or it's 'worse than Hitler'. Some movie websites just sling out bullshit over-reactions from reviewers who aren't worth their salt. "Disappointing" or "a bit clunky" doesn't cut it any more, now it's gotta be "dumpster fire". :rolleyes: Pathetic.

[Neil]

Anyone seen it yet?

[MinionZombie]

Anyone seen it yet?

I've not been to the cinema since The Last Jedi ... so nope. :p

But yeah - any other HPOTD'ers seen it? We know bassman has (he dug it), but has anyone else?

[Neil]

I've not been to the cinema since The Last JediWow! So it really was that bad then! :)

[MinionZombie]

Wow! So it really was that bad then! :)

:lol: :lol: :lol:

The only movies I've been to see in the cinema for like the last three years have all been Star Wars - a festive cinema outing. :D

[ProfessorChaos]

saw this last night. it had a few redeeming qualities, but in general just didn't impress me all that much. there were some things that happened in the last act that were just plain silly or groan-inducing. the dialogue was too vulgar (this is coming from someone who was in the marines and works construction, so i'm not against cursing by any means), and the last scene was almost painful to watch. having said that, there were a few pretty nifty kills and cool set pieces, but it just overall fell flat as a film for me.

luckily, the wife and i had a gift card from a year or two ago (shows how often we go see any movies in this age of wasteland cinema) with some remaining balance on it, and i only paid 50 cents out of pocket for us to see it...but i doubt i'd even pay that to watch it again or waste my time doing so.

4/10