Friday night is movie night in the Kryton household, and I’d have loved to watch this with Jnr but careful googling has revealed it may just be a little too much for him at 13yo

My lad turned 14 recently, we’re watching Saw series of movies, we’ve done Hostel, It, Texas chainsaw etc. He did Squid Games last year when it was a thing

of course, he wanted to make a cool action movie – which is a level it’s extremely watchable/enjoyable on – but if you listen to the director’s commentary he talks about how his intentions were also to subvert the mainstream action-movie culture of the time (which he achieved masterfully, as it totally went over most peoples’ heads at the time and still does now 😃)

I reckon it must be at least 20 years since I last watched Predator, but if it was supposed to subvert mainstream action movies this certainly went over my head or I have forgotten it, care to explain?

I seem to recall reading recently that Jean Claud Van Damme was cast as the predator originally.

My lad turned 14 recently, we’re watching Saw series of movies, we’ve done Hostel, It, Texas chainsaw etc. He did Squid Games last year when it was a thing

I watched the first couple of Saw movies recently. I was genuinely shocked… at how tame they were, I thought they were going to be some sort of torture porn gore-fest.

Yep, Van Damme in a really shit alien outfit. The extras on the DVD of the original were great. The first film was one of the first films I remember watching and loving. Holds a special place in my movie brain.

Dan Trachenberg, the director of Prey, originally wanted to keep the Predator element secret. It would just seem like a film set in the Comanche nation for the first part. The twist/reveal could’ve been great. Bastard internet spoiling everything 😂

The twist/reveal could’ve been great. Bastard internet spoiling everything 😂

When I saw Dusk Til Dawn back in the day I had no idea what the film was about other than the cast list.
Brilliant film.
We’ve lost so much by knowing so much.

I reckon it must be at least 20 years since I last watched Predator, but if it was supposed to subvert mainstream action movies this certainly went over my head or I have forgotten it, care to explain?

@anagallis_arvensis
I found the following that gives an overview of the commentary. Some interesting stuff there.

36 Things We Learned from John McTiernan’s Predator Commentary

Looking forward to watching Prey.

When I first watched the Matrix, I was in New Zealand at the time seeing my homeland. I had no idea what it was when my brother in law suggested going to watch it. I was blown away by it. I agree in that the amount of info about films and TV series that exists thanks to the internet does cause you to lose more of that wow feeling and total surprise but we can if we truly wanted to, stop ourselves from being spoiled (I doubt I can manage to though lol )

On the other hand, thanks to the Internet, Donnie Darko makes sense.

Also, Prometheus, uh, still doesn’t.

Donnie Darko makes sense.

Something, something rabbit and Patrick Swayze?

Prometheus is just a really shit film but it looks lovely. Alien Covenant was even worse.

Prometheus had such a good concept, and such a poor execution, again there was limited character development, and what a cast they had, and how badly did they utilise most of them, Noomi Rapace did her best to be a new Ripley, then they did the usual killing her off badly between movies.

Still, at least with Prey we might see an end to any Alien vs Predator nonsense!

Still, at least with Prey we might see an end to any Alien vs Predator nonsense!

But that is both origin and canon!

Both the Alien and Predator movies have been spoiled by trying to explain them or expand on them. They’re monsters, giving them a background makes them less monstrous. Being alien and unknowable is what made them great in the first place.

I’m shocked to read that people on here haven’t seen Predator for 20 years. I’ve probably watched 3 times this year alone, if its on TV (usually ITV4) I’ll watch it, if my 15yo who loves it is watching it on AppleTV I’ll watch it with her. Same with Aliens, Alien 3, RoboCop, First Blood, Chronicals Of Riddick, etc.

BTW my nephew watched Prey last month. He’s 21 and a bit techy so can do pirate streaming on his devices, he said it was great.

Both the Alien and Predator movies have been spoiled by trying to explain them or expand on them

Yep, I agree, I even thought Aliens isn’t a patch on the first one. But it is the Hollywood model. These day you just have to be picky about what you watch.

Well I’ve just finished watching Prey and I thought it was pretty good. Definitely not Disneyfied, plenty of blood and gore as you’d expect. One plot device that gives the heroine an advantage that was slightly disappointing, given how well they dealt with all of the old weapons vs alien tech, but overall quite enjoyable.

I found the following that gives an overview of the commentary. Some interesting stuff there.

I rea most of that (till I got bored) still no idea how predator is supposed to subvert anything

chakaping Free Member
How can you all get so het up about something you’ve not even seen?

Welcome to the Internet, are you new here?

Looking forward to going round a mate’s with beer and pizza to watch this tonight.

but if you listen to the director’s commentary he talks about how his intentions were also to subvert the mainstream action-movie culture of the time

John McTiernan is certainly an interesting guy.

Directed Predator, followed by Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October, enjoyed massive critical and commercial success followed by flop after flop after flop.

He ended up going to jail after a federal case was brought against him for an illegal wire-tap on the producer of Rollerball.

Might watch Prey tonight, but not before For All Mankind

John McTiernan is certainly an interesting guy.

Directed Predator, followed by Die Hard and The Hunt for Red October, enjoyed massive critical and commercial success followed by flop after flop after flop.

He ended up going to jail after a federal case was brought against him for an illegal wire-tap on the producer of Rollerball.

Didn’t know that. Loved the Riddick films.

Might watch Prey tonight, but not before For All Mankind

It’s the last part of Black Bird too iirc. Prey might have to wait.

Just watched it, loved it!

Trying to get the mini Funks to bed early so I can watch it. Another 45 minutes!

Ignoring most of this thread, trying to not spoil a new predator movie, as I do love the predator series.

But JCVD was no way the original pred, in the original and most of the sequels they’re all 7 foot plus. I don’t think Mr Damme is that tall.

Thought the original was superb when released, also I really like predator 2 – which is still excellent, I’ll even own up to enjoying the AvsP stuff and even the last few. You’re all wrong.

Aliens post ripley, yes that has been a mixed bag though. All the Prometheus stuff should have been awesome, not least because it has Noomi R in it, it was good, but not awesome. And it should have been.

Wasn’t there already a heroine / saviour of all mankind / female lead in AVP ?

Van Damme was the original Predator and I could be wrong, but I think some of the invisible footage is him. The extras on the DVD explain it all and the suit he had was shit on an epic scale.

I watched Predator 2 a couple of nights ago. It has aged very badly. Dire acting, badly shot and just a bit naff. It’s like a really crap Robocop. Danny Glover is basically your grandad with no concept of an indoor voice. Yet people are upset by the idea of a lady beating the Predator in Prey.

Ok, now I’ve googled it, should have done that first.

Also cannot really verify the below and it’s probably more hysterical that JCVD was the predator.

He was cast as it and now I cannot Unsee the images of him in a ridiculous costume – but then he quit/got canned/something else etc and was not the first predator as seen in the movie.

Also I watched predator 2 the other night and I still quite enjoyed it.

Imagine what could’ve been!

This looks like a good one. I like.

He was cast as it and now I cannot Unsee the images of him in a ridiculous costume – but then he quit/got canned/something else etc and was not the first predator as seen in the movie.

This is my understanding of it, not sure any of him made it into the movie

Just watched, really very good. I’m surprised and relieved.

Plot plays out well and is as predictable as is needed, it’s short enough and we’ll paced.

They’ve made the quite difficult talk of a monster movie where everyone knows how it works, hunts etc, entertaining.

Good job, that.

Well that was fantastic. Just a damn good, intense film. Up there with the first one for me

Just watched it. So boring. Did we even watch the same film?

Total waste of time. 🙁

Really enjoyed it

No worries about Disney removing all the gore!

Well paced and good fun too,

Watched it earlier, started a tad slow but really liked it! Reminded me of the first film in many ways.

just watched it and really enjoyed the film.

Like the use of the ‘if it bleeds…,’ line and the pistol. Cheeky little nod to the OG and Pred 2.

Meh, not sure how it’s being lauded as the best since the original, acting wasn’t great, plot was pretty meagre and it went like i guessed in a lot of ways. The Comanche warriors seemed to be played by grumpy teenagers, the french trappers were just a bit useless, thankfully the young comanche girl who wants to be a warrior showed them how it should be done, taking the predator in a 1 vs 1 fight and coming out of it unscathed.

Honestly, the worst bit was how bad the predator was, he was getting tagged off everyone, the original movie the predator had gone through highly armed and trained militia, military and so on, had to have an entire rainforest destroyed by heavy gunfire to get a trickle of blood, this one bled every time someone, or some animal got near it, then doesn’t appear to understand how its own weaponry works, but an 18th century native american does!

Honestly, the worst bit was how bad the predator was…

I thought the general back-story of the predators is that they come to earth as a sort of big game/trophy hunt holiday. Humans do similar here, you’ll have seen the occasional American dentist who goes viral for getting tooled up to the eyeballs and standing proudly over the carcass of a vicious giraffe etc. And probably shot it with a massively over-powered rifle from the safety of a vehicle, and with the help of trackers and so on.

Other hunters choose to do things like head into the bush alone on foot, and hunt with a bow.

Who’s to say that the predator in Prey isn’t just one of the latter types? Keeping it old-skool with minimal armour and just yer basic weapons.

Stayed out of the thread for a day or so until I’d watched it.

Just finished it. Decent. Well paced, doesn’t outstay it’s welcome. Nothing groundbreaking narratively but really nicely shot,framed and lit I thought (a bit Chloe Zhao?).

If I wanted to be really picky (I don’t TBH – quite enjoyed it), there’s a bit too much fan service (although I did

Spoiler:

admittedly grin to myself at the first lost arm bit and knowingly smiled when she crawled out of the mud and collapsed against all the roots

) and the final kill was REALLY obviously telegraphed.

Regarding the weaponry, I assume there’s some Predator chivalry rule about matching your kit to the prey’s in some way?

Thankfully, really no more Mary Sue than the original (her tomahawk mod did grate a bit though).

Overall, would say it’s deffo worth an hour and a half of your time. Joint second for me…

Predator
Prey / Predators (pretty even)
The rest can get in the sea

Excellent. Perfect length and a good enough plot.
Predator does seem dumber that the ones a few thousand years earlier in AVP.

I thought it was fab….

I quite liked the fact predator was big and strong, but not the ‘perfect’ fighter….made it seem a bit more real amd balanced…. 🤷‍♂️

Top film…

DrP