Prey

This film will make you a god damned sexual Tyrannosaurus, just like me

I'm really quite excited tbh

I'll wait and see, Disney+ tend to get great reviews for their stuff prior to release, then it tends to all go downhill with the markings for the films.

It's going to be a hard sell as well to show any equality of a predator against a group of 18th century indians, and there does seem to be a high chance that there will be a mary sue character as the main protagonist for this film.

They’re the same daft misogynistic comments under YouTube reviews. Common theme of every written review I’ve read is that’s completely wrong. Really looking forward to watching it.

Don’t think there are any Indians in it either with it being set in North America.

Agree about the danger of a Mary Sue, but quite keen to see this anyway.

As for a predator vs the 18th century, the writer (or director - can't quite remember) has been at pains to point out the alien is also 300 years more primitive and may not be as 'superpowered' as its later descendants (although space travel so pinch of salt required).

Lots of incel types getting het up about this one on Youtube.

Looks like a good Friday night popcorn film so will definitely be checking it out. Nothing will beat the original though.

They’re the same daft misogynistic comments under YouTube reviews. Common theme of every written review I’ve read is that’s completely wrong. Really looking forward to watching it.

I'll wait and see, again as stated, written reviews prior to release are taken with a pinch of salt, i'll also wait and see what it's like, but the youtube video does seem to have that build up of a Mary Sue, the same would apply if the protagonist was a young boy, this is the Predator we're on about, it is invisible, has all the toys (as seen in the advert) and the strength to lift a ton of bear without much issue, it'll all count on the story and how they make this work.

I'll reserve judgement, but if it's been 'disniefied' as I suspect.. It'll be rubbish.

It is supposed to take a lead from the original. Outsmarting it is the key. Doesn’t matter how big and strong you are, you’re weak in comparison. Reviews point to the fact that it doesn’t register her as a threat combined with her knowing the land as key points. The only downside from every review I’ve read is that it’s not getting a cinema release.

Also, a fat, middle aged Danny Glover beat the Predator in a fist fight with a fancy frisbee. I can’t wait for Friday night.

I'll be interested to see how they make it a fair fight between knives, pointy sticks and bows and arrows against a laser targeted blaster and stealth technology. Arnie only beat The Predator in the original because he lucked out getting covered in IR absorbing mud and it decided to dispense with its advanced weapons and fight him mano a mano.

Will wait and see, was always meant to be that the predator saw anyone with a weapon as a threat, so interesting to see how it won't do that for her, as mattyfez says, the chances of it being disneyfied are high, hopefully not in the same way as the marvel and star wars universes have gone though.

Personally i just don't like the 'lets go back 200-300 years and see how our ancestors get on against the predators', they can romanticise it, but after seeing the original with them destroying an entire rainforest that ended with the predator getting a minor cut, how they do similar with a few arrows will be hard to beat the original.

lucked out getting covered in IR absorbing mud

Im pretty sure there's a bit in the trailer where she gets covered in mud

Lots of incel types getting het up about this one

It is supposed to take a lead from the original.

How they can take such great source material & churn out turd after turd is something that depresses and confuses me in equal measure. See also: Alien.

See, I was almost with you there.

But I've watched both Predator 2 and Aliens. And you're wrong. Sorry. 😁

As for Prey,

It's the cover story in this month's SFX. It sounds brilliant.

I don’t think it’s been Disneyfied. Supposed to be the most violent and gory one made. Predator doesn’t have its plasma cannon thing either. There’s definitely a YouTube comments vibe in here. How can a film with a strong female lead be good when it involves a powerful enemy? Alien, Aliens and T2?

But I’ve watched both Predator 2 and Aliens. And you’re wrong. Sorry

on here as well 😂 Had to Google “Mary sue” as not come across that term before. So it’s ok for Arnie or literally any male character to be an unstoppable action-hero, but as soon as it’s a woman it’s somehow implausible? 😂 Whatever you do, don’t watch Terminator 2, you’ll hate it 😀

No, Mary Sue as i said relates to males as much as females, Arnie was a 250lb bodybuilder who was playing a special forces 'best of the best', same as his squad who all got wiped out with little effort, the Mary Sue is basically just a cover for lazy backstories, so if in the original Predator you replaced that squad with say 10 women from the RLC, would it be as realistic with them using weaponry, fighting, etc?

Women can have the same style roles, Ripley in Aliens is the standout because they developed her in the previous film and at the start of Aliens, we've had female terminators, you have females who play superheroes all the time without much issue, because they have developed the back story, we know wonder woman is nearly invincible, we know the same with Captain Marvel and so on. The reason why folk worry about Disney+ making Prey with a young woman as the lead is that they have history of doing this, but it'll be down to how they do it, i'll watch it this weekend and find out, hope i'm wrong and it's a clever plot that moves the cat and mouse game around, but with Disney i tend to always look negatively.

Aliens is great actually although not a patch on the original (just a ‘bug hunt’ 😀)

I see what you did there.😁 Still wrong though.

but Predator 2… c’mon… have you seen it lately? Soooo dated & naff 😂

To be fair, I have not. I think I last watched it on laserdisc. So I might have to concede that one, I'd need to rewatch it.

Arnie was a 250lb bodybuilder who was playing a special forces ‘best of the best’, same as his squad who all got wiped out with little effort, the Mary Sue is basically just a cover for lazy backstories, so if in the original Predator you replaced that squad with say 10 women from the RLC, would it be as realistic with them using weaponry, fighting, etc?

Wasn't the character of Ripley originally written for a bloke? Or have I completely made that up?

Pretty progressive casting for 1979, anyway. Probably a good job the bottom half of the Internet didn't exist back then.

the sequence where they unload all the firepower into the jungle to no effect…

We've all been there, mate.

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.

So a late night with a couple of beers for me it is then!

2 things: 1) there is no lazier backstory in the history of movie-making than the beefed-up ex-special-forces guy, it must be used in 99% of action b-movies and 2) you do realise that the original Predator movie is ripping the piss out of macho stereotypes & gun fetishes in action movies? That is why he sets up the most Uber-macho (that handshake 🤣) characters ever assembled and then proceeds to completely demolish and emasculate them? Ditto the sequence where they unload all the firepower into the jungle to no effect… that is making a very specific point…

Predator was an 80s movie, everything was about beefed up guys being the lead, you may look back from what we see now and think it's a parody, but it certainly wasn't! If you had muscles, were a wrestler or just looked big you got a shot at the movies!

The reason they have that lazy 'ex special forces' type is that it is just that, a lazy backstory to make the viewer understand why they are competent in fighting, weapons, etc without having to grow the character and having a longer movie, i do agree though, it was always lazy, you'd get some character explaining for 30 seconds why the protagonist was the best of the best, but now living like a bum, Rambo did it, Under Siege as well, etc, etc, etc, The Soprano's did a mickey take of this i think with the Pine Barrens bit over the phone 😂

Wasn’t the character of Ripley originally written for a bloke? Or have I completely made that up?

Pretty progressive casting for 1979, anyway.

As for a predator vs the 18th century, the writer (or director – can’t quite remember) has been at pains to point out the alien is also 300 years more primitive and may not be as ‘superpowered’ as its later descendants (although space travel so pinch of salt required).

I thought Alien Vs Predator had a backstory much older than that (several millennia older) and the Preds were pretty advanced in that…

you may look back from what we see now and think it’s a parody, but it certainly wasn’t

For those worrying about disneyfying, you are right to be concerned.

I watched the new home alone with my kids at Christmas. The “Kevin” character makes friends with the wet bandits and they all have Christmas dinner together at the end.

I was horrified.

I prey that this film is closer to the original!

One interpretation is they cast her because an unknown female actress would be the last person viewers expected to be the “last man standing”. Which is pretty sexist!

Sexist... or subversive in challenging the audience? (You're probably right.)

Hang on,

We're concerned about Disney having a history of invincible female characters whilst simultaneously being concerned about Disney having a history of making things all soft and cuddly?

having watched the director back when he was video podcasting on the Totally Rad Show and enjoyed 10 Cloverfield Lane & the Boys 1st episode I'm hopeful that this will be at the very least a decent watch, and a bit of a departure from the all out action previous Predator movies.

I've read that he was going for more of an adventure/suspense style overall, which should hopefully cover some of the impossbilities that comes with the 'small woman with bow and arrow vs big alien with tech' scenario

The whole point of the predator is that you need to outthink it. Muscles, brawn and firepower don’t mean anything. Unarmed female (trailer is misleading by all accounts) who knows the land, how to track and how to hunt. One of the best things I’ve read is that it actually has a character arc. Time will tell, but it’s rare to see high praise, all highlighting the same positive points and for the film to then miss the mark.

Don’t forget that ultra beefcake special forces Arnie only beat it by going back to basics in the original.

Hang on,

We’re concerned about Disney having a history of invincible female characters whilst simultaneously being concerned about Disney having a history of making things all soft and cuddly?

To be fair, i mention Mary Sue as it's the only term i remember from the god awful last star wars trilogy and the complete lack of building up the Rey character, it's as if they learnt absolutely nothing from the original trilogy where Luke's character was developed from fresh faced know nothing to a Jedi over 3 films, there is no sexism about it, she's got the ability that Luke had, but they just gave it to her without any real story of adversity, failure, etc that's usually how you build a character.

Disney are just not my flavour just now, can't even think of watching the new Thor film, we watched Thor go through the same process, from egotistical know it all, being belittled, losing everyone, then coming back stronger, to then suddenly becoming a comedy act in Infinity Wars Pt 2 and then the last movies, it's as if they give directors a clean slate at the start of the movies to do what they want, which kind of annoys audiences!

Wasn’t the character of Ripley originally written for a bloke?

The version I read was the original script suggested that all the roles could be read as either male or female and that the crew was to be unisex.

, it’s as if they give directors a clean slate at the start of the movies to do what they want, which kind of annoys audiences!

The director of one of the last Star Wars movies was being harangued by some incel living-in-his-mums-basement type, and stopped him by essentially saying. "Look, if you want your version of Star Wars to made, go to film school, become a director, shoot your movie, release it to public scrutiny. In the meantime, no one is putting a gun to your head to force you to watch a movie you don't like"

How can you all get so het up about something you've not even seen?

Just watch the bloody thing and then complain about it if you really must.

I hope it's been Disneyfied - I want her to break into song. I want her to call all the animals to help.

I want the bad guy Predator song...

I feel they have missed an opportunity here.

Seriously tho, check out the director's other work, 10 Cloverfield Lane & Playtest (a Black Mirror episode) he's a more than capable diretor.

(Also whoever mentioned Thor up there, the last 2 films are Infinitely superior to the first 2 films)

I hope it’s been Disneyfied

Pokeahuntress?

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

Just watch the bloody thing and then complain about it if you really must.

Because this is what always happens when something comes along that's slightly different from what's gone before, doubly so if it involves someone who is isn't a straight white bloke. They should've cast her as a trans lesbian, it'd likely have DDoS'ed YouTube's comments section and I'd have laughed my arse off.

Wokeahuntress?

Good stuff, I did think it was Predator-related going by the trailer...not a huge amount of interest in it myself (the Predator story), but glad I was aware of the connection and the trailer does make it look like it will be good. Glad it is ok as that post about the Wall thing that descended into a Judge Dredd and 2000AD chat had me completely lost - I couldn't tell if the video posted was for something real trying to be established, some made up concept from someone's brain or related to Judge Dredd.
Not got a streaming service so I won't be watching it myself, but I hope it isn't a duff one!

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.

https://filmschoolrejects.com/36-things-we-learned-from-john-mctiernans-predator-commentary-bf9c5393d74/

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!

https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/hxl5_xj.8uu7W3KyulemiA--~B/aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/http://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/1b213d421fdb96abfde8241ea331259 5" alt="" />

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

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