Predator: The General Zaroff Of Science Fiction
Part 2 in my alien/predator chronological movie marathon: a recap!
Predator (1987)
Yay, I've been born at this point! Ah Predator, I love this movie. It is a shining example of just the kind of creature/horror movie I really enjoy. One of the more interesting things about this movie, especially in comparison to the other Alien/Predator movies, is how grounded in realism it seems. I mean you know...sort of grounded in some kind of reality, lol. The circumstances the main characters find themselves in are not too outlandish, nor does it feel alien and disconcerting. In fact it is rather believable, after a fashion. For example the beginning of the movie could easily be the intro to any war movie made about soldiers in Vietnam. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers are better examples even than Space Marines when it comes to my theory about fearsome villains. Arnold er...Dutch has a team of crack operatives, huge men of action, traipsing about the jungle with huge guns (ooh double meaning ;) there), and still they fear the Predator almost to the point of hysteria. These men are prey worth hunting, they are worthy trophies, not fodder for the insectoid hatchlings found in Alien. The beauty of this kind of movie is that they are not too bogged down with over-information. We never learn too much about the creature or the characters, we learn just enough to keep us wanting more. The theme, though still a little vague, is a bit more obvious than the Alien films. It's not man against nature, or man against the supernatural, it's mainly Man Vs. ...well everything. Well almost everything, he knocks out about 4 or 5 of the 7 classifications of conflict by the end of the movie. As Dutch resorts to primitive methods to defeat the technologically advanced hunter while still being able to survive in the remote jungle local, he effectively triumphs over science and nature. His defeat of the alien without ever having understood it, seems to me a triumph over the unknown and (maybe this is stretching it) his own destiny. A more recent example of this type of movie is "Pitch Black." The supernatural aspect of the monsters is secondary to the characters, but still important. You are sorry to see the secondary characters in Predator, like in Pitch Black (which I loved the first time I saw it BTW), die. Even though you learn very little about them, you root for them, you hate to see them go. Dutch, though he is far more highly trained than Ripley, is not cut off from the audience by his awesomeness, he appears just as in over his head here as Ripley was (or is...Aliens is in the future, though it is older chronologically movie speaking). The two share an admirable knack for survival that does not come off as too contrived. Also, as far as movie monsters go, I love the Predator and everything about him: his design, his sense of honor, even his glow stick blood. I enjoy the action in this movie and it gave us the famous line: "Get to the chopper!" How could anyone not love Predator?
Predator 2 (1990)
oh as much as I love Predator I hate (or REALLY, REALLY dislike) the sequel. >.< it makes me sad. I dunno which I dislike more Predator 2 or Alien Versus Predator: Requiem. Honestly, I shouldn't dislike this movie as much as I do. It has actors I love who do decent work here (Danny Glover and Bill Paxton for example). Everything up until Danny Glover's final battle with the Predator at the movie's conclusion, fills me with a sort of rage. The unnecessary 10 year future setting, the nincompoopery of the local L.A. drug lords, the further nincompoopery of nearly everyone involved. Not even Gary Busey could not save this movie. I think my big problem with this movie is the overall feeling of it. The first film starred a bloodied, battle hardened, task force but it never felt to cold or heartless or even unkind to me. Predator 2 does though. In fact it feels just how Danny Glover's character acts for the majority of the movie: Grouchy, reckless, vulgar and violent (not the good kind!). The people being stalked by the Predator are not worthy of his time. These are not Tigers and Grizzlies in a feral environment, these are squabbling wild dogs scrounging in alley ways. The only redeeming quality to this movie for me is the final battle (though I also find it disappointing). We get a decent bit of hand to hand combat, an honorable death, and some insight into the Predators as a species. What disappoints me, is this new look at the Predators as a people. Before seeing the sequel, I always liked to believe that the Predator was an individual. I never considered that there was a whole race of such beings, I presumed the Predator was a rich eccentric. A General Zaroff kind of character (From the short Story "The Most Dangerous Game." Of course I didn't know who that was when I first saw Predator). I do not like the idea of an entire race that hunts humans because the species is just too darn similar. There is a common physiology, code of honor, technology, and possibly sense of humor. Hunt Aliens that makes sense, they are essentially voracious, cockroaches. Hunting humans makes less sense, unless you are a thrill seeking nut case. Granted, the whole species could be crazies, but it makes more sense that the events of Predator was an isolated incident. The atmosphere feels less triumph and more depressing, despite Glover's victory over the unknown. Whatever the reasons, as hard as they are for me to describe, I do not like this movie.
Predator (1987)
Yay, I've been born at this point! Ah Predator, I love this movie. It is a shining example of just the kind of creature/horror movie I really enjoy. One of the more interesting things about this movie, especially in comparison to the other Alien/Predator movies, is how grounded in realism it seems. I mean you know...sort of grounded in some kind of reality, lol. The circumstances the main characters find themselves in are not too outlandish, nor does it feel alien and disconcerting. In fact it is rather believable, after a fashion. For example the beginning of the movie could easily be the intro to any war movie made about soldiers in Vietnam. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers are better examples even than Space Marines when it comes to my theory about fearsome villains. Arnold er...Dutch has a team of crack operatives, huge men of action, traipsing about the jungle with huge guns (ooh double meaning ;) there), and still they fear the Predator almost to the point of hysteria. These men are prey worth hunting, they are worthy trophies, not fodder for the insectoid hatchlings found in Alien. The beauty of this kind of movie is that they are not too bogged down with over-information. We never learn too much about the creature or the characters, we learn just enough to keep us wanting more. The theme, though still a little vague, is a bit more obvious than the Alien films. It's not man against nature, or man against the supernatural, it's mainly Man Vs. ...well everything. Well almost everything, he knocks out about 4 or 5 of the 7 classifications of conflict by the end of the movie. As Dutch resorts to primitive methods to defeat the technologically advanced hunter while still being able to survive in the remote jungle local, he effectively triumphs over science and nature. His defeat of the alien without ever having understood it, seems to me a triumph over the unknown and (maybe this is stretching it) his own destiny. A more recent example of this type of movie is "Pitch Black." The supernatural aspect of the monsters is secondary to the characters, but still important. You are sorry to see the secondary characters in Predator, like in Pitch Black (which I loved the first time I saw it BTW), die. Even though you learn very little about them, you root for them, you hate to see them go. Dutch, though he is far more highly trained than Ripley, is not cut off from the audience by his awesomeness, he appears just as in over his head here as Ripley was (or is...Aliens is in the future, though it is older chronologically movie speaking). The two share an admirable knack for survival that does not come off as too contrived. Also, as far as movie monsters go, I love the Predator and everything about him: his design, his sense of honor, even his glow stick blood. I enjoy the action in this movie and it gave us the famous line: "Get to the chopper!" How could anyone not love Predator?
Predator 2 (1990)
oh as much as I love Predator I hate (or REALLY, REALLY dislike) the sequel. >.< it makes me sad. I dunno which I dislike more Predator 2 or Alien Versus Predator: Requiem. Honestly, I shouldn't dislike this movie as much as I do. It has actors I love who do decent work here (Danny Glover and Bill Paxton for example). Everything up until Danny Glover's final battle with the Predator at the movie's conclusion, fills me with a sort of rage. The unnecessary 10 year future setting, the nincompoopery of the local L.A. drug lords, the further nincompoopery of nearly everyone involved. Not even Gary Busey could not save this movie. I think my big problem with this movie is the overall feeling of it. The first film starred a bloodied, battle hardened, task force but it never felt to cold or heartless or even unkind to me. Predator 2 does though. In fact it feels just how Danny Glover's character acts for the majority of the movie: Grouchy, reckless, vulgar and violent (not the good kind!). The people being stalked by the Predator are not worthy of his time. These are not Tigers and Grizzlies in a feral environment, these are squabbling wild dogs scrounging in alley ways. The only redeeming quality to this movie for me is the final battle (though I also find it disappointing). We get a decent bit of hand to hand combat, an honorable death, and some insight into the Predators as a species. What disappoints me, is this new look at the Predators as a people. Before seeing the sequel, I always liked to believe that the Predator was an individual. I never considered that there was a whole race of such beings, I presumed the Predator was a rich eccentric. A General Zaroff kind of character (From the short Story "The Most Dangerous Game." Of course I didn't know who that was when I first saw Predator). I do not like the idea of an entire race that hunts humans because the species is just too darn similar. There is a common physiology, code of honor, technology, and possibly sense of humor. Hunt Aliens that makes sense, they are essentially voracious, cockroaches. Hunting humans makes less sense, unless you are a thrill seeking nut case. Granted, the whole species could be crazies, but it makes more sense that the events of Predator was an isolated incident. The atmosphere feels less triumph and more depressing, despite Glover's victory over the unknown. Whatever the reasons, as hard as they are for me to describe, I do not like this movie.