Welcome, one and all to my latest film posting! Some of you may be aware that I have been really hyped for the upcoming Predator film from Shane Black and 20th Century Fox. Well, the trailer just landed! So, much like I did with Venom, I’m going to be giving my initial thoughts on how the film is looking. First up, check out the trailer below.
Now, the opening scene shows a kid finding some Predator gear and apparently taking control of the titular alien’s ship. While a little different to how the hunters have come to Earth in previous installments of the franchise, I’m not entirely opposed to this as a means to not only get them here but get them angry. The only thing I’d say is that the kid was flipping that thing all over the place, so if he was in direct control, that ship must have been going through some gnarly aerial maneuvers.
The scene that follows with a military assassin talking to (I’m assuming) his superior, makes a few things clear. First up, the military is well aware of the existence of the creatures. That was confirmed in Predator 2, so I’m fine with that. Speaking of that link, I also understand that Jake Busey will be play the son of his father’s character in said sequel, which is a nice touch. The second thing that this scene confirms – via a shot of two people monitoring the interview – is the presence of humour in the film. The tone of the delivery here makes me think that it should be taken as a fun moment. But how does that fit with the generally bloody nature of the series?
The answer is that it kinda does fit already. Both Predator and Predator 2 had some moments that were designed to have a comedic edge. Honestly, I could see the inclusion of humour worrying some viewers, but as long as it doesn’t outweigh the story and action, I do think that it will sit well in the film. If the characters can induce some laughter, it will make them all the more human and likable, and that will be key in making sure that viewers want to see them survive rather than root for the cool, futuristic alien hunters.
It’s after this that my interest is really piqued though. The shift in tone by the backing music is really good. And there’s that one line of dialogue.
“Someone or something tore him to pieces.”
And then the familiar clicking.
That is what I was waiting for. That almost nostalgic feeling that those few seconds of footage gave was fantastic. It’s odd but, if that – and the following scene of an attack – had been the whole trailer, I’d have genuinely been really happy. If it had been the end of the trailer, it would also have left me wanting more, in a good way. But … there was actually more.
From there, we get a taste of what I’m expecting the film to be. The mish-mash of shots that follow give us another little bit of humour, some action, and the USP for this encounter: The fact that the Predators are carrying out hybridization experiments on themselves. That mix of things is likely highly representative of how the film itself will play out. As to whether that’s a good thing or not, it’s really hard to judge based on what we get. As I said, I’m not opposed to there being some laughs. The hybrid theory is also pretty interesting, if not necessarily what I’d expect based on the first two films and the Machiko Naguchi Aliens vs Predator novels and comics. The action though looked undeniably strong. It’s pretty clear that things are going to get bloody, and that Krull-esque Glaive style weapon looks pretty cool.
My one concern is that there’s a scene where a Predator appears to have its targeting on the child from the start of the trailer. It has already been established in the lore that children are not hunted. Unless they’re actually aggressive and pose a real threat, of course. Now, in fairness, we don’t really get to see what’s in the boy’s hand. It didn’t look like standard human tech though, so perhaps he’s carrying a weapon with a real shot at damaging one of the hunters. I hope that it turns out to be something like that.
So, in conclusion … I still have faith in this. I expect it to be a slightly different monster to the original films, the more recent Predators, and indeed the expanded universe. There will be nods to the older films, and it certainly looks like some of that vibe has been recaptured. If the film can balance in the favour of that old-style carnage, it should be a good addition to the franchise.
But what about yourselves? What did you make fo the trailer? Are you excited for the film? Let me know in the comments below.
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