FanFilmFriday: Batman: Dead End

Hey guys and gals,
how are ya doin'?

I've been posting fanfilms on this blog for quite some time...and I see I haven't mentioned nor posted this great 2003 fanfilm yet... Surely most of you probably already know it, but anyways why shouldn't I give it a post here for once?

Here's Batman: Dead End!
Known colloquially on the interwebz as that "Batman Vs. Predator (Vs. Aliens)" fanfilm, it is rather a more professional take than the myriad usual fanmade videos.
And for a reason!~

Batman: Dead End was directed by Sandy Collora. It original aired at the San Diego Comic-Con on July 2003, and shortly after being released on TheForce.net made a big splash amongst fanboys and nerds alike all over the world.

It's about Batman chasing an escaped Joker into a dark alley....when suddenly a random Alien attack them both!
And it gets work when a Predator appears out of nowhere and a duel erupts between the Dark Knight and the Space Hunter....

Check it out:



This "little" movie was done with a budget of around 30'000$ by designer artist Sandy Collora.
He worked for years at Stan Winston Studios and was part of such classic films as Jurassic Park, Men In Black or even Predator 2. He designed various Predators for this flick's cult classic epic ending, many Preds which never made it into the actual movie (including this female egyptian-inspired Pred on the left).

Others more elaborated costume made it into this Batman: Dead End movie though, like that big red-masked Predator leader at the end.

He made another similar fanfilm in 2004 with World's Finest, using most of the same cast and crew. It was this time a Superman/Batman crossover.

Collora made his first debut film feature with Hunter Prey recently.

I loved this "Dead End" project! Loved it first ~6-7 years ago when I first saw it, and still adore it to this day.
Very great pacing, great use of each characters' own movie soundtrack, great angles... I mean even the fight looks better choreographed than most recent action movie scenes!!
(at least you understand what's going on here unlike any of Michael Bay's flicks...)

Kevin Smith himself said this was "possibly the truest, best Batman movie ever made"
And Alex Ross added "Batman the way I've always wanted to see him" which doesn't come as a surprise, I mean just look at him, clearly based on Ross artwork :P

You can check more of Collora's stuff, be it movies or artwork, on his own website here: http://www.collorastudios.com/

Friggin' most badass scene ever put on film: "You son of a bitch!"

And here's something random.
The most badass scene ever put on film:

"You son of a bitch!"

MR Predators

Let's kick off this year with another long overdue review!

After all those previews I have been doing before its theatre release on my blog, here's finally a MR of the latest film in the Predator series!

Movie: Predators
Directed by Nimród Antal
Release date 2010
Genre Scifi/horror
Country USA

Note: I already briefly reviewed this movie after watching it.

Often rumoured, this third Predator movie has been through a lot before being finally produced and released last year. Making it exactly 20 years since the last "real" Predator movie hit theatres.

To be precise, the studio 20th Century Fox wasn't very keen on making a sequel to both the Predator and Alien series. These kind of movies could cost a lot to produce, counting pretty expensive practical effects (suits, gore aspects, etc..) and the scifi part (space/spaceship settings, open sets for the Predator, etc..).
And since these last bunch of years (around the 2000s), Fox's been well known for making what I call lackbuster movies. Meaning cheap fake-blockbusters. Where most costs go to one or two big action scenes and the rest of the movies being easily shot/cost effective, oh and also featuring one or two well known popular faces amongst cheap actors. (TV/movie actors)
They've done it with both Fantastic Four movies (isn't it crazy than the only "epic" scene of a superhero movie like FF is when a a Firetruck almost fall of a bridge because of the hero who ends up saving it!), X-men 3, Daredevil/Elektra and many more..even (specially) Die Hard 4 to some extend!!

Anyway, back on Predator!
The movie had been stuck for many years on pre-production. Many scripts went by.
Robert Rodriguez, who loved the concept and the original movie, wrote in fact many screenplays around the time Predator 2 came out. Since they never got made, some were eventually translated into funny books by Dark Horse Comics.
One of those stories was about a Predator in the 1600s, meeting pirates and getting the gun he would give to Danny Glover in the 2nd movie.
Another was about Predators against samurais.
And finally one was about a game preserve, where Predators would keep Prey for competition...

Best Opening Ever.

The movie starts right from the go.
As almost no movie does anymore. No big shiny presentation of a logo, or long complicated CGi opening.
The story starts with Royce.

He and a bunch of others mercenaries and thugs happen to drop from the ski (?) and land in a mysterious jungle.
The team gets to know each other, but these guy put together are pretty disfunctional.
They seem to come from various unrelated backgrounds. A mexican enforcer called Cuchillo, a spetsnaz soldier named Nikolai, an inmate who goes by "Stans", Hanzo a yakuza, etc..
The only female on board, an israeli sniper Isabelle.
And finally a "doctor", Edwin, who seems rather out of place there.
Apart from Edwin, they all have only one common point, they're all killers.
But why were they all gathered there??

Adrian Brody in all his manly manliness.

The movie is a big "return to basics".
After two horrible awful lackbuster Alien Versus Predator movies, which where so cheap they plainly avoided to use space as battlground for the Aliens and Predators or any fun plot from the games or comics they were named after, this movie Predators takes a lot from the original Predator movie.

We're back in a jungle, hunted by a mysterious killer.
The movie spends most of its first act developing and introducing to the character.
They're not your usual cannon folder, or cliché characters.
All in their own ways, all get some nice character introduction and motivations. Also it shows the actors were actually having fun on the set.

Rodriguez, who wrote the script, played a bit with his usual brand of character in each of these guys, you could almost imagine them in one of his Desperado flicks.
Adrien Brody really surprised me there! He totally lived up the role, I was originally afraid he wasn't suited for this franchise after protagonists played by "Terminator" Schwarzy and "Lethal Weapon" Danny Glover.
Sadly, Danny Trejo is mostly a cameo in this movie, being on screen so...little time... :/

Even the music goes back to the percussion and jungle beats.
When I read John Debney (Sin City, Iron Man 2, The Mummy 3) was the composer, I had my doubts...
But he perfectly catched Alan Silvestri's original score here. Sometimes a bit modern-ysh sounding in the more action scenes, other times pretty in tune with Predator 1 in the tension parts and when the hunt is on similar to Predator 2.
Perfect score for the music!

My new favorite scene in all 3 Predator movies!

The movie starts pretty much ground based.
It re-imagines a similar situation to Predator 1 with new twists and modern ideas.
The movie is a continuation to both Predator 1 and 2 (and 2!! unlike what some news may have make it sound, misquoting Rodriguez!) and perfectly ignores any connection to Alien or the AVP franchise. There are some "alien" elements, as in other creatures, but not the Xenomorphs themselves.
When  the Preds finally appear on screen, the movie goes completly scifi...for a while. We're introduced to other creatures, strange Predator-tech, see some derelict ships.... Then the movie is able to go back to a more reality-grounded atmosphere again like in Predator 1.
I'm kinda sad the movie didn't totally embrace its science fiction roots more.
At least the final half has some nice twists and surprises.

In his original screenplay (which some versions have been leaked online), Rodriguez planned main roles for returning character and in the later forms at least a cameo for both Danni Glover and Schwarzennegger.
It seems Dutch would have appeared in the end with a mean to escape for Royce and Isabelle and I guess Harrigan would have appeared instead of Laurence Fishburne's character.

The movie also rehashes some concepts Rodriguez wanted to try, since he wasn't sure he would be able to make/produce another Predator movie after that.
Scrapped ideas such as a sword fight with a Predator came from older scripts, and it was pretty nice to see this in here. Specially since it takes the Predator creature into new playgrounds.

Mano-a-mano between Preds this time?!

For the fans, the movie isn't without any twists like I said.
We finally clearly see some distinction amongst Predator clans, playing with the motif of the original Predator design and bringing new member of the same specie. The three new "main" Predators (refered to Super Predators in early promotion and behind the scenes material) are clearly a different breed who seem, like the humans, trapped in this planet.

Near the end, when the objective becomes to escape this world rather than stay and fight, Royce makes an alliance with what seems a more classic Predator creature.
By the way, from what Robert Rodriguez let know, this movie wasn't supposed to have any reference to AVP, right?
Then, why did we need to see a human & Predator teaming up one more time and using the same "the enemy of my enemy is my friend"-bulls*** again??

Anyhow, Rodriguez was pretty smart to get 20th Century Fox's approval on this movie.
With the success of both previous AVPs (a moderate box office revenue on a tiny budget = profit!), Rodriguez was able to make Fox accept to produce this one.
And since he knowns his business, he was also able to keep budget on a reasonable level and use mostly practical special effects and only relying on slight CGi for minor details (such as the landscape).

Overall, finally the third entry in the Predator series!
One more to go and they'll catch the Alien seires (that is, if they do it first, over thsoe new rumoured Alien movie prequels-btw, ugh..awful idea!!)
And a righful sequel at that!

Director Nimród Antal, who's mostly known for great thrillers full of thrills, did great behind the camera.
He was Rodriguez first choice, since he couldn't make it anymore as director. But he stayed on the set most of the times, contributing as he could with his tight shedule.

The movie makes a lot of references to the previous episodes.
Mostly Predator 1 as anyone can guess, but also Predator 2 in its structure and devleopment (to be exact, it even follows closely the patterns and the way Pred 2 introduced the monster, set the confrontations until the final 20+ minutes of final showdown ending with the ultimate smackdown).
They were a lot of reflections to the originals.
The Yakuza vs. the Pred mirrored Billy vs. the Pred over the river in the original. (but this time on screen!)
Even the whole squad was sort of based on Predator 2 characters (Isabelle/Leona Cantrell, Stans/Bill Paxton's character...).
They were even able to make a reference to the old never-seen-before alien suit wore by Jean Claude Van Damme in the original Predator before redesigning the monster, the monster actually happens as a sort of red herring for our characters early on, before being killed.

The movie also actually refers to Aliens a lot, the second Alien movie.
Not just in its title, this third Predator introduces a more military-based aspect to the series (not seen since the original), more creatures and different designs, like Aliens did.

I would love to rate this one higher, but due to Danny Trejo being underused (ooh...), some misdirection from the trailers and promotions (a lot of Preds hunting Brody? huh...nope) and the fact that it doesn't bring anything new to the table other than a return to the roots (duly appreciated)..I only recommend to watch it if you're interested or like these sort of violent monster movies.
In the opposite case, it won't change your mind about this series!
(watch it/give it a try!)

And finally a little note.
'loved listening to Little Richard's Long Tall Sally in the end, which was a great tribute to the only song heard in Predator 1 (in the choppa!!) and a perfect cue to end a great action R-Rated violent flick.
'nuff said

I give it:

 2 / 3 UFOs!

FPS games!

Here's a little discussion/reflexion about First Person Shooters.

I've been playing FPS games for so many years...probably since I started gaming (well, as soon as Doom and Duke Nukem 3D hit the gaming market)
It's always been a guilty pleasure of mine...
They're not really my favorite genre, not anymore at least, but I can always find some fun playing through a FPS.

I had my Arena/Deathmatch/Multiplayer FPS moments.. But I only like coming back to the scripted/level based games now. Plus you won't find people online playing the older ones, only the current new-cool stuff the kids do these days (Halo 3/ODST/Reach, Left4Dead...) and I prefer the older ones or at least the original new ones over the multiplaying ones.
(...)
I've thinking about these kind of games.. And as generic they've become (*cough*GearsOfWar*cough*) I still like to play one of these every now and then.
But I'm not really into all the cliché mainstream FPS that now invade the market, since the commercial success of Halo.
You see, the FPS have become what the 2D mascot platformers were during the 90s/16 bits era. A very cheap profitable simple-to-build genre of games. Just "buy the rights to use the Unreal engine, find a theme/gimmick, a generic online (team) deathmatch mode or co-op and slap some levels together AND BAM! Profit!
Oh, and either use super-muscular badass over-the-top heroes or make it a military game and you'll double profits!

Anyway, I can see two big types of FPS I use to play.
Very distinct in my eyes, both have their positive aspects. And I seem to prefer a genre over the other.
(not talking about the online FPS or the military realistic grim shooters mentioned above, since I do not play those)

There's the type of games where you play as an offensive type of "hero".
Often a badass over-the-top character, since they're mostly based on the very granpa of the genre, the Doom guy! A soldier, a marine, a cop... Someone of "power".
The hero jumps into the situation, attacks stuff and is fully prepared to kick some ass, YEAH!
They're the type of game you can zip through, the "story" is secondary and split up in levels. Be it lots of levels or a dozen. But it's no big deal, they're fun and you can replay them a lot, mastering your skills and trying your hands on harder difficulties.
This is the kind of FPS I liked to play a lot some years ago. The story is here, but it's not the most important aspect. The atmosphere, the enemies, the fun is.
In Doom, the Doom guy was kickin' Hell's ass all over the planet Mars. Tons of cool weapons, many foes.
Quake, another iD software game using many similar concepts just with an alien/machines backdrop instead of Hell & Mars.
Unreal and it's scifi fantastic space/worlds.
The more recent Condemned (though I could say it's also a bit of the genre I'll discuss below) had a cop going against junkies and killers in the streets.
Turok going rampage on a dinosaur planet.
The Alien vs. Predator series with it's 3 gameplay-types campaigns....
Etc... They're fun, often short (oh well... at least they've a multi for the gamers that won't replay hard difficulties, even if people don't really stick to those once there's a more recent one)

Then there's the more "story-ysh" kind of first person shooters.
The ones that get you involved in the plot not by throwing you against it, but in the middle of it.
These are the more defensive type of FPS games.
The ones that grew up on me, my favorite current type of FPS.
They're often the longer ones to play through. The story takes cente place here, often by scripted events.
It often starts with a normal, simple "tutorial" level where you discover your surroundings.
Then all hell breaks loses.
It's the type of game where the players is thrown into an hostile environment, lost in it and tries to understand things by himself.
They also commonly often use a big gimmick, be it gameplay-wise or just in the engine or physics of the game.
Half-Life started like a normal day for Gordon Freeman, scientist in undercover experimental laboratories in the Grand Canyon. Then during an experiment, a portal was opened... everything went from bad to worse..
These games thrown surnatural, magical, alien or scifi-ysh events at you. You are in a story. You're thrown into a journey in the unknown, discover little bits of info here and there and most of the time end up in a very distant place at the end....
Half-Life 2 did simply "spawn" Freeman in a complete different world, with new rules, new enemies, new cast of characters.. A different story altogether.
TimeShift, a sadly underrated early "next gen" game, threw another scientist, into a time warp, a different era in a war and a world that wasn't the protagonist's. And while Freeman could play with a gravity gun in platforming sequences, TimeShift allowed the player to freeze, revert or speed time around.
Then, the most impressive result of this type of game this generation really was Bioshock for me. It uses everything I like about this genre, a normal beginning that puts the player in the hostile environment quickly, a whole universe to discover, original gimmicks (the "drugs"/powers of this game, the Big Daddy...) and an ambiguous turn of events..
It's a type of game I really started to appreciate lately...

Anyway, that's my own take, my views on the whole FPS genre. Sure, I might not have as much FPS as fighting games, or have most recent ones like parkour platformers, nor played as much of those as 2D platformers... But it's a guilty pleasure of mine~

About BioShock 3?
Early impressions: Oh, I really loved the trailer, the concept, everything really!
I sure will appreciate it more than the few I know about BioShock 2 (still plan on playin' through it soon, as soon as I can get my hands on a cheap copy).
My problem about BioShock 2 is that it takes out exactly everything I love about Part 1. Meaning the strange unknown universe, it's mostly a BioShock 1 bis. All the surprises are out from the go, same mecanics, same concept, same weapons, etc.. It's more like revisiting BioShock 1, again! Cause everybody loved it you know!
It's more like additional levels, something that works better with the offensive type of games I've talked about above.
While BioShock 3 will actually be about a new story, new settings, surprises again!
An uncharted Mystery Box is about to be opened!
So, yeah, quite anticipating this game!

CBR Predator: Concrete Jungle

It's time for more Predator stuff!

Today's review, the comic book that inspired the name for that Predator game!

Comic title: Predator: Concrete Jungle
Art by Chris Warner & Ron Randall
Written by Mark Verheiden

Published by Dark Horse Comics
From 1990
Lineup Predator
Format: Trade paperback collecting Predator #1-4

Just after starting making comics about the Alien franchise in '88, 20th Century Fox launched a Predator line as well under the same publisher, Dark Horse.

It wasn't to adapt the movie, but to expand the franchise, to create a whole new original universe, which is in my eyes a better move, more creative in the end.

Concrete Jungle was the first story-arc that was created from '89 to 1990. It set the bar for future Predator comics as well as developed new concepts that would be kept in the movies later on...

Schaefer's brother is about to have one helluva week...

The story opens this time in New York City.
Detective Schaefer and his partner Detective Rasche are caught between turf wars between gang lords...
The city is havin' sort of a crisis, shoot-outs, war, high criminality... and a very hot summer time!

That is when our story's Predator decide to pick on the locals.

You probably guessed it, the story (which was in fact created before the movie) has a very familiar set-up.
Predator 2 might be an original sequel but does recycle lots of elements from this comic book!
As many as it almost seems like a comic book adaptation rather than the "original" sequel you thought it was!
But don't think the two follow the same path.
Predator 2 might share many similar aspects, Concrete Jungle doesn't share as much elements..for only the first of the 3 acts takes place in the city amongst gang wars...

This time around, the mano-a-mano fight takes place in the middle of the story...

The story follows this newly introduced brother to Schwarzennegger's character in the first Predator movie.
Schaefer follows the gangs... and meets his very first Predator in NYC in the first issue!
The fight it out...and Schaefer gets "tagged".

Is this monster connected to his brother disappearance?
What's the link with this mysterious conspiration and government guys?
What's General Phillips hidding from him about these creatures?

Schaefer tracks down the monster to South America, Columbia, where he ends face to face with it as well as a drug lord...
Big classic mano-a-mano combat against the alien...
Schaefer is now in possession of a Pred helmet..goes back to Big Apple...and...

It's an invasion!!

The final act brings the character back to the streets of NY...
And a Predator invasion!!

You see, Concrete Jungle isn't the same kind of story as the ones seen on theatres..
It's a lot more epic on a scale-aspect, more scifi-ysh and, even if written before P2, bridges the gap between those two kind of movies.
The first part of the movie, very much like Predator 2, tries to bring new elements and a new setting to the franchise. (unlike the movie, it's not in LA but New York)
The second part goes back to the jungle, much familiar, and has the big confrontation take place in the middle of the story...
The final act rather than trying to redo more "one on one" combats against the Predator or something of the same scope, goes wider, wilder and ends the story in a much climatic final.

The writing, as with most Dark Horse comics, is pretty consistent, well done.
Not incredible, but it works for this kind of movie/tv-to-comic adaptation.
The art is pretty nice, the new Predators are similar to the movie ones, yet kinda unique as well.
Only the color is sort of "moody". Like red-ysh in crisis, dangerous situations, yellow-ysh for dialogues, etc...

Overall, it's a great Predator entry in the franchise!

It would even work as a movie (I like to count it as the real 3rd movie, with the other Concrete Jungle game as the next one and Predators as the 5th "big Predator story").
It predates (arf :P) the 2nd movie, offers the same basis, yet could easily work in the franchise after that installment.

I really dig this comic.
Sure, there might have been better Predator comics later on, but this one set the bar and the foundations of future Predator works.
It introduced many aspects such as their "civilisation" aspect (a whole specie of alien hunters, which we only thought there was only one in P1), new weapons, their spaceships, and many more!
The story also partially uses the fact that the government knows about these monsters, which is one of the main plots of Predator 2.

Anyway, if you like the monster, the movies or are interested in checkin' some good ol' scifi comics from the 90s, you might wanna try Concrete Jungle!

I give it:

  2 / 3 Aaylas!

VGR Predator: Concrete Jungle

Here's...a surprise, I guess.
You weren't expecting this one, right? :P

After doing all those Predator movie reviews, I was going to move on some Predator comics...but thought, hey! why not check out one of the few Predator games available~

VGR: Predator: Concrete Jungle
From Eurocom and Vivendi Universal Games/Sierra/Fox Interactive
Played on Xbox
Also available on PS2

Type Action/Platformer/Brawler
Year 2005

Around the 2000s came a rather strange surprise for Alien and Predator fans, in the form of an original non-movie related game nor a sequel to the AvP FPS franchise.

Predator Concrete Jungle was an arcad-ysh 3D action game developed for the Xbox and PS2, named after a well liked comic book series from Dark Horse (which I was going to review before this game, but I changed my mind and swapped both reviews :P) but offers a 100% original storyline instead of adapting any other media. And I like this kind of expanded universe media over your usual dull adaptations, there's always some place to surprise and try new directions that way~

1930, New Way City. Same old same old~

The game opens in 1930, in the fictive town of New Way City. A Predator goes up against a mob boss.
He kills the boss, Bruno Borgia but lets his wife Isabella and son Hunter leave... After getting shot!
The Pred tries a desperate escape and finally tries to blow up his ship and himself with it... and fails!!

The Predator loses his honour... He revealed himself to humans and failed to take his life with his self-destruct system...
The other Predators exile this one, now bearing a scar on his eye, on a remote alien planet (with what I think are the creatures from Straship Troopers..!? crossover-cameo-reference??)

100 years later, it is revealed that in his fiasco, the Predator leftover technology helped the humans evolve rather quickly.
There's gang wars everywhere. People developed new technology such as flying machines, invisibility for troops, created the very first exosuits to fight ramping crime in the streets and even use plasma guns!!

Scarface can use tons of wonderful toys and neat gadgets~

The story is told in a non-linear way, which might confuse some gamers.. but I really dig it!
Every now and then, there's some great quality CGi scenes telling the story, under a mysterious voice narrating the events.
It pretty original! The story isn't your usual good guy vs bad guy, concluding with a final showdown...

Instead it jumps every now and then from New Way City 1930 to 2030!
It reveals very few in the beginning and then moves on both timeline to explain what exactly happened. It's a revenge story from Hunter (the mob's son) against "Scarface" the Predator.
 
Back in 2005, this game didn't get very fair reviews in my eyes..
People were expecting a Splinter Cell-ysh game (since it was so hype back then) and they got a more simple experience than that...

The game is a 3D third person action game. With some light platforming sequences and lots of brawling, you know, like old school beat 'em all games!

Of course, as what you'd expect from a game starring a Predator, you can use a lot of neat alien arsenal.
The game starts out with only the basic weapons, but along the way, you add a lot of new toys and upgrades to your weapons. The claws get longer, you obtain the smartdisc, upgrade to a shuriken-like disc, find the plasma cannon, you also have access to bombs, mines, etc..
There's a lot of weapons to explore and use!

Plus the Predator can use lots of technology, straight from the movies and more!
A thermal vision, an electrical one and more!
You can switch to a first person view to follow and analyse your prey.
Scarface (yes, the pred) can use a medical kit..
You can also play with your stealth, going invisible, using the vocal mimicry to call or frighten your enemies or just use a plain loud roar!

This may happen or not in the game. Try it for yourself if you wanna know....

The problem with the game is that it doesn't really play on the stealth part. In the end, it's still a pretty basic beat 'em all!
But I wouldn't call that really a problem! It's pretty arcad-ysh! The levels go pretty quick and with all the things to find, collect or try, you'll want to go back to some levels in the end!

The game is pretty long, I don't have the number exactly, but it's probably over 30 levels or so~
The 1930 levels are pretty straight forward and fun, and the 2030 quite harder.
Oh and there's some nice replay value, that is, if you're a fan of the Predators! You'll unlock and upgrade many weapons like I said before and new Predator-skins! You can play with the Predator 1 or 2 Pred' (yay!), some original ones inspired by the comics (a Bad Blood Predator,..) or the AVP one (huh..).
 The Pred can make stealth instant kills and collect heads. Upon that, there's also special kills to make and "Trophies" to find and collect as well!
All the weapons and trophies can then be viewed on the ship, from the game's main menu.

The game tries also to connect the Alien movies, the Predator movies, the AVP flick and the Dark Horse expanded universe into one singular universe!
And I really think they did a great job be it in the design/visual easter eggs of the game or simply the script!
It's because of the Pred technology that humans evolved quickly (to explore space in the Alien franchise later on), it inspired their AI programs (MOTHER in Alien, which is also a pretty important plot-pont in the game). It connects the Yutani Corporation with both franchises (and Weyland, used in the AVP movies).
And...there's a very neat surprise near the end about the Xenomorphs...
In one sentence: It ties into the overall franchises pretty well.

Overall, it's a pretty fun game. Maybe a bit simplistic for some (haters) tastes, but I like it!
The game isn't "Game of the Year" material, if that's what you're asking, but I find it pretty fun.
The gameplay needs a bit of practice at first, specially if your used to more complexes game.
You'll die easily without some training first!

It's a game that really deserves a chance, even if it may not sound super original, gameplay-wise.
Both PS2 and Xbox versions are pretty close, though the Xbox version seems to be the superior graphic-wise.
I played it originally on the classic Xbox and later on the Xbox 360, where it plays pretty fine (only some minor problems on some CGi scenes..).

There's a lot of materials to be found, if you're fan of the franchise or are just trying to enjoy and learn a bit of the Predator. The game makes you feel quite the predator with all the gadgets, his strength and overall presentation.
And woow, does a Predator jump high!

The script, specially for a game, is pretty surprising good! It sure is better than the 2 AVP movie attempts...
It plays with the Predator mythos, it's a bit closer to the spirit of Predator 2 than 1 (turf wars, etc..) and for something called Predator sure likes to use elements of the Alien franchise!

I'd say, if you like scifi, simpler but funnier games or just to have a look at an underrated last-gen title, give it a try!
Well, if you're a fan, you better already have it!!

I give it:

 2 / 3 Quacks!

Predators - recap

You've seen me post a lot of coverage about this new Predator movie, like here, here, here, here, here and there.
And also lately a link to some early reactions, and even a review of both original Predator movies.

Now I've finally seen it.

What did I think?
(I'll try to be brief, since I suppose I will end up making a full review around the home release of this movie)

It was...pretty good!
Kickass sequel, finally the Predator franchise has another entry (and is one step behind Alien's).

The movie starts off pretty violently (in a big deus ex machina-like way). Then it follows pretty closely Predator 1's development. Mercenary group, jungle, suspense, character development...
We kinda grow to like the team, which isn't a team of good guys this time around (unlike Pred 1 & 2) but a big bunch of bastards. They kinda grow on you and are pretty fun (it's kinda sad to have each of them get killed each time).
Then, around the moment they found "a Predator camp" it all goes more scifi, goes a bit more nut and crazy... dog-monsters, traps, Laurence Fishburn livin' a crazy life, violence, blood and gore, duel mano-a-mano...and...weird depressing ending unresolved..?

It's a pretty nice movie, a big action flick like in the good ol' days. No need to know nor have seen both previous Predators (let's not mention AVP here please!).

There's some things I would definitely have used in other ways myself...
The Predators could have used some more gadgets/technology... It kinda seems like a step backwards (compared to Predator 2), the big mano-a-mano ending is pretty cool, I wouldn't expect less from a Predator movie (hey, it's not alien, we like big mano-a-mano endings in Predator flicks!) but...it looks a bit repetitive after a Predator duel earlier on...
Oh, and more scifi elements (out-of-this world strange hi-tech gear/or alien creatures) would have been nice too! There's a little hint of "other aliens" trapped in that planet...but not enough to my taste..

All in all it was a pretty fun movie! Go watch it!
I approve it as a scifi-fan, a horror-fan, a slasher-fan and a Predator-fan! :D
It brings back this franchise on track and makes great uses of practical effects, well done monster costumes and old school action!

MR Predator 2

Predators is out! On the occasion I'm reviewing both original Predator movies!!
Let's have a look at the Predator movie the internet loves to diss~

Movie: Predator 2
Directed by Stephen Hopkins
Release date 1990
Genre Scifi/horror
Country USA
 
In 1990 came the inevitable sequel to Predator.
There wasn't a lot of options that could came out after the success of Predator 1.
Either don't do a sequel (but 20th Century Fox couldn't let go their new own "cult monster gallery" they were developing), redo Predator 1 or try building something new. And I'm glad they went with the later option.
Sure, Predator 2 tries hard to offer new content, a new direction and reveal more stuff while using a similar creature.
But I know a lot of people like to diss Predator 2 out just because it's a Schwarzenegger-less sequel, or doesn't work on the same mysterious monster/unknown-foe level.

This time around, the audience knows there's monsters hunting humans for trophies.
We know they can defeat highly trained mercenaries.

How can one man strikes against such alien creatures and will he be able to stand off against the creature, victorious?!

New Predator, new setting and one helluva badass cop as new main trophy for our alien hunter..

Los Angeles, 1997.
The future! Well, from a 1990-ysh point of view!
The streets are occupied by gang wars and drug lords... Fear not, cause Lieutenant Mike Harrigan and his LAPD team of officers are gettin' close to terminate both the Jamaican and Colombian cartels! But Harrigan quickly finds out that something else is getting dangerously close to everybody... Something's huntin' people on all sides of the conflict...

Directed by Stephen Hopkins, great master of tension and suspense in Dangerous Game or A Nightmare on Elm Street 5, this sequel to the first Predator loses both its original military aspect and focuses mainly on the slasher part of the orginal.
This time we lose the jungle setting for the streets of Los Angeles (after a brilliantly clever opening shot).
The whole premise is a bit far fetched and far from what the real Los Angeles from 1997 really ended up to be... but this is an action flick dammit!
If the previous movie used clichés and character tropes as an homage to old school war movies, Predator 2 is a big pastiche of action flicks and cop movies from the late 80s. Casting Danny Glover as the main character was both a clever move and a pretty fitting idea, fresh from the Lethal Weapon movies.

But before ending up the movie it was, the original Predator creators, Jim Thomas and John Thomas tried a lot of approaches.
What is now kinda known as the alternate Predator 2 or Predator 1.5 was a story that was supposed to use Dutch and/or "his brother"in case Arnold would have returned. It would have been a two-part story starting in a jungle and ending up in the streets of LA.
Since the Dutch storyline was abandoned early on, a new fresh story came out from the ashes of that plot.. New Predator, no more clear links to the previous movie (apart from a side plot), new hero and new feel/direction!
(though that unused plot ended up in a comic from Dark Horse, which I will talk about at some later point)

This new Predator is more hip, brutal and darker than the first one!

Predator 2 uses the brief hints of the monster culture in the first movie, and develops upon those traits.
The real star of Predator 2 ends up being Kevin Peter Hall as the Predator.
He sure plays a fantastic Predator this time around and even offers a bit of "humanity" to the monster (as strange as it sounds).
He hunts dangerous foes only, lets innocents flee away (gotta love that scene with the "candy" and the kid...huhu..) and his a master hunter.
The Predator gets to play with his weapons, traps and most of his alien gear, like a out-of-this world MacGyver crossed over with a bit of Batman....

This time, on the human side we have a lot of prey that the Predator will toy with.
The LAPD forces are composed of very typic "action/police movie" characters. We have Detective Leona Cantrell (María Conchita Alonso ) who's the kickass cop lady that doesn't allow her coworkers havin' fun at her's expense, Detective Danny Archuleta (Ruben Blades) Harrigan's best and long time friend and at last Detective Jerry Lambert (Bill Paxton) the comedic and badass character. Bill Paxton is here as a kind of reference and tribute to those action flick funny characters. He's been killed by Aliens (in Aliens, playin' mostly the same character) and is killed by a Predator this time. (also killed by the Terminator in T2 later on, gotta love this guy!)

And then there's the Colombian cartel which can't do no sh!t against the Predator and gets disposed off scene after scene.
And finally the Jamaican Voodoo Posse, which believe a monster is hunting everybody without distinction as some kind of retribution.
Now, I know people may not like that drug war storyline, specially younger audiance nowadays... but I think it really defines this era of badass action flicks. Like what hollywood offered with such movies as Demolition Man, Leathal Weapon 2 & 3, Die Hard 1 & 2, etc...
It was a time of violence, giant real explosions (CGi 'xplosions, BLAH!! :P), blood everywhere, deaths  by the hundred...
Stephen Hopkins wasn't an action movie director, far from it, but he managed to capture that over-the-top feel that made 80s/90s movie so great!

How badass is that?! He kicks one Predator's ass and is almost already ready to have some more!

Predator 2 is less of an horror/suspense movie and goes more into high action/gore flick territory.
It certainly is a lot more violent and bloody that Predator, which kind of sounds impossible at first glance.
The Predator has a high body count this time, since  he isn't stuck with only one mercenary group but various groups in LA.

We get to see all the cool stuff he does best, like using his hunting skills, using alien weapons, his thermal/ultraviolet/electromagnetic field visions...
There's a lot more revealed about the alien's culture, what was only hinted in Predator 1.

The movie's plot might sound pretty conventional, but I think it works great with this scifi/slasher monster movie!
The Predator is let loose on the streets, Harrigan is trackin' both sides of the gang war, all of Harrigan's team get picked up one by one...
While at the same time a sub-plot about the government tracking "predators" arrival on Earth since the events of Predator 1 is shown bit by bit.
At the end Harrigan ends up with them on what I'd call a big homage to and a reverse sequence of the Colonial Marines scenes in the beginning of Aliens which this movie likes to reference. (like Bill Paxton's character, the *spoiler* cameo refence in one of the very last scenes...). The Predator and the government agents get all under the same roof in a slaughterhouse (which really has a fitting name), they follow his movements via trackers and...well...get killed, Danny Glover's character and a young Adam Baldwin following the scene on monitors much like Ripley in Aliens.


The whole final scene of the movie is a big mano-a-mano putting the original classic Schwarzy vs. Predator duel to shame (by a tip). From an intense and violent subway-scene (cleverly using lightning and editing), Harrigan follows the Predator from the subway tunnel to the streets, the above-mentioned slaughterhouse, roofs, a building, more tunnels and finally -wow- a Predator ship where the almost beaten Predator and a tired Harrigan dukes it out one more time...for honour!

Overall, Predator 2 is one heckuva wild ride!
Intense, never letting the tension go, and that's one of the director's most impressive traits, and a very gruesome dark action flick.

The cast is perfect! I wouldn't believe Danny-boy could succeed after Schwarzenegger if I'd never heard or saw this movie before! Woow! Mister Glover, you're one kickass badass~

Of course, it loses the first movie's original shock and surprise, but didn't you really want to see a Predator on screen one more time? More brutal hunting? Using most of its gadgets this time?
The new Predator is a bit more darker/bronze-like color-wise. He works great on the city backdrops.
The surprise ending, from the ship to the unreal Elder Predator and its clan comes out great and really opens up more doors while leaving the mysterious open.
There's more of them?! Different kinds?! For how long have they been hunting us?! For what point?!
(sadly, cheaper and more profitable PG-12 Alien Versus Predator movies were made after that instead of a much deserving Predator 3/Predators, or simply another new and original monster movie...but that tale of the dawn 20th Century Fox...will be told...some other time...)

Alan Silvestri is also back on the musical side. Which I love!
Seriously though, have I mentioned already he's my favorite composer?!
This time around the score is less "BackToTheFuture-like sounding" but still keeping it's similarity to the first Predator movie.
It's sounds fresh. It's sounds also darker, more tribal.
There's some reuses (like the funeral scene which recycles a patriotic theme from the previous movie for example) but they're put in some new situations and well re-arranged.

Finally, I'd say it's a perfectly done sequel.
Brings up some new points, offer some new views and has nothing to be ashamed of compared to Predator 1. I know people love to diss this part 2, pretty often nowadays...but it's non-sense!
As a horror/monster/gore/scifi fan, what's not to like about this sequel?! It's a slasher movie cross with a scifi monster let lose on the streets of a chaotic LA! And it does take place in LA! (I'm looking at you, "Jason Takes Manhattan", taking 80% of screentime on a boat...)
For so many points, I almost prefer Predator 2 compared to part one... But the original surprise, Schwarzy and the military/suspensful aspect of the first helps it float alongside the much more violent/brutal/intense Predator 2... I like them both as much!~

I give it:

 2.5 / 3 UFOs!

 

MR Predator

You were all waiting for it (did you?) since I said I was a big fan of the creature/movies!
Here's in the occasion of the release of the third movie, a Predator 1 review!!

Movie: Predator
Directed by John McTiernan
Release date 1987
Genre Scifi/horror
Country USA
 
There was a time when 20th Century Fox wasn't synonymous with lackbuster/cheap blockbuster, bad sequels and quick cash-ins.
Fox used to have some talented directors making movies for them, great writers and producers involved in most of the classic movies that became and are still to this very day cult and part of our popular culture.

The year was 1987, a year only after the second Aliens movie.
It all started out as a joke, how to make a new Rocky movie, how could it be any different from the previous 4 ones?
Then, came in the brothers Thomas, Jim & John Thomas.
They turned this joke into an actual plot. A horror/scifi movie, simply called Hunter.
The story of an alien monster that would come on earth, hunt down the most dangerous human foes he could find.

History in the makin'!

Opening shot. Something pretty weird is coming on earth...

Predator tells the story of Major Alan "Dutch" Schaeffer and his team of over-the-top badass ruthless cover-op mercenaries trying to find out just what the hell happened in this tropical jungle!?!

Dutch ol' pal, George Dillon, probably tired of pushing too many pencils for the CIA, tags along with his merry company in the search of rebels/guerrilla forces, but upon finding the wreckage discover they aren't up against something human but some kind of creature instead...

The movie is a very unusual marriage between a war/soldiers movie and a science-fiction horror movie.
The story is now classic, as simple as it gets but works nicely for this kind of movie.
Humans discover and come up against a surnatural/dangerous threat, get picked up one by one until the last man standing faces off the monster...
Horror/monster movies have never really big on story-telling, so this one does just that. Introducing us to a ruthless team of bastards, having us care enough for them and throwing them up against the titular Predator.

All the characters and most of the action is of course over-the-top, in a late 80s/early 90s kind of way, and that's why I love it!
It's a fantastic mix of bizarre genres! Would it have been made or release today I'm not sure the result nor the box office reation would have been the same...
Military violent action? With a science-fiction element? Over the top and gory?

The movie ends up pretty far from where it started out...

This picture can't capture the whole manliness and total badassery of this scene...

All the cast seems to be having pretty fun! And it looks like it on screen!

From Schwarzenegger (did I type it right without checkin' it?) playing this sum of all his roles in Dutch to Jesse Ventura's badass extraordinaire to Sonny Landham quiet but "on the target" kind of character...
The whole team is having fun with their character and it's not a surprise that most become iconic/memorable to this very day!
They are written as a patchwork of military character from past movies of the 80s and also kind of their final outcome, since they are supposed to be the ultimate prey for our ultimate hunter.

Kevin Peter Hall, playing the Predator, does a fantastic work which became the template for future predators, be it in other movies, games or comics. The Predator is a very smart and dangerous foe, the greatest hunter of space.
(He also has a little off-Predator cameo near the ending!)

There's a lot of fantastic stories from around the making of this movie (which are present in most special editions' bonuses of this movie).
The filming in that hot tropical jungle, backdrop of the whole movie, looks like it has been hell to endure!

The Predator costume, designed and made by the amazing Stan Winston are a great contribution to classic hollywood monsters next to the Alien, Mummy, Black Lagoon monster and other classic Universal creatures.
It looks like a fantastic space hunter and seems to be a great result of what should probably have been a ton of redesigns!
From the mysterious long-necked monster a supposedly Jean Claude Van Damme wore on the set a few days to the final dreadlocked crab-face well known monster used in the final version. (inspired by a James Cameron doodle made with Stan Winston on a plane).

The music, worth mentioning, is from my all time favorite music composer Alan Silvestri.
It is pretty similar-sounding to his work on Back To The Future, as weird and odd as it may sound! Some themes and pieces are very reminiscent of the more action/suspensful bits of BttF!

How fun is that, Predators see in a thermal spectrum! Cool down and you'll become invisible to those invisible killers!

Finally, it was this movie that intoduced us to those now cult monsters that are the "Predators" or Yautja as they call them in the comics (not a big fan of that term myself... a bit too...un-fantastic...).

As great as the whole cinematography, cast, effects, music are, it all rests on the Predator monster in the end.
And what a great monster it is.
Design-wise, Stan Winston created a memorable and cult design which is pretty simple, believable and out of this world!
The brothers Thomas made a great set up to introduce us to this extraterrestrial hunter, his ways, habits and bits of its culture here and there.

The Pred is scifi hunter, using cool gadgets and toys.
It isn't just an animal-like creature, like the other 20th Century Fox's owned monster, the Aliens, but an intelligent sentient being. It can heals itself, set up traps and wreck amok between this well coordinated team of soldiers.

The thermal view, strange language (mimicking abilities with its helmet/gear), retractable claws and arm-computer-like gear are a very original touch.
It inspires to something more than just an alien creature hunting on earth but creates this whole sneak-peak into an alien culture...

No surprise so many comics, games and other movies spawned from such a simple plot...

Overall, it's a cult movie based on such a simple premise but lacks no depth because of that!

The monster offers so much possibilities!

It is one of my all time favorite movies and I watched it so many times I lost track of it...

I really like the whole concept and the atmosphere of this movie!
It is very fun to watch and doesn't seem to rely on much "acting" or plot, but inside it has a little more depth that what you can see.
What is this monster? How does it work? How does it think? Well, there's some answers to that under the surface and leaves the rest to the power of our imagination! (which answering/showing a bit of it in AVP flashback's kinda ruined it... well, let's not talk about the AVP flicks here anyway...)

It's a suspenseful and well crafted movie. No doubt!
Kinda inspired by the previous two Alien movies, in the aspect that Fox was trying to build up its very own line of "classic monsters" (what Universal did in the 30s and kept revisiting movie after movie).
Alien was the scifi adaptation of the "closed door" horror movie, Aliens was the scifi invasion/infestation while providing the base of the military aspect that this one used as well. Predator is the scifi slasher, where body counts and "original death scenes" are the trophies it collects alongside its run...

John McTiernan is one of the masters of big action/violent flick.
And this Predator is probably one of his best work and a tribute to the late 80s/early 90s action blockbuster genre!

I give it:

 2.5 / 3 UFOs!