Another post about The Predator? Really?

Yes, really. I find the journey from what was intended to what we got interesting. I had a chance to read the supposedly original script for The Predator (for all I know if could have been fake). Was it better than the final product we got onscreen?

Kind of…but I’m not sure one could claim it was a lot better. It still suffered from being rushed in parts, and, I’m sad to say, the lobotomized dog who conveniently delivers fetched objects when needed was still present.

The original script showed how the emissary Predators fit into the story. They were there to help humanity, and the upgraded Predator came to assassinate them. They had their own apartment in Area 52. They didn’t do much however. The rode around on an APC and helped kill some hybrid Predators. Then the upgraded Predator showed up and disintegrated them in two seconds.

The emissary Predator deaths really illustrate the rushed aspects of the story. They are there. Then poof! Gone. It is the same with the soldiers helping McKenna. They are there. Then poof! Gone. They don’t really come across as actual characters on paper. Maybe onscreen they could have been brought to life. I’m trying to think how many lines Bill Duke actually had in the original, even as he stole the show. According to my memory, he had quite a few lines and moments, now that I think about it. All of the characters in the original sort of did. That is missing from The Predator script. The characters flit in and die with hummingbird quickness.

Another example, Sterling Brown’s character is basically shot with a sniper rifle. Then a new character comes in, who we do not care about and have nothing invested in, to take his place. Rushed.

What about the hybrid Predators? The script never describes them really, beyond a spider Predator. They didn’t seem necessary to the story. They were there for wow factor, I suppose. It would probably be fun to view their concept art, but I don’t think they would have been that fun onscreen. They show up in the final act and then die. One doesn’t really get a chance to warm up to them.

Again, stuff is there. Then poof! Gone.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character also shows up for a cameo at the end. He basically says, “We need you.”

“Even me?” child character asks.

“Especially you…”

I’m glad Schwarzenegger turned that down. Can you imagine how unappealing that would be to go from Arnold’s last scene in Predator, as a elite soldier in shock and overcome with weariness, to him telling a kid, “we really need your assistance in our endeavor!”

All in all, I don’t get it. I don’t mind introducing new ideas to The Predator universe. Upgraded Predator? Okay. DNA harvesting? Sure. Predator defectors? Fine. But the script did not seem tight at all. It seems like it still needed a couple of rewrites to really smooth it into fine sculpture. The whole movie seemed hobbled from the start, and the box office doesn’t look good for another try any time soon.