East Coast Musings 02.08.09: The Predator Reboot ...

Posted by James Craig on 02.08.2009

Robert Rodriguez wants to reboot the franchise. We know that I hate reboots of almost any kind. You may be surprised at what I have to say about this one. Find out why !

In this column, I will explore various facets of the film and television worlds and offer my views on why things are they way they are and where I feel the subject of each topic in heading in the future by weighing both the pros and the cons each is facing. Nothing is safe and no one is safe as from my focus.

Welcome back to another edition of East Coast Musings. Last week was certainly a fun rant against the mere existence of The Bonnie and Clyde Story, and this week I think I'll tackle another film reboot, but from the other side of the aisle, as it were. Before I get into the full body of this column, I just want to take a moment to clarify where I'm coming from in terms of what types of films should or shouldn't be remade/rebooted, anything along those lines as I'm not entirely sure I was clear on it last week.

First and foremost, to me there are certain films and properties that need to remain untouched and left in the form we are all familiar with. Obviously from last week's rant I consider Bonnie and Clyde to be one of those films. I think that there are times when certain films just become so ingrained in our consciousness that the mere thought of touching them just seems wrong. This largely applies to the "classic" films like a Bonnie and Clyde or M or even something like Ferris Bueller's Day Off. It would just seem wrong to see anything other than the original on the screen. Obviously this is very subjective but it does seem to make sense. The films I think may stand a better chance of getting a reboot are the more commercially driven films or franchises. Batman Begins and Casino Royale are prime examples of when new fresh ideas brought to the table are able to revive a franchise long left for dead, Batman especially. For me, films and franchises that aren't quite as deep stand a better chance of coming out of the reboot process in a new form. This will undoubtedly depend of the talent involved from the producers, writers, all the way down to who gets cast. Superman Returns, while not a wretched film, didn't really hit the mark for me and a lot of other fans of the original. Brandon Routh was good, but not good enough and Bryan Singer's direction was just too far off base. I guess the point I'm trying to make is that for every Casino Royale there is a that is more of a miss. I hope that, at the very least, you get the gist of what I'm trying to say. Long story shot, I suppose, there are just some films that DON'T NEED to be revisited.

Coming off that last remark and judging by the comments left in the news piece, my arguing for the proposed Robert Rodriguez produced Predator reboot is going to be absolutely hated. It's o.k., I'm prepared for the hate, but allow me to explain why I think this has a good shot at not being terrible and trampling all over an otherwise well liked franchise. First and foremost is that while the original film is seen by many, myself included, as something of an untouchable piece of sci-fi/action, I think that a new take on the franchise may help to freshen things up. It really can't be all that much worse than what the AVP films already did to our favorite alien big game hunters. The AVP films really dressed down the predator species as something far less formidable than we seen in the Predator stand alone films. I think one thing that can be, and looks that it is being taken from the first AVP film, is of using a group of hunters rather than a single individual. I liked the idea of having a group, in that case, of youngsters, working as a hunting party, rather than just a one vs. however many prey it seems to be hunting situation. While the idea was dropped very quickly in AVP, it is there as something that can be used and perhaps hopefully used effectively. What I mean is that when there is only one protagonist, once it is gone that's that. There is a finality to the encounter. However, with an unknown number or even a known number, like with xenomorphs and zombies, it helps to ratchet up the suspense as the idea of something else coming is always there in the back of your head.

The second opportunity that I think could be taken advantage of with a group of the Predator species, is to see more interaction amongst them. It would have been great to see more than what we seen in AVP and there already is a window into their culture that has been established with Predator 2 and the AVP films that could be expanded upon. This is all speculation on my part as what was released in relation wasn't a lot to go on. Commandos vs. a group of Predators. Yes it seems very, very similar to the first film, but I think the potential exists that there is enough that has been left on the table to make this a very different encounter than what we have seen previously is the various films in the Predator canon.

The potential for this to be good is there, on paper. I think that the Predator canon is rich enough that an imaginative writer would be able to craft something as engaging and exciting as the original film while being able to breathe a freshness into a franchise that I think still has so much to offer. This is all going to be a question of the talent Rodriguez is able to recruit for the project. While I would prefer it that he direct the film himself, if it ever does see the light of day, his plate is simply too full. I do believe that Rodriguez's involvement will at least be a first step in seeing this project take the potential this franchise has and putting something forth that won't suck. Afterall, whether as a director, producer or writer, the man seems to have a knack for making exciting and engaging action films that offer a smidge bit more than simple explosions.

I realize that I am in the minority when it comes to this the very notion of this film, at least it seems that way. I do honestly think that as it stands I am basing my opinion entirely on Robert Rodriguez and the material he has to work with. My opinion on this film may very well change if it were to go ahead and go into development. One last thing however, and it is about those who say that Hollywood doesn't produce anything original anymore. I think this goes to the heart of my argument at the beginning of this column. If a story has already been told and there is no way on Earth that it is going to be improved upon, then yes, I agree there's no point in taking on the project. But, if it is in relation to a serialized franchise, like the Bond films and someone thinks that there is more story to be told, or that a reboot can help and they have the talent to and are able to craft such a reboot, then please, at least let us know what you have in mind. The comic book industry has been going for decades with characters being rebooted and most of the time we can accept it.

One last bit here before I finish things up here. I want to address the comments made in last week's column about Kevin Zegers. I blasted Zegers being cast as Clyde Barrow in The Bonnie and Clyde Story and I essentially equated him to Hilary Duff. The commenters were quick to point out that Zegers was in Transamerica and was very good in it. I am going to take a hit here and say that I think I became completely blinded to any of his other work other than the Air Bud films and Dawn of the Dead as I was reading though his acting resume. I completely glossed over Transamerica and I will admit I haven't seen the film itself. I was a bit fixated on his Canadian television experience as well. To quote one commenter, I am the one industry writer who hasn't seen the film. So, with that, I would like to take back my comments on Kevin Zegers as they were not fully informed. I still think that the film itself will be horrendous, but I will at least be more open to Zegers as Clyde. I know this has left me open to heaps of hate to go on top of the column this week, but I just wanted to say that yes, I screwed up, and I'm big enough to admit to it.

Well that's about that for this week. Thanks for reading, I appreciate it. Enjoy the rest of what's left of the weekend and I'll see you next week.