Do predators talk?

[SM]

That one in the first film pissed himself laughing when he activated the bomb.  The Predator equivalent of "Sucked in, ya stooge!!"

[ShadowPred]

Well the Elder Pred does say
Take it
then he says
Keep it.

Yes, there are certainly times they seem to know the meaning of what they're repeating, but there's really no proof that they're not just repeating something that they associate with the event itself.

"Want some candy?" springs to mind as an example of out of context mimicry.  Either the Predator misunderstood the intent of the phrase, or he has a wicked sense of black humour.

I say that he probably misunderstood the phrase, that makes a lot more sense to me, and makes the Predator feel very creepy

[Uncanny Antman]

That one in the first film pissed himself laughing when he activated the bomb.  The Predator equivalent of "Sucked in, ya stooge!!"

  True dat, which certainly supports the 'sense of humour' angle.


Scar seemed to be very intent on what Sebastian was saying to Lex, also.
"Keep it together, make it to the surface. ~ Make it to the surface. ~ The surface."

I'm certainly starting to lean more towards them having a reasonable comprehension of english.  (If not the words themselves, at least the intent.)

The occasional misinterpretation is easy to forgive...especially as they usually skin the person who heard the mistake. 

[gameoverman]

Well the Elder Pred does say

Take it

then he says

Keep it.

He doesn't say "keep it".  He just sort of growls.

[gameoverman]

Hardly.  It's just simple logic.

Predators are humanoid and they're intelligent enough to build advanced weaponry, cloaking devices and FTL starships.  How are they going to be able to do that without a written and spoken language?  How are they able to tell other Predators how to construct and operate this stuff?

Without resorting to fantasy stuff like telepathy.

Obviously yes they have a language.  But we haven't seen it yet.  It could be those symbols - but there is no evidence for it in the movies.

[ShadowPred]

Well the Elder Pred does say

Take it

then he says

Keep it.

He doesn't say "keep it".  He just sort of growls.

I put it in captions and it says keep it.

[gameoverman]

Well the Elder Pred does say

Take it

then he says

Keep it.

He doesn't say "keep it".  He just sort of growls.

I put it in captions and it says keep it.

That's strange because it doesn't have those captions on my dvd (region 4). 

[ShadowPred]

Well for some reason in my DVD it doesn't either, but i put the VHS version on my VCR and put it on captions and it says KEEP IT, either old as hell VHS devices are able to figure out what gibberish says or it actually says that.  I suggest go see the DVD and tell me what you guys think it is. Because i have had this discussion before.

[Uncanny Antman]

...either old as hell VHS devices are able to figure out what gibberish says...

    Your VCR isn't translating the on-screen dialog, it's just reciting what some dude back in the day programmed it with.  They often use the script, or transcripts, or sometimes just go by ear. 

I'd never stake my life on a caption track.  About as reliable as the IMDb. 

[SM]

DVD subtitle tracks are never word-for-word correct, just correct enough to convey what's being said.

Except for my *ahem* copy of The Promise (Chinese flick) which has the dodgiest subtitles in Western civilisation. 

[Uncanny Antman]

^Worse than the "promotional" Star Wars Episode III?

(Entitled "Backstroke of the West")

"Artoo, do you is f**king?"

"Master, I was made by the Prebysterian Church."

"Our dichotomy opens the combat!"

"Like, reach the man, good good good, let us counter-attacking."

"They want you to know him at f**k."

...and one of my favourites, when Vader screams his infamous "Nooooo!" we get the helpful subtitle:

"DO NOT WANT!!!"

[ShadowPred]

Well i'll keep it as what he says (and no that pun was not intentional)

[SM]

^Worse than the "promotional" Star Wars Episode III?

At least it's easy to find a copy of Star Wars to work it out (if you couldn't even with the sound turned down).

With The Promise there's a really important dialogue bit near the start when this Goddess like thing is talking to some kid about "the time backspin" - which seems vitally important.  And is.  Thus rendering the rest of the film mostly incoherent.

That said, I gots to get me a copy of "DO NOT WANT!!" 

[Uncanny Antman]

Maybe an avatar is in order?




...yeah, maybe not. 

[ShadowPred]

LOL