Quote from: SuperiorIronman on May 12, 2021, 02:47:55 PM
Anderson's intentions with the design was obvious. It's a comic book movie.
AVP is based on a comic where proportions are exaggerated and the Predator character was to appear heroic in the film which meant hulking frames and a more emotive face. We've been over the emotive face several times here. The Predator is not a character who should smile but it fit the film because he wasn't trying to create a monster, he's trying to make an anti-hero the audience would have an easier time backing. The problem with Scar's face aside from a few technical flubs was that it's so different to the characterization that came before and since. They since walked that back hard because subsequent Predators have more or less been down and out bad guys again. Scar looks weird because he is the odd one out and why it's so frustrating to look at merchandise who try to "correct" the face because they don't understand he's not meant to look like the bad guy. The tag line lied to you, you're supposed to cheer for Lex and Scar.
That's why Wolf looks so different because they tried walking the design back. The angular mask, the lack of armor, the predatory cat influence on the face. All that was because AVP is a comic movie first and the Strause brothers didn't get that and so made Wolf as a pallet cleanser to the last film.
I isolated the "The problem with Scar's face aside from a few technical flubs" because that's the heart of it to me, the crux of pages and pages of complaints. We can't control the director's choices in each film, but how much worse does each choice gets with inferior craftsmanship?
We know these unnatural folds & rolls in skin or cockeyed mandibles aren't part of the concept art or maquette, so how much better would Scar have looked with better craftsmanship?
Or what happened when trying to realize Steve Wang's cool approved Wolf maquette on screen?
And we saw the cg version of The Fugitive look more proportional than it's practical counterpart.
So at least for me, it's not the director's vision so much so as the company realizing these visions either in design, puppeteering, or both. And it's crazy, because I think Alec & Tom are real talented guys.. it just seems Predators aren't their strength.