Possible Script Breakdown *potential spoilers*

[Tetsujin]

Thanks for you analyzing the script. 

What I liked:

Spoiler

• The whole set-piece involving the fighter jets pursuing the Predator's ship before it crashes whilst still cloaked sounds like it will be amazing to see on a big screen

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I really hope it's still in the movie after reshoots...

[Xerxész]

Thanks for you analyzing the script. 

What I liked:

Spoiler

• The whole set-piece involving the fighter jets pursuing the Predator's ship before it crashes whilst still cloaked sounds like it will be amazing to see on a big screen

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I really hope it's still in the movie after reshoots...

Spoiler

It's the crash landing of the Upgrade's ship (mother ship),

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so it still has to be in the film.
The 2nd

Spoiler

F22 scene, which takes place between the Ark and the jets (rockets against the Ark, and the Ark retaliating)

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is a more interesting question...I wonder if THIS scene remained in the final cut.

[Denton Smalls]

Just finished reading the draft of the script dated April 2016, and can't wait to see the final film. I know lots of you have already read this draft and probably newer drafts and know far more about the film than I do - so apologies if I'm way off track with certain aspects, but thought I'd share my thoughts.

My thoughts/concerns below (spoilers obviously)

What I liked:

Spoiler

• It was a fun read, and much of that was down to Shane Black's style of writing which is very engaging.
• Overall the pace is good, there aren't really any quieter moments and the story runs at a fast pace and I wasn't bored at any point.
• The whole set-piece involving the fighter jets pursuing the Predator's ship before it crashes whilst still cloaked sounds like it will be amazing to see on a big screen
• Plenty of violence and creative 'death scenes' involving the different Predators and their technology.
• I liked the idea of the human characters communicating in basic terms with the 'good' Predators through the translation device.
• The 'bad' Predator (aka 'Upgrade') really does sound impressive - you definitely feel he is stronger, fast and more powerful than any other Predator before him.

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What I disliked:

Spoiler

• I didn't really feel like the 'good guys' had any real adversary that was formidable enough. Traeger generally plays things safe, and the 'bad' Predator (Upgrade) is after the arm-device-thingy for most of the script rather than specifically wanting to hunt/kill anybody. I never really felt that the main characters were in any real danger.
• It isn't 'scary'. There weren't any moments reading it that I thought it would be tense to see on screen or anything like that. It is very much a sci-fi/action script. Things move very fast and there are no real moments of quiet/tension etc.
• Olivia Munn's character (Casey) didn't really have any meaningful contribution. She makes a few observations to progress the story ("Maybe the Predator is playing possum" etc) but ultimately her character's apparent knowledge/expertise didn't really provide anything meaningful to resolution of the story. I guess that too applies to all of 'The Loonies' who are just there to make a few quips and then die one by one. Only Rory (the kid) and McKenna really solve any problems.
• The inclusion of all the hybrid creatures (e.g. the 'spider' creature). I've never seen anything like this done well on screen, and I fear we'll see yet more below-acceptable CG as a result.
• Lots of cliches/tropes - e.g. the bullied kid, the rag-tag group of mercs, the kid being a genius and solving problems the adults couldn't, the scary dog being a softy (happens twice with the dog and the Pred dog)

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My concerns:

Spoiler

• It might be too 'light' in terms of scares to please most Alien/Predator fans. Has a similar tone (in terms of the scares/tension) as Predators did.
• I hope the CG/VFX are of high enough quality considering how many VFX heavy scenes there are, especially with The Ark/Predator ship, and the hybrid creatures as well as the Pred dogs. Probably my biggest concern about the movie considering the reports about running out of budget for VFX and cutting scenes.
• I really hope they keep much of the violence in the script, as it's clearly a hallmark of the series. Moments like when the Predator escaping the facility uses the tech's head to pass through facial recognition, and Upgrade ripping the 'good' Pred's spine out etc. Will it be toned down a little for a slightly lower MPAA rating?

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Conclusion:

Spoiler

Just based on the April 2016 draft, this will be an enjoyable, fast paced popcorn flick with plenty of impressive set pieces and moments to please fans of the series. Plenty of violence and gore to please those looking for that sort of thing. However, this will almost certainly be more action orientated than slower paced/tension-filled like the first two films. As a 'Predator' film, it will satisfy fans, and as a violent sci-fi action movie it will also please, but this isn't a dark tension-filled sci-fi horror. In terms of comparing it to other films in the series, I would say the 'tone' of the movie will be closest to 'Predators' and AvP:R.

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Score out of 10 (just based on the April 2016 draft alone):

Spoiler

7/10

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Haven't had the chance to read any drafts but based on part of this, I'm a little disappointed because...

Spoiler

I thought this would be a good opportunity for Black to get away from the ridiculously overused (IMO) trope of all or most of the supporting hero cast getting foddered. Thought it was great how he acknowledged this and made a joke out of it in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang with Gay Perry at the end. Doubt I'll see it, but I'd prefer it if most of the loonies made it out alive. Especially since they're the underdogs, even compared to the characters in the earlier films. Why not do something unexpected, or at the very least different?

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Also, similarly...

Spoiler

I'll be pretty pissed if they I Am Legend the Predator doggie, for the same reasons as above.

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[bacchus]

Also, similarly...

Spoiler

I'll be pretty pissed if they I Am Legend the Predator doggie, for the same reasons as above.

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To answer that, based on the April 2016 draft...

Spoiler

There are two Pred-doggies that Upgrade brings with him in his ship. The bad Pred-doggie is killed by The Loonies. The other Pred-doggie gets a pole impaled in its head which (amusingly) makes him a friendly Pred-doggie who acts more like a normal dog (wants to play fetch etc). It's involved in a few scenes later on involving playing fetch with grenades etc which help The Loonies. The 'good' Pred-doggie doesn't die and has some kind of bond with Casey (Olivia Munn's character) at the end of the script - she even threatens the soldiers that come to help them not to hurt 'her dog'.

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[Denton Smalls]

Also, similarly...

Spoiler

I'll be pretty pissed if they I Am Legend the Predator doggie, for the same reasons as above.

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To answer that, based on the April 2016 draft...

Spoiler

There are two Pred-doggies that Upgrade brings with him in his ship. The bad Pred-doggie is killed by The Loonies. The other Pred-doggie gets a pole impaled in its head which (amusingly) makes him a friendly Pred-doggie who acts more like a normal dog (wants to play fetch etc). It's involved in a few scenes later on involving playing fetch with grenades etc which help The Loonies. The 'good' Pred-doggie doesn't die and has some kind of bond with Casey (Olivia Munn's character) at the end of the script - she even threatens the soldiers that come to help them not to hurt 'her dog'.

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Wowww I hope all this makes the final cut. I'd be cool with that. 👌

[BigDaddyJohn]

Honestly the dog stuff was pretty silly, i don't want to see that in the final movie. And regarding the loonies, i mean it's a predator movie, what else can you expect ?

Spoiler

Maybe one will survive, but no more than one.

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[Denton Smalls]

Honestly the dog stuff was pretty silly, i don't want to see that in the final movie. And regarding the loonies, i mean it's a predator movie, what else can you expect ? Maybe one will survive, but no more than one.

Exactly. It's what everyone expects, that's why I'd be open to something different for a change.

[BigDaddyJohn]

Honestly the dog stuff was pretty silly, i don't want to see that in the final movie. And regarding the loonies, i mean it's a predator movie, what else can you expect ? Maybe one will survive, but no more than one.

Exactly. It's what everyone expects, that's why I'd be open to something different for a change.

I mean it's coherent scenaristically

Spoiler

that they almost all bite it considering the odds they are facing, and turning the tables just for the sake of surprise doesn't make much sense

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[bacchus]

Honestly the dog stuff was pretty silly, i don't want to see that in the final movie. And regarding the loonies, i mean it's a predator movie, what else can you expect ?

Spoiler

Maybe one will survive, but no more than one.

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I actually hope they keep the Pred-doggie stuff in. In fact, that one dog was the only character I was really rooting for in the script to survive.

[Tetsujin]

News -  https://www.avpgalaxy.net/2018/07/06/avpgalaxy-exclusive-the-predator-reshot-3rd-act-details/

Spoiler

"Only the Predator Dog mentioned in the recent set visits remains".

I think that means there's only one dog left.

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[bacchus]

News -  https://www.avpgalaxy.net/2018/07/06/avpgalaxy-exclusive-the-predator-reshot-3rd-act-details/

Spoiler

"Only the Predator Dog mentioned in the recent set visits remains".

I think that means there's only one dog left.

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Spoiler

Good to hear the dog is still in it - most of the scenes that involve the friendly Pred-dog are in the 2nd half of the script, and only briefly mentioned in the APC scene with the hybrids.

So going by that article, that whole APC scene has been cut, I imagine because it sounded like an expensive scene with all the creatures and effects. No major loss to the movie IMO, that sequence was probably about 3-5 minutes long at the most.

I wonder how much they will cut before that though - with the 'good' Predators in Area 52 and the scene in the football stadium after. Perhaps any inclusion of the two good Preds in the third act has been removed completely - it would be easy to do.

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[BigDaddyJohn]

As long as the pred dog is not friendly i'm ok with that

[yautjapet]

Also, similarly...

Spoiler

I'll be pretty pissed if they I Am Legend the Predator doggie, for the same reasons as above.

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To answer that, based on the April 2016 draft...

Spoiler

There are two Pred-doggies that Upgrade brings with him in his ship. The bad Pred-doggie is killed by The Loonies. The other Pred-doggie gets a pole impaled in its head which (amusingly) makes him a friendly Pred-doggie who acts more like a normal dog (wants to play fetch etc). It's involved in a few scenes later on involving playing fetch with grenades etc which help The Loonies. The 'good' Pred-doggie doesn't die and has some kind of bond with Casey (Olivia Munn's character) at the end of the script - she even threatens the soldiers that come to help them not to hurt 'her dog'.

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Yikes, no offense to anyone who likes it but it sounds so corny to me. I usually dislike cutesy little gimmicks like this even if I enjoy the rest of the film.   

[Wysps]

As long as the pred dog is not friendly i'm ok with that

I'm pretty sure it still is... Wish it weren't the case.

[BigDaddyJohn]

Let's hope it will be reduced to an insignificant role at least