Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger has become one of the classic films in the action and sci-fi genres. The film kicked off a major franchise and also resulted in a crossover franchise introducing Xenomorphs from the Alien films and Predators in the same universe. The first film, made on a $15 million budget, went on to gross $98.3 million and further solidified Schwarzeneggerâs status as an A-list action star in Hollywood.
Schwarzeneggerâs film celebrated its 37th anniversary on Wednesday. Despite the popular status of these films, there were many mistakes in the franchise that expanded beyond films to novels and comic books. Here are 5 major mistakes from the Predator lore that fans often overlook.
#5 The History of The Predators and Their Actual Motivation
After the numerous films that came out of the franchise, fans still don’t have a clue as to where these high-tech beings came from. Their history of existence has two contradicting clues in the Predator lore. While Predator 2 implies their existence since the 1700s, the comics date them back to the Civil War. Some sources even suggest they have coexisted with the dinosaurs.
Another thing that makes no sense in the movie upon rethinking is the motivation of the Predators. They either want viable human DNA before the planet is wiped out due to Global Warming or they are just colonizers. But neither doesn’t explain the accelerated invasions as the movies depict.
#4 The Physical Features Of The Species In Predator Often Made No Sense
The Predators in the cinematic universe have some physical features that make no sense, while they lack some other features that could clarify some major doubts. For instance, some of the Predators have a special gland on their neck that releases a hormone. This hormone helps them to build an army of enraged Predators, but it was never explained why only some possess the gland.
The plasma green blood of the species was a convenient practical effect in the first film but it had no actual reasoning behind it. The long dreadlocks of the Predators had completely different explanations in the Hunter’s Planet novels and The Predator film. In the former, it was explained as a fashion choice, while the latter clarified that it served as an antenna that helped in radar efficiency.
However, none of the physical features contributed to any significant distinction between the male and female Predators in the films.
#3 The ‘Infinite Ammunition’ Trope
From the Arnold Schwarzenegger film onwards, the Predator franchise had a lot of scenes where the commandos and the mercenaries would shoot hundreds of rounds without reloading. The Infinite Ammunition trope often makes the Predator movies hard to digest in this era of realistic filmmaking.
The characters in the films were never concerned about running out of ammo, even though they had limited numbers and access. Moreover, the films often featured scenes where the main characters receive a convenient means of transportation loaded with ammo. In The Predator, the group of protagonists come across an RV that is stocked with machine guns, out of nowhere.
#2 The Confusing Rules And Moral Codes Of The Predators
The Predators in the film seem to follow a lot of rules while they hunt for their prey. However, the rules about how they choose their target were often confusing. It almost appeared that the filmmakers went for the target that would make for the best action sequence at that point in the film.
Fans often wonder why the Predators didn’t attack the insurgents before Schwarzenegger’s special ops team showed up in the first film. Another rule among the Predators was to not fight any defenseless targets. The species often gave their human target a head start before they began their hunting.
However, in Alien vs Predator: Requiem, a Predator kills an innocent target who never knew that he was being hunted. The scene provides a shock value but at the cost of breaking the Predator’s moral code of honor.
#1 The Human-Predator Allyship In Alien vs. Predator Causes Major Confusion
The Alien vs. Predator franchise promised a showdown between two species that caused destruction to numerous humans. The first film’s tagline, “Whoever wins, we lose,” captured the position of the human race in this battle. The Predators teamed up with humans against the Xenomorphs, something that goes against the values of the species.
In the Alien vs. Predator comics, Machiko Noguchi, a human, is indoctrinated into the Predator culture. The species consider humans as allies and use them to take out more Xenomorphs. Alien vs. Predator: Three World War takes it a step further and features the Predators teaching humans their sign language.
It makes no sense for two reasons: (i) the two entirely different base languages make any teaching almost impossible and (ii) the Predators would never give up such crucial hunting and tracking skills.
Predator and Predator 2 are now available for streaming on Hulu and Disney+. Predators is available for streaming on Max and The Predator is available for streaming on FX Now.
