So for those of you who haven’t heard, Robert Rodriguez and 20th Century Fox are planning to “reboot” Predator. You know, I get the whole reboot craze. Some movie ideas have great potential and miss the mark the first time around, thus warranting a rebirth of sorts. But to reboot Predator, which is an absolute classic, is just absurd to me.
What’s is even more absurd though, is that Rodriguez has apparently offered Arny an opportunity to reprise his role as Major Alan “Dutch” Schaefer in this supposed reboot. This news is coming from /Film and MovieHole, and I’ll be honest with you, I don’t like it very much.
One of the reasons I’m so upset about this whole Predator reboot situation is because I dont think Predator is a movie that needs rebooting. The Batman series (pre-Nolan), now that was a franchise that needed a second chance. But Predator is an incredible film that still stands up today (even though it was released over 22 years ago). The story was beautiful, the casting and acting were perfectly fitting, and the effects were actually pretty damn good. So why start over? If its good the first time around, let it be.
To make matters worse though, it’s starting to look like this reboot is actually going to end up being a sequel of sorts. How could Arnold reprise his role as Dutch if it were anything but?
At least with a reboot, we get to approach the Predator universe from an entirely different angle. We can try to ignore the blasphemy that is occurring on the screen before us. But with a sequel, we are forced to revisit a universe that will never be as good as it originally was (in the first Predator film) and accept it for what it is now. It’s a place I don’t want to go.
I mean, COME ON, the role written for Dutch in this “sequel” is NOT even the lead. It will probably end up being more like a cameo. This is just plain rude. If you’re going to continue retelling the story from the original Predator, you cant omit the actor/character that made the movie what it is. No Arnold. No predator. No sequel.
I guess I now find myself rooting for a reboot, since it is definitely the lesser of two evils when the choice is between seeing a sequel or a fresh take on the franchise.
As it stands now, Rodriquez’s people have contacted Arnold about the opportunity, but Arnold has yet to respond. Arnold is a smart man and already turned down a role/cameo in Predator 2. I have faith he will make the right decision and pass on this as well. Its not that I wouldn’t love to see him on screen again, because I WOULD. I just don’t think this is the way for him to go about doing it. Hopefully a pass from Arnold kills the sequel idea and forces them to take the reboot route.
If we have to return to the Predator universe at all, we might as well go there with a clean slate. Leave the GOLD that is the original Predator film untarnished and Reboot-away (if you have to). Just no sequels please.
That’s all I have to say about the topic. Ill post again if there are any updates though.
I leave you now with the “Predator Rap”. Watch and listen. How anyone ever consider touching this gem, I will never know.
