MovieChat Forums > Predator (1987) Discussion > Predator doesn't seem to have the manual...

Predator doesn't seem to have the manual dexterity required for advanced species


It's been decades since I've watched this through. I just got done watching it with my sons and one thing stuck out at me. The manual dexterity of the Predator was very poor.

The scene when he was applying medical treatment to himself was very awkward and there's no way he actually completed the tasks as depicted on screen. Also, the end when he activated the self destruct sequence had a similar feel.

I know that this mostly has to do with props and costumes, but it just seemed so out of place that an advanced species seemingly wouldn't be able to tie their own shoes, given what is shown.

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….and with that observation has always led to another question of mine...… their technology... based on what you said about the basics...where did their tech come from? I can't for 1 second imagine an "engineer" predator coding and producing technology for their race to go out and hunt the galaxy...… let alone build a galaxy class spaceship to transport them.

I guess it is one of those things you check at the door.

Predator and Aliens are my 2 most favorite movies...so this is not a bash in any way.... just an observation coupled to yours.

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You are suffering from the "Planet of the Hats" syndrome. That is a tendency to believe that all the members of a species/race/culture must be just alike. All cultures are diverse and encompass a wide variety of individuals with many interests and specialties. The Predator culture might be obsessed with hunting, but doesn't imply that they don't have scientists and engineers.

Author of the Sodality Universe
The Road from Antioch
In the Markets of Tyre
Flight to Lystra
The Theater at Ephesus
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I'm sorry, I would have to disagree. As someone who has been in the semiconductor industry for decades, it takes some dexterity to run complex machines and produce things on a micron/submicron level. I can't even imagine a "weak" "wimpy" predator in an engineering team and working in some type of manufacturing environment to build their tech.

You may be right, but even if I lift my disbelief of your assertion, I just can't wrap my head around "geek" predators.... but I guess a movie that explored those areas would be a must see.

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That is your right to see things that way, of course. However, consider that the Predator culture is depicted as being older than ours. They have had centuries to develop their technologies to deal with their own physical abilities; as have we. We may see things as "you must have X to get Y" but they can easily see it as "We don't have X, but we have W and with that we can get to Z which will let us develop Y." Of course, they wouldn't think of it in that way, since they wouldn't conceive as X being necessary. Intelligent minds will work in their own way and develop whatever they need to accomplish their goals.

Humans have done this too. Most of the processes we use to build circuit chips and similar items could not be done with simple human hands. We developed other machines to build them. We couldn't do micro surgeries with just our hands and a knife; special tools, magnifiers, and other devices were developed to allow the delicate manipulation of human flesh needed to effect the repairs the microsurgeon achieves.

Keep in mind that geek Predators wouldn't be like human geeks. An easy analogy from fiction would be Star Trek. Klingons have been portrayed as a warrior culture, and for most of the various series and movies those are the only representatives we see. But a society could not work with just warriors. You need farmers, ranchers, laborers, lawyers, scientists, and technicians. Star Trek realized this, eventually, and we have seen Klingon lawyers (in DS9 and Enterprise) and commentary that the rise of the warrior is a relatively recent development among the species (recent being several centuries; but compared to a history of millennia, recent.)

Given the physiology of Predators we see, a geek Predator could probably take a MMA human apart and still be a geek.

Author of the Sodality Universe
The Road from Antioch
In the Markets of Tyre
Flight to Lystra
The Theater at Ephesus
The Council on Jerusalem (coming 2023)

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There are also geek Klingons in Star Trek 6

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@Customer, very good points, and truly as a Star Trek fan, your parallels do make sense put in that light. As I mentioned, it would be very interesting to "explore" this area of their past not as a prequel, but broaden the canon of the predator universe past to present.

Alex (below comment) mentions some interesting back story of their lore, I will be responding to his response to see where that info comes from.

Thanks for the dialog, nice to see it from another point of view.

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According to the lore, most of their tech is from their previous Masters, a highly advanced alien race "Amengi" who kept and bred Predators for Gladiator games. At some point Predators rebelled and killed their masters taking their shit for themselves. including the spaceships that allow them to travel to other galaxies and conquer/hunt other species.

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@Alex, that does make a good explanation to my original line of questioning about their technology. Where does that info come from? I'm not super hard core on to want to know every nitty gritty detail as over the years I've just grown to accept the movie/franchises on their face, but based on all we have discussed recently, it certainly does make for a new insight to their history and tech. Thanks for any additional info!

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Thanks for the insight. This is very interesting.

However, although it explains how the were able to acquire the technology, it doesn't explain how they are able to use it effectively with those clumsy mitts. At least, not the way they were depicted on screen.

This is a minor quibble, because it could have and should have been done differently. Given that, there's no reason that the Predator couldn't have been shown with a better competence for working with fine equipment and controls than what we saw in the movie.

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Leave him alone. He makes do with his pudgy fingers 😭

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i always thought it was unrealistic, difficult, and a bit stupid for an advanced species to see only in infrared. would be a terrible way to live and see things around you.

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Its not only infrared, they can switch several modes, including light tracking as depicted in Predator 2.

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Jim Thomas Predator 2 script had a beginning where we saw the Predator planet. On this planet the preds lived in pyramids and Mayan temples, jungle and large lakes. Not unlike the planet in https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1424381/?ref_=nv_sr_srsg_0
They were basically bow and arrow hunters. This intro was never shot. It was only scripted.

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