MovieChat Forums > AVPR: Aliens vs Predator - Requiem (2007) Discussion > couldn't see anything

couldn't see anything

posted 11 years ago by jfemaleder
34 replies | jump to latest

OK, aside from basic storyline issues, every poor attempt to "pay homage" to previous films in either names, soundtrack choices, or lines, my biggest complaint is the lighting. I couldn't see crap. The movie was too dark. Not dark in the cool way of emotional tones, but dark as in really, really, bad lighting. I know it was supposed to be dark at times - night time, power failures, rain, etc., but it was to the point of annoying trying to see anything. I'm sure there were great subtleties in creature characteristics or backgrounds, but I got nothing out of it.

I wish they'd just make a movie following some of the comic line. The stories are already written, and for the most part, they're pretty good.

[–] misstrouble 11 years ago

When I saw the trailer and saw how bad the visuals were lighting wise I chose not to bother seeing it. I Hate films that have action shots with all the shaky cameras and low lighting with a passion, I like to be able to see what is going on in a film thanks :) so I feel your pain. Yes dark bits look cool and oh look the rain makes things look more nitty gritty but if I have to ask the person im seeing it with "who just died?" Then its a fail lol

[–] OJTheViking 11 years ago

I agree. I've watched this once before, but couldn't remember how dark it was until I rewatched it just a moment ago with my girlfriend. We both sat here squinting, trying to make out all the vague, dark silhouettes moving around on the screen.

I even tried adjusting my TV screen, to see if anything could be done with brightness, contrast, etc. But I gave up, as it's probably just the way this movie was made. It's a shame too, because parts of this movie is pretty cool, but the inability to fully see it ruins it.

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[–] reaseltbim 11 years ago

no, Fox made it dark on purpose, this was a lot clearer and brighter in theaters

right....

[–] OJTheViking 11 years ago

Wow, that's an odd choice if true, to make the home entertainment release much darker than the original theater viewing. I wonder why. It's almost like an indirect censorship or something. "We don't like this movie, so we'll make it too dark to see, and still earn money on sales."

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[–] reaseltbim 10 years ago

If you search for the original trailer, the first one to be released. Everything is brighter in the trailer as well.

So I know It wasn't my imagination. You can clearly see the predator and the aliens fighting in the sewer in the clip from the trailer.

yes, what you said is probably what really happened, they were so annoyed with the reception this movie had that they did some self-censorship.

But some of us actually wanted to see it again. I hate that they did this because I loved the predator in this movie and I wanted to see him again. I wasted my money buying the DVD for nothing

right....

[–] OJTheViking 10 years ago

Maybe one should rip the DVD to one's computer and re-brighten it with a video editing program.

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[–] Suntory_Times 10 years ago

All that is happening is cinemas projectors have better shadow detail then most tv's (which until calibrated always crush black details). Watch this on a display that has good black levels and doesn't crush shadow detail and it is fine. Watch it on 99% of edge lit lcd's (which really struggle and more or less never can do this even remotely well) and the experience will be sub par. The film however was not made for such tv's and it is a failing of the tv not he movie.

The trailers had different color grading yes. Basically every trailer does though so I fail to see the point (trailers are made well before the film is finished). The trailers for this film also have a raised black level (which makes blacks look very grey on a good display) and reduce the 'pop' the image has by reducing the possible contrast.

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[–] reaseltbim 11 years ago

When I Saw it in theaters Iwas able to see everything. I mean, yeah it was at night and it was dark but you could at least see the action happening.

Fox made the Blu Ray release extremely dark, it is almost like if they were ashamed of the movie and didn't want people to see it. what a load of crap.

This movie was NOT that dark in theaters

right....

[–] space_station 11 years ago

I don't believe that it was OK in theaters and too dark at home. That movie was too dark period. People who saw it in theaters hated it also for being too dark, the blu ray didn't adjust the problem.

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[–] reaseltbim 10 years ago

you can go look at the trailer, the first trailers that were released and see how much brighter the movie is.

YES, the movie is at night, and yes the movie has a lot of close camera shots and shaky cam in some action scenes.

But they made the movie a lot darker for the Blu Ray. darker to the point where you can't see anything.
even if you don't want to believe me about being brighter you can just look at the trailer for the movie with your eyes

right....

[–] vlahka 10 years ago

I just watched the bluray version, previously only seen the dvd version. I always thought maybe it was just the lower technology or something or a bad transfer that made it so dark. But on the bluray the detail and sharpness of characters and objects is excellent. But its still stupidly dark somehow. Not like theres no lighting, but its purposely dense. The blacks are solid. Like outer space solid. This was purposely done for the transfer. I'm guessign they were going for one of those type of 'hard to see what you're looking at so its scarier' kind of vibe. I can totally believe this since the film makers are absolute hacks in my opinion.

Sometimes theres a new sense of enjoyment or appreciation when you watch a film you didnt like and give it a chance later again. This one was just the opposite. I picked up on lots more little homages that they pulled from the first lot of films to the point where I wanted to kick something. This movie literally has no soul. Its just a bad puppet show.

[–] darkblader 10 years ago

I saw the tail end on t.v. the other day. I could barely see jack squat at times. I can see more in the original Alien then I could see in this, and that was a pretty damn dark film.

[–] vlahka 10 years ago

It's pretty sad considering the effort that goes into creating the outfits. If you go to the youtube channel 'studioADI', these are the guys who did the props and costumes for the AvP2 film as well as some other scifi films. Excellent channel. They show a recent video of a photoshoot involving the Predator and Predalien, so you get a really good look at them.

[–] mokujin101 10 years ago

i saw the movie in the theater. it was sooooo dark could not see anything..
i thought the bulb on the projector was burned out, no joke.

[–] MajesoFormo 10 years ago

Its too bad this director hated science fiction he damaged the franchise so much by making it so dark noone can see anything. Not sure why any studio or investor would ever give this guy one dime to make a movie if he cant even afford lights. Guessing he is a drug user and just spent it skiing the alps in hollywood.

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[–] boatlandmore 10 years ago

I tried messing with the contrast, brightness, & backlight on my set to no avail. Whenever you start to raise up one or the other, the picture quality gets gray & grainy. You just can't improve something that isn't there to begin with. Must have been a bad transfer because the movie itself looks crystal clear & highly detailed.

[–] mam13143 10 years ago

Wow. I thought it was just me or the TV. Couldn't see a Damm thing. Turned it off for that reason alone. Course the bad script and acting made it easy too. What a sad entry.

[–] zwooven 10 years ago

Yeah, I couldn't see anything either. It can't even make a fair judgement on the actual quality of the movie, although it doesn't appear I'm missing much.

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[–] kenichiku 10 years ago

I remember seeing it in theaters back when they still served 35mm on a platter & remember thinking it was too dark as if the projectionist skimped on changing out their lamps, artistic factors aside but I had a similar experience later with a Blockbuster rental on a 36 inch computer monitor. The film makers aren't John Carpenters with a deliberate chromatic scheme but after rewatching it on Bluray, I gave them a pass. It'll never be a masterpiece & it's still darker than it needed to be but at least you don't have to squint to see what you're intended to see, a scathing & vicious post-911 satire masked as a watchable high school date flick on a Friday night.

[–] moviehawg59 10 years ago

Yeah ... I found it so aggravating that I couldn't see details of each creature! I just figured they must've been trying to cover up some "shoddy" creature work, or something? But I am upset that I bought a movie I can't hardly see ...

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