Predator ---- *** (out of 5) (1987)
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura
Director(s): John McTiernan
Screenwriter(s): Jim Thomas, John Thomas
Released on: June 12, 1987
Reviewed on: September 18, 2004
Rated: R - for extremely graphic blood and violence, and for profanity
PREDATOR is a tough film for me to review, since it's very easy to critique its storyline and plausibility as a motion picture without regarding its real purpose, which is to deliver the goods that straight males desire to see in movies: Lots of explosions, gunfire, bloody violence, and other various concepts that women would find repulsive. Aside from those facets of heterosexual entertainment, PREDATOR has many likable qualities and layers of substance that cause critics like me to drool.
A group of tough, muscular commandos are dropped off in a Central American jungle to infiltrate a terrorist base and rescue some hostages. However, they make a horrifying discovery when they find a familiar helicopter shot down and their former comrades skinned in a grotesque manner and hanging from trees for the birds to feast on. After breaking the barriers of the terrorist camp and rescuing a valuable hostage, the film goes from an Army movie to a horror movie as a vicious predator from outer space begins stalking the group and murdering its soldiers without reason. Obtaining revenge becomes a necessity as the hunted begin to track down the hunter.
Not one to be too kind to action flicks without any real style or pizazz, I rented PREDATOR hoping that a film that is blatant popcorn entertainment would possess enough flavor to meet my standards. It not only did that, but it went beyond my expectations as well.
The Predator is no doubt a classic villain alongside the horrific creature from the ALIEN saga, so it's easy to overlook its flaws in the movie. For instance, the Predator really has no place in a remote jungle. The opening segment shows some sort of pod landing on our planet, but what reasons are behind this? The creature doesn't appear to be using humans for any necessary purpose other than to collect their skulls and admire his predatory skills. And what about the infrared sight, the plasma cannons, and the glowing-green blood? Sound a little implausible? It is, but it's handled in such a terrific way that you can quickly forget about the things that had the potential to be gaping plotholes. Instead, the cartoonish creature you might be picturing is seen so little that it becomes a menacing monster in the back of our minds that makes PREDATOR, the movie, an engrossing experimentation into the depths of science fiction. Once the actual creature is seen in its full form during the climactic final battle, it's just as monstrous as our imaginations made it out to be. Something that makes Arnold Schwarzenegger seem like a dwarf could only have come from the minds of creative filmmakers.
PREDATOR doesn't skimp on violence and gore, so it's not exactly a fun, family-friendly experience that a father and son might see together. It tested my ability to stomach visceral imagery to the fullest, so you might want to evaluate it for yourself before watching it with your loved ones. As a film, however, it's incredibly atmospheric and uses the claustrophobia of the environment as an essential aspect of heightening the tension. Aside from some unexplained background info related to the film's villain, PREDATOR is a breathtaking roller coaster ride through a dense jungle being dominated by a beast. What more could you ask for?
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