Predator
"There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man. We're all gonna die." - Billy
release year: 1987
genre: sci-fi/action
viewing setting: home DVD 4/10/23 and 8/15/21 and 3/31/19 and 5/28/18 and 10/15/17 and 5/29/16 and 2/11/15 and 6/1/14 and 7/15/13 and 3/24/10 and many other times, including theater in 1987
synopsis: An elite commando unit goes into the South American jungle to retrive some missing government people, and are eventually stalked by a hunter who's not from this world.
impressions: This is a military action movie for the first part, a monster movie for the second part, and a one-on-one survival contest for the third part. The directing style is superb, as are the suspense and the action scenes, not to mention the humor and one-liners. There are many scenes of marching, stalking, and fighting in the jungle including the big attack on the guerillas' base. There's also a lot of minigun use, and it's a lot of fun to watch such a weapon employed to mow down fortifications and trees. The characters are pretty much all larger than life, and the mix of "regular" action and science-fiction works really well. This is a defining movie of both genres, and comes damn close to being the perfect film.
activation point: 18:30 - this is when it becomes obvious that there's something else lurking in the jungle
body count: 49 humans, 1 scorpion, 1 Predator
acting: Arnold Schwarzenegger, still much larger than life at the time, is the leader of the special forces unit. He has tremendous screen presence here, plus some great lines. Carl Weathers is the former operative turned desk jockey who has his own agenda. Jesse Ventura, also still in his prime, is the tough, towering, minigun-toting, tobacco-spitting redneck soldier. Sonny Landham turns in the role he's best known for: a big, serious Indian soldier with superior tracking and combat skills. Bill Duke is another of the veteran squad, which is rounded out by Shane Black and Richard Chaves. Elpidia Carrillo is the local guerilla warrior who is captured by the soldiers, but ends up helping them fight the alien monster. Kevin Peter Hall is the guy inside the Predator suit, and his style of movement creates a character unto itself.
trivia: Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally supposed to be the one inside the Predator costume, but he quit and the filmmakers went with a different look.
other: The special edition DVD documentaries are well worth watching - they offer a closer look into all the challenges that were overcome to make this movie, and all the work that went into it.
final word: This is a classic that spans multiple genres - easily one of the top ten movies ever made.
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