Tag: predator

Friday, January 3, 2025

Predator – John McTiernan – 1987

Why Watch?

It’s Friday night and Shane does not go out on Fridays. He deems Fridays as too crowded. Meaning we might have to wait to be seated at a restaurant and the theaters are packed with loud teens. Because of this, we decided to spin the wheel and watch a movie at home. (see the Super 8 post for details about the movie game Shane and I play.)

It was my spin and the lucky winner was Arnold Schwarzenegger. This was our third time spinning Arnie. We previously watched 2013’s Escape Plan, and 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Arnold has now been removed from the wheel and has been replaced by Emilio Estevez.

I chose Predator for many reasons. The most outstanding reason is the fact that Predator is just such a fun movie to watch. I saw it in the theater when it first came out in 1987. I was 11. This is an R rated movie. I think my parents just wanted to see it and figured, why not take the kids?

I have a strong memory of being very scared during and after seeing this movie. Maybe the predator is hunting me? How would I know? He is camouflaged! My only solace was the fact that I was unarmed, and the predator only hunts those who can fight back.

Once it was available, my dad purchased Predator on VHS and my brother and I watched it many, many times.

I told Shane that I was choosing Predator for our watch and he seemed pleased with the choice.

Film Specifics

Predator was released in the U.S. on June 12, 1987. It was written by two brothers, Jim and John Thomas and was directed by John McTiernan. You may be aware of McTiernan’s sorted past with the law. He spent 328 days in a federal prison in 2013 through 2014. He was involved in wire-tapping and if you want more information on this, I suggest Googling it. All I know if that he directed two of my heart movies, this one and Die Hard.

Predator was produced by Lawrence Gordon, Joel Silver, and John Davis. It was a 20th Century production. It had a budget of around $15 million and grossed $98 million. Reviews at the time were mixed, but is now considered one of the best sci-fi action flicks of the 80’s.

Synopsis (No Spoilers)

Predator opens on a shot of space. A spaceship flies by and a smaller ship is launched and lands on Earth.

Cut to a military outpost on a beach near a jungle. Here we meet all but one of the main players. Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his band of badass warriors are called in for a special mission. Dutch’s old friend Dillon (Carl Weathers) assures him that this will be a routine rescue mission. The best part of this scene is when Dutch and Dillon greet each other with the most muscle flexing handshake I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing. This handshake turns into a quick arm wrestling match, which to no one’s surprise, Dutch wins.

In the helicopter on the way to the mission we meet the other members of the extraction team. Each member of the team has a fun character trait. Mac, played by Bill Duke, dry shaves his face. Blaine, played by Jesse The Body Ventura, chews tobacco. Billy, played by Sonny Landham, is a native American, which I guess counts as a character trait. The crew is rounded out by Poncho, played by Richard Chaves, and Hawkins, played by actor/writer/director Shane Black. I will definitely be writing more about Shane Black in future posts.

The team descends on their targets. A long, bloody, fiery action sequence ensues. There are some great lines in this scene, which remind the viewer that you are watching an 80’s action movie. After the fighting dies down Dutch figures out that Dillon lied to him about the mission. They now must traverse the jungle to get to the chopper rendezvous point, plus they have to take a female prisoner with them. If you read the previous sentence and didn’t say, “Get to the chopper!” in your best Arnold voice, I’m disappointed in you.

Once the team is trekking through the jungle, they start to encounter the predator. They are outmatched by this alien hunter. There are a few fun montages and a lot of gun play. I don’t want to spoil anything, so watch the movie!

The Re-Watch

It’s Friday night, so fast food it is. I purchased Farmer Boys for Shane and I, and after eating we queued up the movie. Predator is streaming for free on Peacock. I like watching movies on Peacock because they show about three minutes of ads before the movie starts, then there are no more interruptions.

As we watched, Shane and I spontaneously started to play a kind of drinking game. Each time there was an 80’s style one-liner, we took a sip. Each time we were able to view the predator, we took a sip. If you try this game, be careful! You might be quite soused by the end of the movie!

We had so much fun watching this movie. Yes, it’s overly bloody. Yes, it glorifies guns and the military. Yes, there is only one female character and she is a prisoner through most of the movie. But goddammit, this is a fun movie to watch! Also, you don’t have to pay close attention. There isn’t much plot. A group of soldiers are trying to survive in the jungle. Simple.

Rating

9/10 – Look, this isn’t Citizen Kane, but I rate movies by entertainment value. I have enjoyed this movie time and time again. I’m sure I will watch it many more times. It’s an 80’s action classic. We see Arnold at his chiseled best, not to mention Carl Weathers in all his muscled glory! The effects hold up quite nicely. Plus the design of the predator itself is iconic. It also doesn’t hurt to play a drinking game to enhance your watching experience. Watch it and let me know what you think!