Predator (1987) Dir: John McTiernan
- Ridley Coote
- Sep 17
- 2 min read
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When people consider the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger, there's a few roles that come to mind more often than others, one of them being this 1987 sci-fi action film, directed by John McTiernan. I'd seen it a couple of times, but it'd been just under five years since I'd last seen it. I was very excited to do so again, because I had distinct memories of having a good time with it.
The film has become a little dated in a few ways, most notably with the special effects, which, in fairness, were clever for the time, as well as some brief language choices, which no doubt wouldn't be acceptable now. For the most, however, I think the film looks pretty good. The practical effects certainly still hold up well. The explosions, injury details, and make-up all look great.
A big part of the reason that I like this film so much is because or how it goes from what seems to be a fairly standard macho action flick into an intense, violent, survival thriller where its brains, not braun, that counts the most. The action is epic, the violence is absurd, and the goofy tough guy testosterone is so strong you can smell it. The story is classic cat and mouse style survival action, and I absolutely love it, for all its ridiculousness.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is at his awesome and badass best in this leading role. He has the muscles, he has the charisma, and he has the wit - he really was a born action star. He most assuredly looked the part, and he played it just as well. This is the kind of film that Arnold was perfect for in his action star prime. It's one of my favourite Schwarzenegger performances, quite comfortably.
Carl Weathers may have been one of the most charismatic men of the 80's, because in every film I've seen him in he oozes charisma. His screen presence was always right up there, and his turn in 'Predator' is no different. There are also some pretty memorable performances from the supporting cast, with Jesse Ventura, Kevin Peter Hall - the predator, Elpidia Carrilo, and Bill Duke, all deserving mentions for their displays.
Overall, sometimes I forget how good this film actually is, which is okay, because then I end up rewatching it and it reminds me. It's a ridiculous 80's action-fest with a science fiction twist and some classic one-liners. It doesn't get much better than that. I always have such a good time watching this film, even if it shows its age a little more every year. Sometimes, it's worth it for the fun a film provides, and for me, this one does so in abundance.
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