Predator (1987) Review- By Michael J. Carlisle

Title: Predator
Year: 1987
Director: John McTiernan
Country: US
Language: English

"I don't got time to bleed". By gawd, Predator oozes machismo from every pore of its essence. It’s a man’s man movie, the type where Jesse Ventura completely shrugs off serious physical pain. Aside from expected expressions of violence, emotions are nil. The other lead, Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't have trouble matching muscle with the pro-wrestler. It's pretty amazing that these two became governors later in their careers; Jesse governed Minnesota and Arnold governed California. 

In this, a team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior. 

Director John McTiernan’s film is a fairly good balance of a Schwarzenegger action movie and a creature feature. Here action hero does nor the creature taking top billing over one another. The peculiarity of Schwarzenegger’s muscle-bound onscreen oddity matches the freakishly large and mandible-laden face of the Predator hunter. Here two larger than life characters fight and, even though the outcome is fairly predictable, we still are left with our eyes glued to the screen.

Filming in the sweltering Mexican desert, 7’ 2” actor Kevin Peter Hall had his work cut out for him as his suit left him cooked day in and day out. Luckily he had some experience playing the sasquatch in Harry and the Hendersons and knew what he was getting himself into. Special effects guru Stan Winston, who earned an Oscar for his work on Aliens and created an icon with The Terminator, was contracted to design the monster. Humanoid, with thick reptilian skin and tendril hair, the creature’s streamlined mask covers a face that burns into the audience’s memory. It certainly is one of the most memorable characters in film history. 

The location photography by Donald McAlpine should be commended. Though Predator is a picture where men don't feel, it certainly has quite an intoxicating atmosphere reminiscent of Universal's creature features. By the time the Predator hunter appears onscreen, we’re immersed in the setting and we believe its presence. Alan Silvestri’s superb score also gives the film an instantly memorable quality. Predator is worthy of very high praise.