Australian Penthouse

PREDATOR (1987)
DIRECTOR: JOHN MCTIERNAN
STARS: ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, CARL WEATHERS, BILL DUKE, JESSE VENTURA
20TH CENTURY FOX

Review: Suzan Ryan

THE LOWDOWN

SCHWARZENEGGER is Dutch, the leader of a covert special ops team called in by the US Government to rescue a group of American cabinet ministers whose chopper went down in the South American jungle, on the wrong side of enemy lines. Prior to deployment, Dutch is met by former friend and colleague, Dillon (Weathers), who informs him that he will be joining the rescue mission (the handshake between the two is cinematic gold).

The squad locates the remains of a previous rescue effort by Delta Force, the soldiers’ bodies left hanging from the trees, skinned alive by unknown assailants. In the team’s efforts to track the remaining soldiers, they discover an enemy encampment that instead of being a holding point for the cabinet ministers is a military intelligence hideout filled with info the CIA secretly tasked Dillon to recover.

Sole survivor of the camp is Anna (Elpidia Carillo), taken hostage by Arnie and his men and subsequently tracked through the jungle by the titular predator, an otherworld killer who tests the limits of Dutch’s muscles (and ingenuity) while picking off his elite team.

NUTS AND BOLTS

Hot on the heels of Commando, two Conan movies, Raw Deal, Red Sonja and The Terminator, Predator is Arnold’s cinematic tipping point to massive international success. Following Predator came The Running Man, Red Heat, and the seamless segue from brawny action killer to brawny emotive softie, with Twins.

Not only does Predator provide the cinematic lynchpin for Arnie’s success, but it’s also a kick-arse movie in its own right. Written on-the-fly by Shane Black (Predator’s Hawkins, and the screenwriter of Lethal Weapon 1&2), Predator is a pop culture orgasm of classic one-liners, a memorable and unique monster, and all-round action hero excellence.

DVD EXTRAS

Surprisingly, the standard DVD edition continues to provide superior fan features than the latest Blu-ray incarnation: shame. The standard DVD featurettes that reveals the behind-the-scenes competitiveness between Weathers—and specifically Ventura and Schwarzenegger, over the size of their biceps—is side-splittingly funny. The wry commentary from screenwriter, Shane Black (who spent most of his time on set writing The Last Boy Scout) and director, McTiernan, is also a highlight.

VERDICT

With a total body count of 64, this movie, to quote Blain (Jesse Ventura), “will make you into a goddamned sexual Tyrannosaurus—just like me”. Unbeatable action escapism.

Can’t get enough Predator?

1. Live your life like an action hero:  Predator Life Lessons, or

2. Watch Arnold and Jesse Ventura headfuck each other over their biceps: