Predator (1987)

Director:

John McTiernan

Writers:

Jim Thomas (written by) &
John Thomas (written by)

Release Date:

12 June 1987 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

If it bleeds, we can kill it...

Plot:

A team of commandos, on a mission in a Central American jungle, find themselves hunted by an extra-terrestrial warrior.

Plot Keywords:

Jungle | CIA | Alien | Predator | Helicopter

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Arnold Schwarzenegger	...	Dutch
Carl Weathers	...	Dillon
Elpidia Carrillo	...	Anna
Bill Duke	...	Mac
Jesse Ventura	...	Blain
Sonny Landham	...	Billy
Richard Chaves	...	Poncho
R.G. Armstrong	...	General Phillips
Shane Black	...	Hawkins
Kevin Peter Hall	...	The Predator / Helicopter Pilot

Also Known As:

Alien Hunter (USA) (working title)
Hunter (USA) (working title)
Primevil (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Germany:18 (re-release) (2001) (JK/SPIO) | West Germany:18 (video premiere) (cut) | New Zealand:M | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Belgium:16 (video rating) | Finland:K-15 (TV rating) | Malaysia:18SG | Denmark:15 | Singapore:M18 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Brazil:16 | India:A | Philippines:G (MTRCB) | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Canada:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-18 | France:-12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:18 | Japan:R-15 | Norway:18 | South Korea:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R (certificate #28190) | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Filming Locations:

Jalisco, Mexico

Company:

Amercent Films

Trivia:

The original concept for this film originated as a joke. Someone said that the only person Rocky Balboa of the Rocky series of films had yet to fight was E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (1982).

Goofs:

Continuity: Near the end when Dutch is alone and waits for the predators arrival after setting up his traps, it's late at night. However in a cutaway shot showing the predator leaping down from the trees shortly after-wards, its in the middle of the day. When the camera goes back to Dutch with the predator behind him, it's night again.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Major General Phillips: You're looking good, Dutch.
Dutch: It's been a long time, General.
Major General Phillips: Come on inside.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Predator: Welcome to the Jungle (2001) (V)

Soundtrack:

LONG TALL SALLY

A B-movie creature feature given the A treatment by a great action director

A team of commandos are sent into a central American jungle to extradite US airmen that are being held by terrorists. During the rescue attempt the airmen and the terrorists are killed and the commandos being to return to their pickup location. However as they travel back across the jungle they are picked off one by one by an unseen assassin. With his teams' numbers dwindling, Dutch decides to take a stand.

This ranks as one of Schwarzenegger's best films, mainly because he doesn't ham up the one-liners etc and just plays it straight. The story is pretty straight forward. Once the issue of the airmen rescue is forgotten it is a straight hunt or be hunted affair. The film manages to create a great sense of tension by not revealing the predator until near the end, this means we, like the commandos, are not quite sure what's doing the hunting. If the tension was so good then this could have been a slasher style film with each character being bumped off in a series of gory ways. However McTiernan makes sure that it never feels that basic.

The action is good throughout. But the film benefits from a strong male cast - not great actors but they all fit the parts well. Schwarzenegger isn't wearing his star power on his sleeve like he does in other films and is good here. The rest of the cast are filled out by what could be kindly described as B list stars (except maybe Bill Duke), but Carl Weathers and ex-wrestler Jesse Ventura do well.

Overall this is a B movie creature feature, but it's carried out with such style and aplomb that it's hugely enjoyable throughout.