Ozy Revisits Predator

I've been looking forward to revisiting Predator, since it's been a while since I last watched it and I wanted to see if it held up as people are always hailing it as a classic and one of the best films ever made. The film did tend to start out slow but once the Predator shows up, things start to get ugly for Dutch (Schwarzenegger) and his team. Predator was released on June 12, 1987 and was a Box-Office success. Initial critical reaction to Predator was mixed, with criticism focusing on the thin plot. However, in subsequent years critics' attitudes toward the film warmed, and it has appeared on a number of "best of" lists.

Everyone should know the plot and if you don't and you've never seen the movie, then I recommend you give it a watch immediatley. The plot is that an elite special forces team, led by Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger), is on a mission to rescue hostages from guerrilla territory in Central America. Unbeknownst to the group, they are being hunted by a technologically advanced form of extraterrestrial life, the Predator.

The acting is flawless in the movie, with Schwarzenegger stealing the show as Dutch. The rest of the actors who played Schwarzenegger's team were also good but the actor only 2nd to Schwarzenegger is Kevin Peter Hall, who played the Predator as he did a great job despite not being able to see out of the Predator mask when he was playing the part. The jungle setting is of course what made this movie so legendary and the action is intense. If you don't like gore then this film is definitely not for you as there is quite a lot of it throughout the whole film. Then of course there is the Predator's legendary weapons and the famous invisibility cloak that the Predator wears. The Predator's make-up on Kevin Peter Hall is also astounding and they did a great job making the design of the Predator.

Like Aliens, I have nothing bad to say about the film at all. Today it is seen as a classic by many people and film-makers. I always had thought that it was over-rated a little bit but after watching it a again, I agree that Predator is a classic and definitely one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's best films and one of the best films of the 80's.

-3.5/4 stars-