Rating of
4/4
If It Bleeds - We Can Kill It
ZJW - wrote on 05/05/09
Predator is the ultimate action movie as Arnold Schwarzenegger leads an elite military team into the Central American jungle. This film starts your adrenaline pumping from the very beginning and it will remain as such until the very end. The characters are excellent and the casting is perfect with the likes of Jesse Ventura and Carl Weathers. The films story is rather simple but it works perfectly as Arnold and his team realize they are being hunted by something not of this world.
While Arnold Schwarzenegger isn’t always known for his great acting he turns in a wonderful performance in this film. All the actors really bring their characters to life and through all the action there are some great character moments to be had. Kevin Peter Hall also does a great job as the title creature. This film doesn’t go out of its way in an attempt to explain the origins of our alien species which actually works to its favor. All we know is it’s here to hunt and is collecting our trophies as skulls and that is all we need to know.
It is rather impressive how well this film balances itself. There are certainly moments where the action is over-the-top but they actually help to enhance the film. This is because there are pauses in the action used to build suspense and create tension so we aren’t simply bombarded with explosions from beginning to end. The violence of the film can be rather graphic at times but it always fits the story.
Predator is a great film from beginning to end. It isn’t thought provoking sci-fi but it’s a great action film with great characters. The dialogue is also excellent and there are plenty of good one-liners you’ll likely find yourself quoting. The final showdown between Arnold and the Predator is classic. The films score is also worth mentioning as it suits the film perfectly. Everyone involved does a really great job to create what is an action packed thrill ride of a film.
