Plot
A team of commandos, on a mission in a Central American jungle, find themselves hunted by an extra-terrestrial warrior.
Release Year: 1987
Rating: 7.8/10 (131,046 voted)
Critic's Score: 36/100
Director:
John McTiernan
Stars: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall
Storyline A team of special force ops, led by a tough but fair soldier, Major "Dutch" Schaefer, are ordered in to assist CIA man, George Dillon, on a rescue mission for potential survivors of a Helicopter downed over remote South American jungle. Not long after they land, Dutch and his team discover that they have been sent in under false pretenses. This deception turns out to be the least of their worries though, when they find themselves being methodically hunted by something not of this world.
Writers: Jim Thomas, John Thomas
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
Taglines:
If it bleeds, we can kill it...
Release Date: 12 June 1987
Filming Locations: Jalisco, Mexico
Box Office Details
Budget: $15,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $12,031,638
(USA)
(14 June 1987)
(1623 Screens)
Gross: $98,235,548
(Worldwide)
(1987)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia: Shane Black hated the glasses he was given to wear as Hawkins. He wanted to wear authentic military-issue ballistic glasses worn by actual troops in the field, but the director wanted him to look as geeky as possible.
Goofs:
Continuity:
When Poncho tells Dillon "Maybe you should put her on a leash, agent man," Poncho's hands move around on his gun between shots.
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.
User Review
The quintessential action movie. One of my favorite films of all time.
Rating: 10/10
Predator is the classic action film. What makes it so unique is that the
story starts off as a simple but exhilarating rescue mission; but then it
suddenly switches gears and becomes a fight for survival for everyone
involved. The genius of that! The cast is wonderful; Arnold as Dutch was
very convincing and commanding, yet humbled and low-key in his performance.
The only way you would know that he's the star is that his face is on the
cover, he's the leader of the group, and he survives at the end. He was
'one of the crew' instead of a one-man wrecking machine like in so many of
his other films; that was very nice to see. Carl Weathers turns in a good
performance as Dillon, as does Bill Duke as Mac, Jesse Ventura as Blain and
Sonny Landham as Billy. The whole cast worked very well together.
The one thing that still astonishes me to this day, 16 years later, is
indeed the Predator. The special effects in this film was very much ahead
of its time, the camouflage was pure genius. I still can't believe my eyes
when I see the camouflage effects; it blows me away that even now in 2003 it
could sit alongside the FX seen in TODAY'S films with no shame. I'm waiting
for Fox to put out a special edition DVD with behind the scenes footage
explaining how the Predator was done; from the effects with its sight and
the beautiful camouflage, to the suit. I caught a little snippet of a
behind the scenes feature on AMC or Bravo, and ever since I've been
anticipating its inclusion on a new DVD (WHAT'S TAKING SO LONG?!??!)
Predator is evidence of how action films should be done. A great story and
relentless action, all progressing the story along. A timeless classic, one
of the best films of all time.
**** out of **** stars
P.S. The 'forest massacre' scene is one of the funniest scenes in movie
history!!
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