Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall

Invisible alien stalks a Commando unit in the jungle.

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83% liked it

218,133 ratings

Critics

76% liked it

33 critics

R, 1 hr. 47 min.

Directed by: John McTiernan

Release Date: June 12, 1987

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DVD Release Date: December 26, 2000

Stats: 19,705 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (19,705)


  • August 28, 2009
    A classic Alien Action film with plenty of cheese. Its not a guilty pleasure, its just a pleasure.
  • May 7, 2009
    The predator is the greatest alien created, Stan Winston is a genius. The best 80's, adrenaline, testosterone, muscle filled action man flick ever, offical.
    THE BEST :)
  • April 30, 2009
    Predator is Arnold's best movie aside from T2. It's a great action picture, with some legitimately tense moments.
    The supporting cast are all made of buff men, American badasses who are very reminiscent of the kind of heroes who we would like to think win wars, or so the media...( read more) would like to tell us. Here, they're powerless against a creature who can render itself invisible, and shoot lasers that vaporize skin and bone. Couple that with heat-seeking vision, and metal claws that would make Wolverine shrivel in fear, and you've got one unstoppable villain.
    I sense there could be some commentary here about wars in general, about the kind of people who fight them, as well as their feable attempts to understand the enemy. But who am I kidding. This is an Arnold action flick; a classic Guys Night in romp. And let's face it, it doesn't get any better than hearing Arnold scream, "Kill me now! I'm right here! Come on! Kill me!"
  • January 13, 2009
    Arnold Schwarzenegger and his crack special forces unit are sent into the South American jungle to rescue the occupants of a downed helicopter, only to find themselves the target of an unseen adversary who starts to pick them off one by one. Arnie was at a crossroads when he made...( read more) this film; up until this point he was known as the Terminator, but let's face it, playing a robot isn't usually the stepping stone to international superstardom. The rest of his CV consisted of films like Raw Deal, Commando and Red Sonja. Not exactly the stuff of legend. It can be argued that Predator was the film that set him on his way to becoming Governor Schwarzenegger rather Steven Seagal II. It's a perfect blend of gung ho action, tongue in cheek macho posturing and sci-fi invention. The first part of the film is actually typical of early Arnie, full of the usual 80s suspects such as Bill Duke, Sonny Landham and fellow Governor Jesse Ventura who were all stalwarts of the bone headed action movies of the time. It contains amusingly dumb lines ("I ain't got time to bleed!") and corny male bonding but it's just the right side of post modern. But what elevated it above the crowd was most definitely the alien. The concept of a monster movie where the monster actually has a mind of its own and the technology to match, and hunts human beings for sport rather than lunch is brilliant! The cloaking device also meant that it could dispense with the cliched dark corridors and stalk our heroes in broad daylight without being seen. It still could've tanked in the wrong hands, but John McTiernan always had a flair for unpretentious action flicks, and his slick, energetic direction sets the mayhem off perfectly. All we need now is Apollo Creed to be elected President and we can thank Predator for most of the American political system as we know it.
  • November 24, 2008
    Dutch:[the Predator pulls off his mask] You're one... ugly motherfucker!

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

    Arnold Schwarzenegger: Dutch

    Strangely enough most of...( read more) the film was shot under the original title Hunter, it was only later when the creature design was changed that the movie evolved the name Predator. The clapperboards showing the original title can be seen in the outtakes on the special edition DVD.

    So Predator will always have a special spot reserved, from being one of the best horror/sci-fi films of 80s fare, it's also a huge childhood favourite of mine. Despite the fact that I've seen it dozens of times as a kid, Predator functions as a macho action film, gory horror and intriguing sci-fi, and despite it's short running time of just 100 minutes, it somehow manages to find room for all three. The fact that it stars action icon Arnold Schwarzenegger ensures that the film will always be favourably recounted. He's not a good actor, but Arnie always manages to bring that extra something to his movies. The plot is deliciously simple and follows a group of commandos that go off into the jungle on a secret mission. However, things go awry when it turns out that they aren't the only ones with weapons there. Finding the skinned bodies of the last group of men that entered the jungle is about to become just the tip of the ice berg...

    ''When I was little, we found a man. He looked like - like, butchered. The old woman in the village crossed themselves... and whispered crazy things, strange things. "El Diablo cazador de hombres." Only in the hottest years this happens. And this year, it grows hot. We begin finding our men. We found them sometimes without their skins... and sometimes much, much worse. "El cazador trofeo de los hombres" means the demon who makes trophies of men.''

    The jungle makes for a great setting for an action sci-fi adventure, becoming almost a character in itself.
    These sorts of films tend to be set in space, so experiencing the action down on earth is a fresh approach; and the fact that it's set in the jungle, with it's dense foliage, cements the fact that Die Hard director John McTiernan is able to clock up the suspense, just like in the Vietnam war; the soldiers are dealing with an unknown enemy, a kind of guerrilla warfare visage. The atmosphere really is excellent, and the special effects help to create a futuristic tone, while the suspense builds and makes sure that the audience are on the edge of their seats at all times. Predator was released hot on the heels of the success of James Cameron's amazing Aliens but don't be thinking this film is merely a rip off following a trend, Predator has more than enough up it's sleeve to ensure that isn't the case. The action is great, and director McTiernan clearly knows what he's doing. It's fast and furious, and the amount of weapons on display ensures that the film is sure to delight fans of macho action films. The fact that the lead actor is a monster of a man doesn't exactly hurt matters either.
    Arnold Schwarzenegger lost over 25 pounds before filming began in order to better fit the role of a special warfare operative, who would be lean as well as muscular.
    Also is the third film in which Arnold Schwarzenegger wears a Seiko model H558-5009 diver's watch. Since nicknamed "The Arnold", it is highly sought-after by collectors and regularly trades for values in excess of its original retail cost. Its distinctive black collar and stainless steel fittings suitably complements Schwarzenegger's exaggerated arm muscles in his early films.

    Blain: You lose it here and you're in a world of hurt.

    According to an interview with director John McTiernan, the "hole in the jungle" appearance of the Predator was played by Jean-Claude Van Damme in a "blue screen" (actually red) suit. Van Damme quit after two days, unhappy with being cast as an uncredited special effect. The alien was scrapped, redesigned and was eventually played by 7'2" Kevin Peter Hall.

    Two of the actors portraying commandos besieged by the Predator have been elected to state governorships: Jesse Ventura (Independent) was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998, and Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican) was elected Governor of California in a hotly-contested recall election in 2003. In addition, Sonny Landham (Republican) ran an unsuccessful campaign for Governor of Kentucky in 2003.
    A bold attempt was also made to get shots of the Predator swinging from tree to tree using a monkey in a red special-effects suit. However, the monkey kept removing the suit and the idea was abandoned.

    Now, Arnold Schwarzenegger may well be a standardly predictable actor but it doesn't matter because it's his screen presence, not his acting ability, that makes his performances what they are. At times he's cringe-worthy, but it's hard to deny his prowess when it comes to the action sequences, and that is all a film of this nature needs. Arnie isn't the only big man in the film either, as an assortment of muscle men, including ex-wrestler Jesse Ventura, and Carl Weathers, Rocky's Apollo Creed, among other B-movie actors, join him. The man himself also finds himself a very worthy ally, in the form of the movie's central alien. The Predator may not be as beautiful and graceful as the creature from Alien, but it's just as inventive and sports a different kind of intelligence. Here we have an extra terrestrial that isn't merely trying to breed, or to phone home, but one that is actually there to hunt humans for sport, for fun.
    Aside from being ingenious, the idea also borders on the insanely frightening. The gore here is gratuitous, but never goes over the top and on the whole, Predator is a film that never really got the credit it deserves. It's mindless fun yet entertaining and inspiring despite some dated effects.

    Interesting Goofs



    Revealing mistakes: When Mac removes the scorpion from Dillon's shoulder, a gray adhesive can be seen holding the scorpion when Mac holds up the knife.

    Continuity: When Arnold is swinging through the trees trying to get the predator to follow him into the trap, there is a clip where he his hugging the tree and his hair is messy. There is a pan of the forest then back to Arnold but now his hair is all neat and tidy.

    Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Poncho climbs the rope to check out the chopper, the hook on the rope's end is lifted by his clothes. When it drops back onto the chopper there is no metal sound.

    Crew or equipment visible: When Poncho is hit with the log the Predator just shot, you can see the ramp that flings Poncho into the air right under him.

    Factual errors: It is not possible to fire a mini gun, which Blain carries, without some power source, which he does not carry; the pack on his back only contains ammunition. Further more, if a human were to fire a mini gun with live ammunition, one would be propelled backwards by the recoil.

    Audio/visual unsynchronized: When Dutch is running from the Predator, and trying to lead the beast into the small tunnel which contains the "trap", a quick cut-away shot of the trap mechanism appears to be a photo of the trap, as opposed to "live" footage, and even appears to be a bit out of focus.

    The Predator:
    Anytime.
  • November 4, 2009
    So, yes... McTiernan provides a massive dose of testosterone, but denying the fact that Predator is one of the most explosive and definitive cinema icons in Hollywood culture is denying the very roots of nowadays' mindless action filmmaking. Among the director's best, Schwarzeneg...( read more)ger aka The Governator makes the screen vibrate while action brilliance is displayed in front of our eyes. Amazing climax.

    78/100
  • November 4, 2009
    "Get to the chopper".
    "I ain't got time to bleed".
    "¿Qué paso mujer? ¡Dime!".
    "¡La selva. La selva se lo llevo!".
    "If it bleeds, we can kill it".
  • November 3, 2009
    Muy buena. Original para su tiempo. Me gusto.
  • November 3, 2009
    one of the best action flicks of the 80s
  • October 31, 2009
    Predator is a classic with its action and atmosphere but I found that there was a lot of joking on the part of the lone commando of which he didnt get redeemed for. Still a great movie and one of the best in the man versus beast genre.

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

It's a slick, high-energy action picture that takes a lot of its strength from its steamy locations in Mexico. full review

View more Predator reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • Zanjum28
    January 20, 2008
    This film is still great to watch, a timeless classic. no bullshit - its just a jungle, some big guys with guns and the predator! this film has got some real funny quotes, some cheesy ones some classic. my faveourite is "You're ghostin' us, motherfucker. I don't care who you are back in the world, you give away our position one more time, I'll bleed you, real quiet. Leave ya here. Got that?" awesome!
  • warblade15
    November 9, 2007
    This movie has been one of my all time greatest movies.I seriously challenge anyone to take my quiz that i created for this historical movie which is called Ultimate predator quiz.We will see who are the true fans
  • jmeans83
    August 7, 2007
    i love this movie at our local truckstop bosselman's there is a life size extremly real looking manakin thingy of predator its cool
  • sheryone5050
    July 19, 2007
    I love this movie , i see it several time
  • RaJputJunJua
    June 14, 2007
    Awsome results in all aspects of movie making. Everyone including kevin peter hall showed superb performance.

    Although i wont say anything about the director, McTiernana, John cause who know him will agree with me.

    I love this movie soo much that i have a VHS Tape, Laser Disc and DVD of this movie.
  • chilyyy
    June 7, 2007
    wow i love this movie very much, i have watched it over 10 times , watch this movie when my soul always get into the movie,so that mean it,s a good movie of act with brains !!
  • SkywalkerJones
    May 31, 2007
    you re a one ugly motherfucker.
  • gimmeabucket
    December 3, 2006
    this is the first ever dvd i ever baught. i saw it loads of times and it was still my first dvd. i bloody love this film! great scenary and special effects. fantastic stuff!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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Predator Trivia


  • In Predator, who calls his gun Ole Painless?  Answer »
  • In the movie "Alien vs. Predator", who wins?  Answer »
  • what movie is this line from "if it bleeds, we can kill it"  Answer »
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