Review of Predator (1987) by Allan C — 15 May 2014

It's been years since I saw this film, but it still holds up quite well. I actually appreciated the film's lean, stripped-down nature much more now, considering the razzle dazzle and bombast of most sci-fi and action films now.

Until "The Terminator," there really were not a lot of muscular science fiction films. Charlton Heston in "The Omega Man" or "Logan's Run" were about as action packed as science fiction films got until then.

Even more modern sci-fi, like "The Matrix," which is certainly action filled, but was lacking the 1980s machismo of the Stallone, Schwarzenegger or other 80s action film icons. It was kind of fun to see science fiction teaming up with the 80s action film for a fun genre mashup that really hasn't been seen much before or since.

Directed by John "Die Hard" McTiernan, special effects by Stan "T2" Winston and photography by Donald "Moulin Rouge!" McAlpine, you've got a great crew behind the camera.

But it's really the cast of great 80s action film icons and character actors in front of the camera that make this film so memorable. There's, of course, Arnold, but you've also got Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham (who I always thought was a great character actor in everything he did) and the great R.

G. Armstrong, who was probably too old for his part, but who cares, it's R.G. Armstrong! I'm sure everyone has probably seen this film by now, but the story is about a special forces team who go into the jungle on a perfunctory mission, only to find that they are the ones being hunted by an alien who has come to earth for a hunting safari.

The story is rather simple, but what make this film so memorable is the execution of the action and the star power of the of the people in the film. It's not the greatest bit of sci-fi or the greatest 80s action flick, but it's still a pretty solid film that deserves to be remembered.