Review of Predator (1987) by Anssi V — 19 Jul 2012

This, my friends, is a silly action/scifi film done correctly. Because let's face it, the idea behind this film is ridiculous. A team of black ops commandos being double-crossed by their own government is pretty basic, but when you throw in an alien big game hunter, the silliness levels skyrocket instantly. Sure the alien in question is kind of cool and dodges most of the worst clicés, but it's still an alien trying to hunt down Arnold Schwarzenegger, for sport. I still can't believe that this movie didn't fail.

And it doesn't. This movie is a fantastic action film, with intense battle scenes, memorable characters and pacing that keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. It's smooth, gritty and knows what it's doing. It treats its characters and plot points with respect, yet never forgets what it truly is. The balance between realism and silliness is as thin as a knife, yet this movie walks it perfectly.

There's really not all that much more that can be said about this film. It requires you to suspense your disbelief, sure, but when the whole movie just works, you can easily do so. In my opinion, one of the best Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies out there and easily worth watching by everyone that enjoys combat, slaughter and tough-as-nails characters. A perfect mix of Alien, Commando and Rambo.