Predator (1987) Cert 18. Director - John McTiernan. Writer - Jim Thomas & John Thomas. Starring - Arnold Shwarzenegger, Carl Weathers & Kevin Peter Hall.

Premise - A crack search and rescue team enters the jungle to rescue the survivors of a downed helicopter. However, someone or something is hunting them down. One by one. Ah, Predator. The mere mention of the name brings a smile to my face. It conjures memories of years past, when the biggest star at the box office was Arnie and an Arnie film was big business. The 80's action genre is one dominated by Arnie. The Terminator, Total Recall, Commando and Predator. Predator didn't break any new ground when it was released in 1987. Group of humans being knocked of one by one by an alien killer is a tried and trusted formula. What Predator brought to the plate though was a big star, tight direction, a cracking script and a brilliant alien. Predator isn't a life affirming experience; it's just a damn good film. What Arnie brought to his movies in the 80's was presence. By merely being in a movie he could raise it from being mediocre to great. Sure, he's not the greatest actor. However when he is on screen he commands attention. It's to the credit of the supporting cast that you don't forget there in the film at all. Carl Weathers, Shane Black, Jesse 'The Body' Ventura and the guy who played Billy. All acquit themselves well. The script is as cheesy as it is brilliant. The film is dripping with classic, quotable lines. Who can forget the 'Stick Around' or 'Knock, Knock' one liners. Or the bad jokes about Shane Blacks wife's unmentionable area. Also, quite a bold move for a film of this time and aimed at the 'popcorn' audience, was the suggestion of Jesse Ventura's character and his friend being gay. The signs are there throughout the movie and the makers should be applauded for this move. The direction by McTiernan is excellent. The use of the Predators POV is inspired and has been copied many times since (but never to quite the same effect). He shoots the jungle in a way that makes the viewer feel incredibly claustrophobic, almost like you are in the bush. His handling of the action scenes is spot on, using fast cuts and slow motion long before it became fashionable. Special Kudos should go to Stan Winston for the design and building of the Predator. In a time where every sci-fi flick was copying Alien, Winston came in and gave us a stunning war machine. A walking army that looked absolutely awesome. Because of it's jungle setting Predator will never look dated. In-fact if the film was made today, I doubt it would look much different. Perhaps the invisible effects would be CGI, but that would be about it. Another thing that burns Predator into the subconscious is the score. The thumping rhythm drills into your skull and stays with you the rest of the day. It is perfect for this movie. Predator is excellent, no bones about it. A true classic of the 80's.