A modern classic

Rating: 10/10 (16 December 2010)

There's an element about this film that critics now, and before at it's release, never remotely were able to grasp. And that was the huge amount of humanity contained within this film. The sum of the movie devolves in to the struggle of a single person against overwhelming odds. And a great many people who have watched the film, appreciate and respond to this. And it's clearly seen in the longevity of it's popularity. Struggle for mere survival is a perennial theme, and Predator exudes this at it's very core.
Of course first, and foremost Predator is an eighties action movie, with all the essential elements present. Big guns, big muscles, and small lines. The scene is set early on, and the tone maintained as movie gives a rousing gun battle early on. And it's easy to see how film critics would of simply 'switched off' at this point in proceedings, and scribbled their flaccid notes a.k.a Roger Ebert. But the arrival of the alien into the movie instantly takes the film in to a new direction, both in tension and in depth. The creatures motivation is clear, it's on earth for a hunting trip, looking for trophies. A force of nature prevalent in the prehistoric, and modern world, and utterly plausible for a future one. But why a single critic could not grasp this aspect is baffling to say the least. But what happens from here is where the movie truly comes into it's own. As Dutch's team is slowly dispatched, he is left stripped of support and ultimately his weapons. He's left scrambling for his life through the undergrowth of the jungle. And it is in this element that the movie resonates loudest. In the climatic scenes of the film, Dutch is reduced to his mere wit's and courage, and against an alien force, highly equipped and bearly scratched for all the efforts of the team to fight, and survive against it. And the climax of the film completely delivers, with a 'Dirty Harry'esk fight scene, with Dutch firmly on the loosing side of the things. Dutch is stripped back to pure ingenuity, and humanity to persist against his ever decreasing odds. And here the movie has it spades, the tangible futility against a far superior force. But Dutch clings on to ultimately defeat the predator. And even after he's defeated him, there's one last twist, giving Dutch another reason to run for his life.
Predator delivers a hard, and fast adrenaline charged ride to your inner survival. Something has yet to be surpassed within this genre.