Predator

Rating: 9/10 (28 June 2005)

Three years after the success of The Terminator, Arnold Schwarzenegger brought us this really good science fiction thriller with another alien movie, from director John McTiernan (Die Hard). A team of soldiers are sent into the Central American jungle to rescue downed airmen from guerrillas. The mission is successful and they kill all enemies, and rescue the hostage, Anna (Elpidia Carrillo), but it is as they head back for the chopper that they start to die one by one. This creature, the Predator, is nearly invisible, and is hunting them down, and taking trophies from their bodies, e.g. their skulls. After all others are killed, and Anna heads for the chopper, Dutch is the only survivor left alive. At first he tries to get away and hide from the Predator, but then he uses his commando skills, and the knowledge that he can't see his body heat when he is covered in mud, he builds many traps and tries to kill it. Also starring Close Encounters' Carl Weathers as Dillon, Commando's Bill Duke as Mac, Jesse Ventura as Blain, Sonny Landham as Billy, Richard Chaves as Poncho, R.G. Armstrong as General Phillips, Shane Black as Hawkins and Kevin Peter Hall as The Predator. The great moments are the base invasion, seeing through the eyes of the Predator, and seeing his ugly face, with Schwarzenegger saying the great swearing line. A sequel followed in 1990. Arnold Schwarzenegger was number 54 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, and he was number 20 on The 100 Greatest Pop Culture Icons. Very good!