John Mctiernan's best.

Rating: Null/10 (10 June 2003)

**** out of ****
Despite boasting a very simple story and a cast that isn't exactly high-caliber, Predator remains one of the most effective thrillers ever made. The film is a mixture of sci-fi, horror, and action, but it's execution isn't too different from a slaher. You've got your small group of characters trapped in a desolate environment with some unknown terror in the jungle killing them off one-by-one.
Arnold Schwarzennegger plays Dutch, head of a first-rate commando team that's been sent to the Central American jungles for a rescue mission. When the assignment is over, that's when the horror begins, with the alien (aka "The Predator") hunting down Dutch's team in frighteningly quick and gruesome manners. Finally, the survivors decide to stand their ground, determined prove the winners in this deadly game of cat-and-mouse.
Though most people bill Predator as a Schwarzennegger testosterone fest, I've always viewed the film equally as a wonderful example of the horror genre. This is easiliy one of the most viscerally terrifying films I've seen, with shocks that don't come cheap and bursts of violence that truly startle. At the center of it all is the Predator, a ruthless creature whose simple motives prove more frightening than all else. It's out to hunt these soldiers, and it won't stop until they're all dead.
Predator's action is relentless and thrilling, though an early shootout with Central American rebels is a bit on the outlandish side. But all the scenes afterward with the Predator, they're about as heart-pounding as action sequences get. (moderate spoiler here) The film eventually boils down to a face-off between Schwarzennegger and the Predator, which leaves the alien unmasked, with what is a truly creepy as hell face. The final half-hour is a series of well-executed showdowns between the two, with cleverly set traps and plans (end spoiler).
Predator doesn't have a great cast, but no one else could have fit these roles. Schwarzennegger is Schwarzennegger, meaning he's likeable and has got a few snicker-inducing one-liners. Everyone else also gets to act real macho (and eventually, act real terrified, which Carl Weathers actually does a pretty damn good job at). This is not a sophisticated bunch, but they're loveable tough guys who are easy to root for. The only female in the cast is Elpidia Carrillo as a (pretty cute) rebel chick, whose only purpose is to give some audience members a relief from all this testosterone.

The plot and its execution is simple, but undeniably effective. While I was never in question of the Predator's motivations, I was curious as to how long it'd been on Earth and if it even had the means to leave the planet if it wanted to. Such questions were sort of answered by the sequel, which I remember thinking it lacked most of this film's charms despite a ton of bloodletting and boasting the same awesome score from Alan Silvestri. Magic can't always strike twice, which is why Predator should be cherished as a one-of-a-kind thrill ride.