Dutch Masters

Rating: 8/10 (22 February 2019)

Not really inspired by anything in particular, we decided to rewatch the original "Predator" film last week. It's the first time in a long time, so I was interested to see how well it holds up.
The plot is remarkably simple, Arnold Schwarzenegger is Dutch (name not nationality) who along with his specialist rescue unit are dispatched to the Central American Jungle to rescue a politician who has been kidnapped, at the request of a CIA analyst (Carl Weathers) who insists on joining them. There, the team are hunted and picked off one by an invisible assailant.
What strikes you first about "Predator" is that it's a remarkably tight film. The set-up is about five minutes, whereas it would more likely be the whole first act in the hands of another film maker. The characters are then picked off in a series of spectacularly violent and entertaining ways until the final showdown between Dutch and The Predator that is a battle of wits as much of wills. The only scene that sagged for me was the assault on the camp which just runs too long, so much so it started to make me laugh about how long and sustained it was. Some of the one liners, though truly groan worthy, have become pop culture icons.
Couple of things haven't aged particularly well. One is some of the effects. Stan Winston's model/make up for the Alien still looks great, but a few green screen shots, particularly when exiting the helicopter at the start, aren't great. The other is some of the dialogue, you might still include Shane Black's off colour jokes (though I'm not sure what they really added to the character) but Ventura's homophobic slur just isn't acceptable anymore in any context.
Performances, characterisation and the script are all terrible, but it doesn't matter in a movie that is a cheesy classic.