A little overrated, but still a fun time.

Rating: 6/10 (6 October 2014)

If you want to find a fine example of pure 80s action cheese, then look no further than John McTiernan's Predator. This action-packed film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesss Ventura, Shane Black, and Kevin Peter Hall as a group of mercenaries on a rescue mission to retrieve hostages from the jungles of Central America where they soon encounter a unknown being out of this world. Predator may not be my favorite Schwarzenegger movie, favorite 80s movie, or hell, not even my favorite action movie, but it packs in something to keep you entertained and engaged.
Like most action movies released during the 1980s, Predator's plot is very simplistic without being too messy and all over the place. However, the plot to this film isn't something to go crazy about. This may be a more subjective issue with me, but I found Predator to be fairly predictable and straightforward in terms of storyline. Its not terrible by any means, but I would not call this script exceptional either. Even with the corny quotes and one-liners (and they do make Predator a little more watchable), its still a descent story to stay interested in.
The acting and character development is pretty much a mixed bag for me. Some performances are dull and forgettable while others are pretty good for what they serve in an 80s action movie. Arnold may not be the best actor, but his role as Dutch does serve a purpose and he pulls a fairly good performance and is the most memorable human character. Kevin Peter Hall's portrayal as the predator is also memorable in which his body movements help bring this unknown being to life. The rest of the cast does a decent job at playing their given roles, but they don't bring anything memorable aside from a few cheesy lines.
This visual effects are the strongest asset to Predator and they still kind of hold up well 20+ years later. All the effects done on the predator are handled fairly well and the creature design by Stan Winston remain an iconic one to this day. The cinematography captures the isolation of being in the jungle as well as the lighting being utilized to change the time from sunny daylight to dreary darkness. Editing is also put to good use taking the action scenes and placing them in the right areas.
Although I find Predator to be good, but not great, I still find it to be an entertaining 80s action movie with all of its cheesy glory. With a simple plot, corny characters, and great visuals, I can understand why a lot of other people love Predator so much. Even though I find it to be a little overrated, it is still worth checking out.