"If it bleeds, we can kill it."

Rating: 9/10 (22 December 2012)

"Predator" is one of the best ever vehicles for action superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger, and stands tall as an example of just how capable director John McTiernan was during this time, as he moved from this to "Die Hard" to "The Hunt for Red October". It's a slam bang kick ass combination of sci-fi, action, and suspense, with a touch of horror, with its roots in a similar, much lower budgeted film of seven years previous, "Without Warning".
Arnold plays Dutch, leader of an elite rescue team hired for a mission in the South American Jungle. Arnold and his men haven't been told the truth about why they were hired, but that's the least of their problems. Soon a stealthy, merciless, and invisible entity will be stalking them and eventually killing them one at a time, basically hunting them for the sport of the thing.
Everything comes together very well in this well paced, brutal, and tension filled spectacle with tons of gunfire and explosions, plus some very impressive special effects, especially the "cloaking" effect. The Predator itself is the work of the late, great Stan Winston and a team including people like Screaming Mad George, Howard Berger, and Robert Kurtzman. On location shooting in Mexico is to the movies' credit; there's much genuine jungle atmosphere. Alan Silvestris' propulsive music is superb; when it quiets down and it's just the percussion it creates an eerie effect.
The pacing is excellent throughout. It's very deliberate at first, but picks up considerably once Dutchs' team starts being eliminated. THEN things start happening very fast. The final half hour or so when it's just Dutch vs. the monster is the best part, and there's an interesting idea at work when Dutch is obliged to get "primitive" in a hurry in order to try to defeat his enemy.
Also, while Arnold is showcased to good effect, the movie doesn't just revolve around him. There's a fine ensemble here, beginning with charismatic Carl Weathers as Dutchs' old buddy Dillon. Bill Duke stands out as Mac; also appearing are Jesse Ventura as Blain, Sonny Landham as Billy, Richard Chaves as Poncho, "Lethal Weapon" screenwriter Shane Black playing comedy relief guy Hawkins, old pro R.G. Armstrong as General Phillips, and lovely Elpidia Carrillo in the lone female role as Anna. Another late talent, the wonderful Kevin Peter Hall, has lots of presence as the Predator (and has a secondary role near the end as a chopper pilot), a role that was originally going to be played by Jean-Claude Van Damme! (Another trivia note: Hall had also played the murderous alien in "Without Warning".)
A rousing story from start to finish, "Predator" delivers a lot of fun, and has quite a quotable script (by Jim Thomas & John Thomas) to boot. It even starts its end credits with a curtain call, the kind of thing we don't see all that often. Highly recommended to any action fan.
Nine out of 10.