Schwarznegger vs Predator

Rating: 6/10 (25 April 2010)

Predator is a classic 80s action film. Don't let my rating fool you I like this film and have seen it quite a few times. It is one of those films where you just have to appreciate the absurdity, the bad acting and the endless macho posturing of these tough guys who are part of a special forces team sent to rescue a cabinet minister from a downed helicopter in a Central-American jungle. I had to look this part up because really what little plot there is in Predator isn't that important. It's okay but if you know the premise then you know how this film will end. That's not necessarily that big a problem here as this is a film about enjoying the action, although I do have trouble reconciling with the fact that it was directed by John McTiernan who went on to direct the far superior Die Hard.
Predator is a film that does not take itself to seriously, how else can you justify lines like the one Schwarznegger delivers having speared a guerrilla to a wall with a knife, "stick around." Of course a huge suspension of disbelief is needed, none more so than in the hostage rescue sequence where Dutch (Schwarzengger) and his team go around blowing everything up, with some spectacular explosions, apparently confident that none of these will kill the hostages they are meant to rescue. The team is also guilty of downright stupidity at times, such as when they waste hundreds of rounds decimating a clearing in which one of them saw an enemy that by the time everyone has turned up and started shooting is long gone. Although of course this is a film in which you rarely see anyone reload their weapon.
Despite this real credit should go to McTiernan for having the patience to have the Predator stalk his prey (Dutch and co.) for a considerable amount of time before he shows his cards. This helps build up some clever suspense as we see the team through the Predator's view and hear the eerie way it hears them speak. The Predator is a fantastic creation, from its look with the dreadlocks to its impressive array of weaponry to its poor eyesight in earth's atmosphere. The scenes in which it picks off Dutch's team one by one are suspenseful and provide some fantastic action sequences which forms the best part of the film.
I could go on complaining about the wooden acting, the two dimensional characters and so on but this is an 80s action movie starring Arnold Schwarznegger, that's almost the point and even if it is not, it is to be expected. Ignoring this Predator is an exciting action film, that although lacking the intelligence of The Terminator it is a good watch.