Classic Movie Review – ‘Predator’ – “My men are NOT expendable.”

Original Release Date: June 12, 1987
Directed by John McTiernan
Written by Jim & John Thomas
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Shane Black, Sven-Ole Thorsen (uncredited cameo), Kevin Peter Hall (Predator suit), Peter Cullen (Predator voice – uncredited)
Soundtrack: Alan Silvestri

From what I can gather, most people, including most movie fans, and even most action movie fans, don’t know the name John McTiernan; and that’s a shame.

Now, part of the reason may be because he actually hasn’t done a movie in over a decade (and it wasn’t a particularly strong note to end on), and his later career is unfortunately pockmarked by remakes that nobody really wanted or needed (some well received; others not so much), but, make no mistake. For about ten good years, John McTiernan was a titan in the action and thriller genres.

Maybe the biggest reason why his name isn’t well known is because his movies themselves, not to mention his lead actors, tend to overshadow him.

I mean, seriously, in addition to Predator, John McTiernan also directed Die Hard, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Last Action Hero, and The Hunt for Red October (Which, personally, I find extremely underrated; and it also came on a red VHS back in the day, which is about the coolest thing ever. Honestly, the man passed up both Die Hard 2 and Predator 2 to make this wonderful film. It’s high time you stopped disrespecting him and started appreciating how awesome it is). For action fans, that’s not an easy résumé to beat.

Most people (even hardcore cinephiles) probably aren’t the least bit familiar with McTiernan’s debut film, Nomads, which he both wrote and directed (the only time he ever actually wrote a feature film), because it wasn’t a box office or critical success. I personally recommend it if you like Twilight Zone-type stories (or Kolchak: The Night Stalker); it’s a nice low-budget supernatural thriller. However, his direction of Nomads was apparently strong enough to garner the attention of one Arnold Schwarzenegger, who, based McTiernan’s ability to create tense atmospheres with little budget, recommended him to direct Predator, which bring us to the topic at hand.

The plot of Predator is simple enough: a mercenary squad of presumably ex-special forces (of some kind) go on a covert “rescue mission” in Central America, and along the way they’re hunted by an alien monster beast thing. But, truly, the movie’s beauty lies in its execution.

You see, Predator succeeds where other movies fail miserably: it’s got action for action fans; an alien monster for alien/monster fans; and suspense and horror for suspense and horror fans. The difference is that all of these elements aren’t merely plugged in by some cynical producer hoping to draw in as many people as possible, but rather they are collective parts of a coherent and well-told story.

One thing I’ve noticed about multiple John McTiernan films is that they don’t necessarily translate well to television, because they’re a bit slower paced than the average action film, and adding commercial breaks can make them seem boring. I’ll be totally honest with you, as much as I love Die Hard now, it took me actually sitting down and watching it in one shot (no commercials) to fully appreciate it. Predator, I think, is very much in the same vein, and the slower-than-usual pace fits it perfectly, not only because it helps build tension, but also because the movie’s really about a hunter who happens to be an alien; and anyone who’s ever been hunting can tell you that the only thing that moves at a fast pace on a hunt is a projectile heading towards its prey (or a potential prey running away after a missed shot).

Another element that helps build the tone of Predator is the size of the cast; in this case, tiny. Sure, there’s a bunch of stunt guys (and Sven-Ole Thorsen) for the central action set-piece, but, for all intents and purposes, there are only really ten people in the whole movie; and the main squad is only seven men large (and also seven large men; dah ha ha), including Carl Weathers (the actor). Now, the only issue with having a cast that small is everybody better nail it, or your audience won’t buy it. Fortunately for us, by and large, everyone in Predator is on their A-game, from Arnold all the way down to Shane Black (gosh, I love that man). Heck, I may not know them from anything else, but I love Sonny Landham and Richard Chaves as Billy and Poncho, respectively. Maybe I’m crazy, but they’ve just got such great faces for the roles they’re playing. And if you don’t believe me about this cast, first of all, go watch the movie, and then tell me the end credits don’t make you smile.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Predator stays true to the number one maxim of creature features: don’t show the monster until you’ve got the effect down pat.

Jaws is perhaps the most famous example, but many monster-type movies have suffered problems in production trying to get the creature to work properly (or even just developing a solid idea in the first place). Now, the smart filmmakers turn this weakness into a strength by not showing the monster until well into the runtime, using placeholders until the moment the full reveal is finally ready. In the case of Predator, a cloaking device renders the creature nearly invisible for most of the time, again, adding tension and suspense, and making the end payoff that much more satisfying.

So, basically, what I’m trying to say with all of this, without giving away too much more, is that Predator is great. In fact, in terms of the sci-fi/horror subgenre, I’d probably put it just behind John Carpenter’s The Thing as among the best ever, but, really, no matter how you slice it, it’s an all-time classic. If you’ve somehow never seen at all, definitely give it a shot. It’s totally worth it.

And I didn’t even get to the amazing one-liners.

Rating: ★★★★½

P.S.
Special shout-outs to Alamo Drafthouse (Yonkers) for hosting and to NECA Toys for the sweet raffle/trivia prizes displayed in this blurry photo.

P.P.S.
I know this isn’t the movie’s fault, but I had to laugh when the Predator “swiped to unlock” his device at the end. If you see it, you’ll know what I mean.

Classic Movie Review – ‘Predator’ – “My men are NOT expendable.”

Published by

Brendan Jones