Rave about classics -- Predator

[RangerWickett]

I've recently been thinking about how cool a movie Predator is, in particular ever since I read a comparison of it and Beowulf. Consider, a monster that attacks when people are sleeping (so it is unseen), that can only be fought by a group of mighty warriors (who have a mini-gun!).

The mini-gun, by the way, was one of the coolest weapons ever in a movie. The amount of ridiculous (and I'm serious, it's laughable when you think about it) testosterone when Jesse Ventura is blowing things away with that gun makes me gleeful.

Do you love Predator? Talk about why.

 

[trancejeremy]

Yes.

For one, it has one of the greatest casts for an action movie. Arnold S, Jesse Ventura, Carl Weathers, Richard Chaves, Sonny Landham, Bill Duke, the guy who wrote the script for Lethal Weapon whose name I can never remember, but his character was Hawkins, the guy who reads the comic book.

That also makes it work as a "horror" movie. Since you like most of the cast, you care when you die.

 

[Shayuri]

Why do I love Predator?

Four little words.

"GET TO THA CHOPPAH!"

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

All the posts above mine are why I love Predator. You guys nailed it.

Its just such a great action movie...but its a horror movie...but it IS kind of like Beowulf. Talk about a movie for inspiring a d20 Modern game...

 

[Tonguez]

Plus the whole bit about the 'monster' being an honourable warrior in its own right with a history of visiting the earth was a nice bit of fluff.

I once played a Predator-clone in a fantasy setting back when I was playing GURPS

 

[horacethegrey]

Hate to be a bit a downer here, but I find Predator a good film at best, but not great. For one, the testosterone level in this movie is so high it's ridiculous. I can understand how that appeals to some people, but this film is way too macho for my taste (witness Carl Weathers and Arnold locking their manly arms together! Or the entire unit emptying their ammo on a defenseless jungle just so they can waste one stinking alien! ). Compared to the governator's other flicks, the action in Predator is merely average, sometimes laughable (witness the pansy ass fist fight between the Pred and the governor! :\). Surprisingly, the script is very well done by action movie standards, with some great quotes (I ain't got time to bleed! ).

What really pulls Predator from being just an average action flick, is of course, the title character himself. Has there been a more imaginative movie monster than the dreadlocked hunter from space (aside from Giger's xenomorphs in Alien)? His weapons were cool, his facial design was cool (despite what the governor says, he ain't no ugly motherf***er in my eyes ), and watching the action through his eyes (thermal vision ) helped in bringing us into the experience.

Whew. Anyway, that's how I feel about this classic 80's film. Feel free to trash me on what I just said.

 

[Shayuri]

Hee. Trash it? I embrace it!

Predator's no work of art...but it's one of those old school classics nevertheless. Classic doesn't mean flawless...it just means that something had a lasting impact on the genre. Even now, decades later, action movies are still taking some of their cues from Predator, one way or another.

And of course, part of any action movie is that goofy, guilty pleasure that comes from just how silly it all is sometimes.

NOOO! GEHT TOO THA CHOPPAH!!

 

[death tribble]

I have the film on DVD and saw it at the London Film Festival when it was first coming out.
It is a good film. The cast are all distinct and there is a good switch from the rescue mission to just staying alive as the unseen monster takes out the group one by one.
The dialogue is good and the action scenes handled very well.

 

[GlassJaw]

Predator is one of my favorite movies of all time. Seriously. It's one of those movies that if I come across it on TV, I have to watch it.

It's got it all - great action, cool characters, great one-liners, and one of the best bad guys of all time.

 

[Klaus]

To not love Predator makes Baby Yoda cry.

One of Governators best flicks (certainly better than Commando).