Predator - 1987

Amercent Films, American Entertainment Partners L.P.

Directed by John McTiernan

Cast:

• Dutch – Arnold Swarzenegger
• Dillon – Carl Weathers
• The Predator – Kevin Peter Hall
• Mac – Bill Duke
• Blain – Jesse Ventura
• Billy – Sonny Landham
• Poncho – Richard Chavez
• Hawkins – Shane Black
• General Phillips – R. G. Armstrong
• Anna – Elpidia Carrillo

Story: A special team of commandos is brought to the jungles of South America to rescue a diplomat who has fallen into enemy hands. They get to the site where the diplomat's helicopter crashed, and begin to follow the trail when they come upon a team of Green Berets hanging from the trees and skinned alive! When they get to the enemy camp, they discover that nothing is as they were told. The CIA has led them here to recover intelligence. Soon they discover they have more to worry about than the enemy: They are being stalked by a “hunter” who makes trophies of men. The alien nemesis slowly and meticulously eliminates the team members, until only Dutch is left for the final showdown.

Review: This is one of the better Swarzenegger action films. Arnold leads a team of former commandos turned soldiers for hire (Dutch to CIA agent Dillon, “We're a rescue team.”) to recover a diplomat from the hands of the enemy. The CIA agent, played by Carl Weathers of Rocky fame, is lying (told you, he's CIA) and soon the team is embroiled in a fight for their lives against the Predator, an alien trophy hunter who's on safari. Jesse “The Body” Ventura is excellent as Blain, the “shoot 'em all, let God sort 'em out” soldier who packs a mini-gun and has no problem using it. Sonny Landham plays a great tracker, and Bill Mum is terrific as the cold, deliberate man with only one goal, in mind...survival for him and his team. Shane Black is surprisingly good as Hawkins, seeing as Shane is actually a writer, not an actor. The story is good, the plot somewhat believable (if you believe aliens exist, that is) and the acting is up to the film. Since John McTiernan (Die Hard, The 13th Warrior, The Hunt for Red October) directed, you should expect nothing less that an edge of your seat thrill ride that will keep you going to the very end.