The Predator franchise on its own has been marred with many hits and misses. On the movie front, there has only been two films to focus on the Predator itself (with two more tag teaming them with their fellow studio franchise Alien) while they have been featured prominently on all forms of multimedia. In time for its first stand alone movie in 20 years (?!), it is only fitting that Twentieth Century Fox releases a Blu-Ray edition of the first film. If you bought the Special Edition DVD a few years back, you’re not really getting anything new, but the transfer to 1080p is enough to recommend this terrific set.
The original Predator proved two things; one, Arnold Schwarzenegger knew how to pick scripts better than laws, and two, the film still holds up 23 years later. Arnie plays Dutch, the leader of a Special Forces/Black Ops team assigned to take out a small army in a South American jungle after a previous squadron were reported missing. Along for the ride is CIA Agent Dillon (Carl Weathers) who wants to know personally what has happened to his crew. It isn’t long when they discover that within the jungle is an alien warrior who takes out the group one at a time in extremely bloody fashion.
I remember seeing the film as a kid in 1987 and it quickly became a favorite, mainly because the look of the Predator itself, but as an adult, I’ve found I like the movie more because aside from the awesome look of the monster lies a beautifully crafted film, and its full High Definition glory really shows the film in a new light. The cinematography of the claustrophobic jungle really stands out as the heat, the intensity, and the violence are shown in full detail. Director John McTiernan became known as an action director, and it’s easy to see why (his next film after this was Die Hard). He knows perfectly how to blend action with horror, humor with style, and the action scene that precedes the Predator’s attack doesn’t feel gratuitous at all. In fact, without the Predator at all, the story is very interesting.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is listed above the title and is the film’s star, but even Arnie knew that the film is not about him. It’s mainly about the Predator and in return, the role is what Arnie does best. It’s not just that he can fire a gun and kick ass, but as the leader of this Black Ops team, he does a terrific job. The rest of the team are not just cattle to the slaughter for the Predator, with Bill Duke amongst the best as a frazzled out Sergeant who is the first on the team to actually see the Predator. Jesse Ventura is also in fine form as the heavy machine gunner Blain and even Sonny Landham stands out as the group’s tracker, Billy, who senses the Predator out there but isn’t sure what to make of it. It’s far beyond the clichéd group of dog soldiers we’ve seen in movies since.
If you have the Ultimate Edition DVD, you already know all of the extra features, and there is nothing new here except a two minute sneak peek at the upcoming Predators movie, which consists of on the set footage and quotes from producer Robert Rodriguez. It may not be enough to buy but the High Def look alone shows the original film in its new light but it does come with a ticket to SEE the new Predators movie, and that alone is worth it. I would’ve liked a digital copy of the movie though.
If you haven’t bought the DVD, there is an excellent documentary “If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It” that goes very in depth into the making of Predator, including a hilarious look at the original design of the monster (and how Stan Winston single handedly saved the film with his last minute Predator design). There are tons of featurettes and one nice new feature is a profile on the Predator species itself. There are trailers of Predator and Predator 2 and when I popped in the Blu-Ray, the first thing that played was the trailer to Predators, so you get your full dose of all things Predator.
The jury is still up on whether or not Predators will be a hit. We’ll know this Friday, but regardless, the original Predator is a classic in the action/horror genre and set a standard for those films today. It definitely deserves a spot on your Blu-Ray shelf and is an absolute must buy.
– Alan G. Richter
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- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
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