Robin
Well-known member
Title: Predator (DTS) “Collector’s Edition”
Year of Release: 1987
Film Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Action / Adventure is no stranger to John McTiernan (Die Hard, Die Hard: With A Vengeance, Hunt Red October, Basic) as it seems most of the films he has directed are of this genre. McTiernan does an excellent job with Predator, marshaling all elements of a great action story – 1). A thrilling intelligent great story. 2). Larger than life Actor’s to play the action hero’s. 3). Challenging local “Central American rain forest”. 4). A challenging nemesis – intelligent and cunning. 5). Fast pace action. 6). Some humor, but not too much.
Predator has all of those elements and so much more.
Commandos are sent into the Central American rain forest to rescue a downed copter crew. The commandos are then systematically killed. The attack on the terrorist training camp doesn’t stop the carnage of US soldiers being systematically killed in the rescue platoon. Blain (Ventura) says it best, “If you lose it here, you’re in a world of hurt.” They even set a snare trap to see if they can capture whatever it is that is killing their platoon. They finally figure out it is not human but by then it is just too late. Too late for all of the commandos except, my boss, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course back in 1987 he was a very successful film actor, specializing is action adventures and larger than life characters. Schwarzenegger was a former Mister Universe (Pumping Iron), although he had to lose over 25 lbs. before filming began in order to better fit the role of a special warfare operative, who would be lean as well as muscular. IMHO, this is one of Schwarzenegger’s very best acted action roles. He does a marvelous job, totally believable with an impressive intelligence and cunning especially during the second half of Predator. It kinda makes me extra proud to be working for him now…
The commando platoon membership is individually almost as powerfully muscular as Schwarzenegger. Carl Weathers (Major Dillon), Jesse “The Body” Ventura (Former Governor of Minnesota) plays “Blain”, Sony Landham (playing “Billy” the Native American commando) and Shane Black (Payback, and Director of Sister Act II) are all excellent in this film as supporting characters. Each supporting actor is intense in portraying professional commandos Capable of defeating any adversary - on earth. Scharzenegger exclaims at one point in the film, “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” which is also a title of one of the Bonus featurettes on the DVD set). Unfortunately, for this excellent commando unit they only discover until too late, their adversary is not from earth. I especially enjoyed the strong yet scared performance of Elpidia Carrillo who played “Anna” the captured terrorist from the training camp. She was terrific in her wonder and fear as she related the folklore of the “Devil which coming only in the hottest of years to hunt man”, or something to that effect.
All the action in Predator is extremely tense and murderously suspenseful. I would not pick this film for children under thirteen to see, but it is a great adult action flick non-the-less. For ML speaker owners this “Collector’s Edition” DTS version is really a requirement to get the full impact of this great action / adventure / Sci-Fi film. This DVD “Collector’s Edition has several good Bonus featurettes, which are nice but for me the DTS sound is the essential bonus feature. Predator is a very dynamic sound effects film and DTS is the best for this kind of film. As with other reviews – I hope this film comes to Blue-Ray in the near future, I would re-purchase it again…
I highly recommend this great action / adventure / Sci-Fi film for every-body's DVD library…
HT relaxed comfortably surrounded in ML bliss, until next time let the movies turn you on…
Year of Release: 1987
Film Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi
Action / Adventure is no stranger to John McTiernan (Die Hard, Die Hard: With A Vengeance, Hunt Red October, Basic) as it seems most of the films he has directed are of this genre. McTiernan does an excellent job with Predator, marshaling all elements of a great action story – 1). A thrilling intelligent great story. 2). Larger than life Actor’s to play the action hero’s. 3). Challenging local “Central American rain forest”. 4). A challenging nemesis – intelligent and cunning. 5). Fast pace action. 6). Some humor, but not too much.
Predator has all of those elements and so much more.
Commandos are sent into the Central American rain forest to rescue a downed copter crew. The commandos are then systematically killed. The attack on the terrorist training camp doesn’t stop the carnage of US soldiers being systematically killed in the rescue platoon. Blain (Ventura) says it best, “If you lose it here, you’re in a world of hurt.” They even set a snare trap to see if they can capture whatever it is that is killing their platoon. They finally figure out it is not human but by then it is just too late. Too late for all of the commandos except, my boss, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, of course back in 1987 he was a very successful film actor, specializing is action adventures and larger than life characters. Schwarzenegger was a former Mister Universe (Pumping Iron), although he had to lose over 25 lbs. before filming began in order to better fit the role of a special warfare operative, who would be lean as well as muscular. IMHO, this is one of Schwarzenegger’s very best acted action roles. He does a marvelous job, totally believable with an impressive intelligence and cunning especially during the second half of Predator. It kinda makes me extra proud to be working for him now…
The commando platoon membership is individually almost as powerfully muscular as Schwarzenegger. Carl Weathers (Major Dillon), Jesse “The Body” Ventura (Former Governor of Minnesota) plays “Blain”, Sony Landham (playing “Billy” the Native American commando) and Shane Black (Payback, and Director of Sister Act II) are all excellent in this film as supporting characters. Each supporting actor is intense in portraying professional commandos Capable of defeating any adversary - on earth. Scharzenegger exclaims at one point in the film, “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” which is also a title of one of the Bonus featurettes on the DVD set). Unfortunately, for this excellent commando unit they only discover until too late, their adversary is not from earth. I especially enjoyed the strong yet scared performance of Elpidia Carrillo who played “Anna” the captured terrorist from the training camp. She was terrific in her wonder and fear as she related the folklore of the “Devil which coming only in the hottest of years to hunt man”, or something to that effect.
All the action in Predator is extremely tense and murderously suspenseful. I would not pick this film for children under thirteen to see, but it is a great adult action flick non-the-less. For ML speaker owners this “Collector’s Edition” DTS version is really a requirement to get the full impact of this great action / adventure / Sci-Fi film. This DVD “Collector’s Edition has several good Bonus featurettes, which are nice but for me the DTS sound is the essential bonus feature. Predator is a very dynamic sound effects film and DTS is the best for this kind of film. As with other reviews – I hope this film comes to Blue-Ray in the near future, I would re-purchase it again…
I highly recommend this great action / adventure / Sci-Fi film for every-body's DVD library…
HT relaxed comfortably surrounded in ML bliss, until next time let the movies turn you on…