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With this 1987 hit, John McTiernan demonstrated his chops as an action-film director, while leading man Arnold Schwarzenegger was able to add to his already lengthy string of box-office blockbusters. Predator stars Arnold as Maj. "Dutch" Schaeffer, the head of a team of mercenaries hired to carry out a delicate rescue mission in the dense tropical jungles of South America. What Schaeffer doesn't count on is the periodic attacks by an invisible foe that turns out to be an alien hunter toying with the squad, one man at a time. Although a little slow to get going by action-movie standards, Predator takes some pains to establish the characters and invest them with clearly definable personalities, which helps the viewer identify with them and heightens the suspense when they start falling victim to their unseen adversary. Arnold is clearly the star, but he doesn't carry the picture single-handedly; he gets solid support from Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Sonny Landham, and Jesse "The Body" Ventura. McTiernan's handling of the jungle scenes creates almost unbearable anxiety, as the viewer never knows exactly when, where, or how the predator will strike. The leisurely build-up of tension makes the sudden, violent bursts of action seem even more ferocious than they are. Not widely appreciated by critics when it first came out, Predator has since become a model for younger filmmakers seeking to emulate this type of movie. The remastering for this Special Edition adds luster to both image and sound, and a wealth of supplementary features -- including an all-new documentary on the creation of the film, "If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It" -- offer an inside look at the production process that is bound to increase appreciation for this action landmark. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Predator 's Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) has a code of honor which he will not violate, even when his life depends on it. Paradoxically, his code of honor gives him the backbone to survive as a military special forces operative when he is sent on a covert mission to rescue another group which was sent in to assist some nefarious U.S. government plan in a Latin American country. Once there, he encounters an old army buddy (Carl Weathers) who has gotten too deep in the CIA's good graces for Dutch's comfort. When he and his team go into the jungle to rescue the others, they get involved in a pitched battle with local guerillas, but they are more than capable of besting these vicious fighters. However, not long after that, they encounter signs that the equally capable men they were sent to rescue were all killed unawares and in an unusually gruesome fashion. Given their training, it should have been impossible for anyone to best all of these commando warriors. Soon, the men from Dutch's own team get picked off one by one, as they grow aware that they are up against something uncanny, not of this world, something that is hunting them for sport. Why? Because their skills make them worthy opponents for the perfectly camouflaged Predator. This carefully paced action movie was given poor reviews by many movie critics, but was sufficiently satisfying for its (largely male) audiences that a successful sequel (Predator 2) was released in 1990. Clarke Fountain

Product Details

• UPC: 024543115809
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Letterbox
• Sound: DTS 5.1-Channel Surround Sound, Dolby Digital Mono, Dolby Digital Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français, Español
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:46:00
• Sales Rank: 21,781

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Attack Packs
• Arnold Schwarzenegger Celebrity Pack
• Predator: the Box Set
• Predator Triple Feature
• Alien Predator Total Destruction Collection
• Muscle 3-Pack

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