Predator

Directed by John McTiernan, Predator follows a team of commandos, led by Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch, as they head into a South American jungle to complete a dangerous mission and eventually find themselves hunted by a seemingly unstoppable alien creature. It’s clear, ultimately, that Predator, though consistently watchable, is never quite able to become the taut, engrossing thriller promised by that irresistible setup, as filmmaker John McTiernan, working from Jim Thomas and John Thomas’ screenplay, delivers an erratically-paced endeavor that suffers from a narrative that is, at the outset, a little too convoluted to comfortable embrace and, eventually, bogged down by frustratingly padded-out stretches. There’s little doubt, then, that the picture benefits heavily from its emphasis on compelling action-based sequences and the uniformly engrossing performances, as the talented cast, which includes Bill Duke, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura, effectively steps into the shoes of their tough-as-nails (and somewhat one-dimensional, admittedly) roster of periphery figures – although it remains obvious, certainly, that it’s Schwarzenegger’s typically engrossing and electrifying turn that remains an ongoing highlight. By the time the engaging (yet somewhat overlong) climax rolls around, Predator has undoubtedly confirmed its place as a decent ’80s actioner that’s not quite able to live up to its place as a classic of the genre.

*** out of ****