deaths in 1987's Predator set the movie apart with their brutality. Furthermore, Predator's careful planning is showcased with the movie's clever genre switch halfway through, which turns the outwardly mysterious action flick into a thrilling sci-fi survival film. However, there is one scene involving the Predator (played by Kevin Peter Hall) picking up a scorpion that does not seem to serve an obvious purpose.
Following an investigation in the jungle, Dutch's (Schwarzenegger) military team finds countless corpses, which they believe to be the work of guerrilla soldiers, and decide to attack their camp. However, after the team's assault on the guerrilla camp, the camouflaged Predator uses a device to survey the bodies with heat vision; then the Jungle Hunter picks up a dead scorpion and examines its heat signature. The action is substantial enough to be memorable, but the Yautja doesn't do anything with it, and the scene does not pay off later in the film, leading to questions about its significance.
The Predator Analyzing The Dead Scorpion Could Link To The Group's Willingness To Kill
The Predator Was Sizing Up Its Prey
Analyzing the scorpion could demonstrate the Predator determining the skill level of Dutch's team, and their willingness to kill. Following Dutch's team wiping out the camp, the Jungle Hunter surveys the damage carefully. The team has revealed their threat level to the Predator through their assault on the camp, while the killing of the scorpion may be interpreted as showing that nothing is safe. To the Predator, the team's willingness to kill something so small and insignificant might indicate a level of destruction that the hunter craves to extinguish and outdo.
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The Predator has hunted various species of aliens, and its experience makes it an expert. Therefore, any minor detail, such as a dead scorpion, could be important in learning about its prey. Scorpions can be deadly to humans, which is why Mac (Bill Duke) stabbed it when it was on Dillon's (Carl Weathers) back. The Jungle Hunter may not be aware of this and could be catag this information as a useful part of the hunt. Furthermore, the way Mac dealt with the scorpion revealed to the Predator that the team cares about each other and works as a unit.
The Scorpion Scene Was Predator's Way To Show Off The Creature
The Predator Infrared Debate Is Not Important
However, the scorpion scene in Predator was likely used to show off the otherwise elusive creature. Predator's first movie introduced Schwarzenegger's character and its unique genre, but also the Yautja itself. Therefore, the movie needed to build tension and show just how skilled the Jungle Hunter is at stealth. Predator does this by not revealing the creature fully until later, instead gradually hinting at the Yautja's features. Consequently, the scorpion scene was most likely intended to show that whatever is hunting Dutch's team is not human, as evidenced by its clawed hand.
The scene importantly shows the Predator's heat vision, the way it analyzes its prey, and reveals to the audience a glimpse of the strange alien.
There is some debate about the scene as scorpions are cold-blooded, so they might not have appeared on the infrared imaging. Scorpions regulate by matching the surrounding temperature, so the scorpion in Predator would have blended in with the environment's heat signature. This minor detail in Predator has been scrutinized for some time; however, the more important takeaway is that the scene importantly shows the Predator's heat vision, the way it analyzes its prey, and reveals to the audience a glimpse of the strange alien hunting Dutch's team in Predator.
Predator
- Release Date
- June 12, 1987
- Runtime
- 107 Minutes
- Director
- John McTiernan
Cast
Carl Weathers
WHERE TO WATCH
A team of elite commandos led by Major Dutch Schaefer is sent on a rescue mission deep in the Central American jungle. However, they soon find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior with advanced technology and a penchant for collecting human trophies. As the creature picks them off one by one, Dutch must rely on his wits and combat skills to survive the ultimate test of man versus alien.
- Writers
- Jim Thomas, John Thomas
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