There is literally only one star that could have made Arnold Schwarzenegger action movies of the 1980s and 1990s are one of the best runs any actor has had in the genre, yielding several classics (The Terminator duology) and enduring favorites (Commando, Red Heat). By the time the first Predator arrived in 1987, Arnie was officially one of the biggest stars in the world - but he still took a risk with the project.
It's a unique fusion of action and horror and ends with Arnold's Dutch getting his ass thoroughly kicked by a giant alien. Had the movie not worked, it could have been an embarrassing failure that hurt his career. Instead, it launched Arnie to new heights, while spawning the Predator movie franchise. None of the sequels quite recaptured what made the original so special, which includes the sheer surprise of realizing it's not just another Schwarzenegger shoot 'em up.
Predator: Badlands - Release Date, Cast, Story, Trailer & Everything We Know
After the success of 2022's Prey, the Predator franchise is moving forward with another standalone film that it tentatively called Badlands.
Predator Works Because It Begins As Just Another Arnold Schwarzenegger Action Movie
Predator can be mistaken for Commando 2 at first sight
Many tend to forget that Predator gives the game away early, opening with a shot of a spaceship flying past Earth. It quickly transforms into Schwarzenegger's version of The Dirty Dozen, where he leads his team into the jungle on a rescue mission that leads to a gigantic shootout. Director John McTiernan still builds an unsettling atmosphere - and there's the shock discovery of the skinned bodies early on - but Predator still doesn't feel far off of Commando at this stage. It's only when the Jungle Hunter appears that audiences realize it's a sci-fi movie.
This reveal would have been impossible to hide nowadays, but it was mind-blowing back in 1987 to audiences. Many walked into the theater expecting another Arnold action epic, only for the real hook to eventually appear. This trick could really only have worked with Arnie in the lead too. Viewers turned up expecting a certain formula, only to be surprised in the best way possible.
... while guns tend to fix most problems in the typical Schwarzenegger flick, all the soldiers manage to achieve is giving the hunter a little flesh wound.
Predator then spends much of its runtime subverting what an Arnie movie is supposed to be. There's the moment Dutch and his men unload hell on some trees, and while guns tend to fix most problems in the typical Schwarzenegger flick, all they manage to achieve is giving the hunter a flesh wound. Their muscles and firepower are useless in this fight, and Dutch is eventually forced to ditch all technology to fight back.
It Was Impossible For Predator To Repeat Its Original Arnold Schwarzenegger Twist
Predators copied the original movie's homework too closely
Predators was the third entry in the series, and possibly its most underrated. Still, the sequel makes the strange decision to mirror the original by having the characters slowly discover they're in a Predator sequel - something viewers are already aware of when they paid for their tickets. That's why the Schwarzenegger twist the original pulled off can never be replicated: audiences already know what to expect.
Of course, Schwarzenegger also ed on every Predator sequel he was offered, despite fans always wanting to see him reprise Dutch. From the appearance of the spaceship to the skinned bodies found by Dutch's team, there are certainly hints of where the story is going. Still, it takes a hard right into monster movie territory, and this was a refreshing twist on the classic Arnie formula at the time.
Prey Is The Closest Thing Predator Has Come To Replicating Its Original Twist
Prey's original plan would have worked even better
Devotees of the Predator series will debate which entries are the best, but 2022's Prey tends to rank towards the top. In this case, the prequel made its protagonist Naru (Amber Midthunder) into the ultimate underdog; namely, how could a Comanche warrior in 1719 possibly stand a chance against a Predator? It seems impossible, but Naru's resourcefulness and powers of observation make it feel plausible, and her eventual victory feels well-earned.
Hulu released Prey in both English and Comanche language versions.
The sequel was developed under the codename Skulls, and director Dan Trachtenberg's original plan (via X/Twitter) was to release the film with zero mention of Predator in the trailers or marketing. This would have made for a great surprise for those tuning into Prey for the first time, but alas, the film was officially announced as a new entry in late 2020. The studio should have stuck with Trachtenberg's plan, which surely would have boosted Prey's profile even further.
It also would have marked a shock nearly as big as Predator's swing into sci-fi horror. Alas, that wasn't to be, but thankfully Prey proved a worthy follow-up that didn't need any gimmicks to draw in audiences. Maybe an appearance by Arnold Schwarzenegger's Dutch in Trachtenberg's next entry Predator: Badlands would give audiences a similar surprise though.
Source: X/Twitter
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Predator
- Release Date
- June 12, 1987
- Runtime
- 107 Minutes
- Director
- John McTiernan
Cast
Carl Weathers
WHERE TO WATCH
StreamingRENTBUYA 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.
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- Created by
- Jim Thomas, John Thomas
- First Film
- Predator
- Cast
- Carl Weathers, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Peter Hall, Peter Cullen, Derek Mears, Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Adrien Brody, Topher Grace, Walton Goggins, Françoise Yip, Boyd Holbrook, Olivia Munn, Amber Midthunder, Dakota Beavers
- Movie(s)
- Predator, Predator 2, Predators, Predator, Prey
- Video Game(s)
- Predator: Hunting Grounds, Predator: Concrete Jungle
Predator is an action sci-fi franchise created by Jim and John Thomas, beginning with the original film released in 1987. The franchise follows a warrior alien race known as the Yautja who travel the far reaches of space looking for worthy prey to hunt, constantly bringing them to Earth due to the sheer amount of conflict harbored on it. The series has spun off into comic books and animated features and has even enjoyed several crossover events via film and video games with the Aliens franchise.
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