**Overall : Predator’s mastery of suspense and action cements it as one of the most iconic alien thrillers of all time.** Predator takes typical 80s action and mixes in Jaws-style horror to create one of the greatest creature features ever made. Arnold Schwarzenegger matches wits with the ultimate alien hunter along with his team of highly trained but in-over-their-heads mercenaries. As the body count rises, so does the improbability that anyone will make it out alive. John McTiernan raises the bar of action movies by delivering one of the best sci-fi thrillers filled with suspense, fear, action, gore, and one of the most iconic creatures in cinematic history.

It takes it's time to get going, this film - but once it does, it's amongst the best cat and mouse action adventures I've ever seen. Carl Weathers "Dillon" convinces his former commando mate "Dutch" (Arnold Schwarzenegger) to join him on a perilous rescue mission deep in the jungle. Once there they find themselves the prey of someone, something, that has ninja skills to die for - and, well, they do! Slowly and brutally picked off one by one, it becomes the ultimate battle for survival. This is my favourite from John McTiernan. He manages to use well, the claustrophobic environment; the heat-sensitive camera work is effective and the ascending sense of menace as these hardened men gradually realise that they are out of their depth is gripping. It builds tensely to a denouement that even has a degree of honour to it. Nope, of course the writing is never going to win a Pulitzer, nor is the acting offering us interestingly nuanced or delicate performances. It's just an out-and-out adventure film with a fair degree of horror, a slice of grown up/black humour and I quite enjoyed it.

_**Schwarzenegger vs. "the demon who makes trophies of man" in the Latin American jungles**_ An elite squad of commandos is enlisted for a mission to the jungles of Central America to rescue some VIPs after their helicopter is downed. They soon discover that they are hunted by some kind of predator… not of this world. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers star. “Predator” (1987) mixes jungle action with otherworldly sci-fi for satisfying adventure/horror. The macho cast is superb, counterbalanced by Elpidia Carrillo as Anna. The flick’s iconic and uber-“cool” with exceptional jungle locations and cinematography, as well as F/X that hold up. Unfortunately, there’s little depth. It’s enjoyable as a popcorn movie, but also forgettable. Catch “Apocalypse Now” (1979) for the real deal in jungle adventure/horror. The film runs 1 hour, 47 minutes and was shot in southern Mexico. GRADE: B-/B