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Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Predator
20th Century Fox


8.2

based on 11 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 17 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

FILM:

MPAA RATING: R

Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, and R.G. Armstrong

Schaefer (Schwarzenegger) and his elite military unit are recruited to rescue hostages held by guerrillas in the Latin American jungle. But once there, they encounter an enemy more deadly than any on earth! (20th Century Fox)

GENRE(S):	Sci-fi
WRITTEN BY:	Jim Thomas John Thomas
DIRECTED BY:	John McTiernan
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: December 26, 2000 Video: June 5, 2001 Theatrical: June 12, 1987
RUNNING TIME:	107 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

The film picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects in 1988.

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Moves at a breakneck pace, it has strong and simple characterizations, it has good location photography and terrific special effects, and it supplies what it claims to supply: an effective action movie.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Jay Scott

It's got thrills and chills and one of the most elegantly conceived monsters in the history of movies.

TV Guide Staff (Non Credited)

Crisply stylish and suspenseful, making brilliant use of optical special effects, Predator is one of Schwarzenegger's best.

Variety Staff (Not Credited)

A slightly above-average actioner that tries to compensate for tissue-thin-plot with ever-more-grisly death sequences and impressive special effects.

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Stack

The movie, a rather pointless thing when you get down to it, has little of the provocative intelligence that was found in "Terminator." But at least it's self-propelling in terms of suspense and cheap thrills. [12 June 1987, Daily Datebook, p.78]

Chicago Tribune Dave Kehr

McTiernan, regrettably, seems more interested in spectacle than suspense, and the attack sequences are filmed for splashy visual impact. And an apocalyptic finale that raises the antiwar message to the nuclear level is more than McTiernan's metaphor can bear. [12 June 1987, Friday, p.J]

Chicago Reader Pat Graham

Despite the off-rhythm styling and suggestions of primeval menace, there's really not much going on here.

The New York Times Elvis Mitchell

Alternately grisly and dull, with few surprises. [12 June 1987, p.C6]

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Frankly, scarier critters have checked into Roach Motels. [13 June 1987, Style, g1]

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Arnold Schwarzenegger fights an outer-space monster in a third-world jungle. The monster never has a chance. Neither does the jungle. Neither does the audience. [19 June 1987, Arts & Leisure, p.23]

Los Angeles Times Michael Wilmington

It's arguably one of the emptiest, feeblest, most derivative scripts ever made as a major studio movie. There's no need to do a Mad magazine movie parody of this; it's already on the screen. [12 June 1987, Calendar, p.6-6]

The average user rating for this movie is 8.2 (out of 10) based on 17 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Gerrick C. gave it an8:
A simple movie in every way, but a superb cinema classic.

J G gave it a9:
Awesome movie, the story and characters are great. Predator rules!

Jared C. gave it a10:
Its pretty sweet throughout.

Eskimo gave it a10:
A documentary on being badass.

N D gave it a9:
Brillant action movie. Great effects and weapons - the Predator itself is just awesome! Watched this so many times cos it is superb.

Cody gave it an8:
This movie is friggin' awesome! This is an Arnold Swartznegger action movie at its best. The Predator is also pretty freakin' sweet too.

Amurabi M. gave it a5:
What if there are not a plot, a storyline or good performances? This is a John McTiernan movie! Pure action not boring stuff. That´s the reason why, "Predator" is a cult action movie. That accomplishment is due to the real monster (not Schwarzzy), an alien so scary than its freakiness can hold the entire movie. For the movie, in general, has a sense of a bad movie. A cross between alien terror movies and stupid action. Likes Rambo-meets-Alien in a Celebrity Deathmatch (for its capacity of absurdism). But after all, this is just a eighties action flick: nor superfluous neither important but sometimes, sometimes, that´s all that a movie needs to be a classic.

Predator 20th Century Fox

Predator
20th Century Fox