Predator

Name: Predator
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Released: June 12, 1987
Duration: 107 min
Rating: 45
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall

1987

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 15 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 488 Ratings

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8.7

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8.7	User Score Universal acclaim based on 488 Ratings

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PREDATOR

Movie Details & Credits

Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation | Release Date: June 12, 1987

Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall

Summary: 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)

Director: John McTiernan

Genre(s): Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 107 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Total Film - Neil Smith

Directed by John McTiernan, it’s an ’80s classic full of still-thrilling action, quotable one-liners (“Get to the chopper!” “Stick around!”) and sly digs at Uncle Sam’s penchant for unwinnable jungle wars. Read full review

The Hollywood Reporter - Duane Byrge

Structurally, Predator is a classic behind-enemy-lines/buddy movies. Nothing much new, just well done. Read full review

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. Read full review

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. Read full review

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]

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]

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. Read full review

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User Reviews

jimm.

Oct 8, 2009

The greatest movie ever

10 of 11 users found this helpful

PredatorX

Aug 22, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Behold!!! what the original expendables should have been. when you think about it, The Expendables was basically the same thing when you get down to the basic skeleton. a bunch of musclebound action stars led by Arnie fighting a threat none of them could be prepared for. the only difference is after all the fighting and ass kicking the team realizes there is a bigger threat out there and one by one they get picked off by an alien hunter with camouflage capabilities and weapons nobody could believe. Arnold ends up defeating it but by surprise he didn't kill it in the end, the predator kills itself when it saw no other way to win. this movie is so awesome that it makes me wish they left it alone and didn't make many sequels, having said that I am looking forward to The Predator this year which i will review after i see it.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

mj22

May 11, 2012

memorable film, and easily the most terrifying and unstoppable extraterrestrial ever conceived. the metacritic score makes less sense than this: 8d'@~j843.'#[ewiuo389.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

bfoore90

Aug 11, 2017

Outside of Terminator, Predator is probably one of Arnold's more underrated sci-fi action movies. An interesting premise tops off cool, practical effects with an interesting villain in the Predator.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

PvtJackson

Jun 16, 2014

Obviously something is seriously wrong with critics' mind as i don't know why they gave Predator such a low Metascore. This action-packed sci-fi movie is original and also very scary to some points. Tension remains constant throughout the entire film while simultaneously boasting solidObviously something is seriously wrong with critics' mind as i don't know why they gave Predator such a low Metascore. This action-packed sci-fi movie is original and also very scary to some points. Tension remains constant throughout the entire film while simultaneously boasting solid performance from Arnold Schwarzenegger as a leader of a mercenary group fighting for a way out of the jungle in order to escape the invisible, deadly hunter they don't stand a chance of defeating… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

MovieManiac83

Apr 23, 2015

More than just another dumb '80s Schwarzenegger actioner, Predator has gradually become a sci-fi and action classic. It's not difficult to see why. John McTiernan's direction is claustrophobic, fluid and assured, staging the action with aplomb but concentrating just as much on tension andMore than just another dumb '80s Schwarzenegger actioner, Predator has gradually become a sci-fi and action classic. It's not difficult to see why. John McTiernan's direction is claustrophobic, fluid and assured, staging the action with aplomb but concentrating just as much on tension and atmosphere.

It's cheesy as hell, of course, but enormously entertaining and deeply cool, with a ton of quotable lines - 'I ainít got time to bleed' - while The Predator itself is an utterly unforgettable villain. But most bad guys are only as good as their heroes and, long before he became a shambling self-parody, Arnie delivers - and not just in the walking and talking without falling over sense. He's an awesomely indestructible figure here, at the height of his physical powers. He's the archetypal immovable force meeting an irresistible object. Only Arnie at his most iconic could convincingly defeat the Predator (as those who've seen Danny Glover in 'Predator 2' know).

There's also something ironic in the climax, where immigrant Arnie - now fully embraced by the U.S. - kicks the tar out of a real illegal alien. We could go into the sexual subtext, but maybe we're just reading too much into it.

A thumping piece of powerhouse cinema.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

JHill

Dec 20, 2009

Good special effects; otherwise cartoonish and boring.

2 of 21 users found this helpful

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