With this 1987 hit John McTiernan demonstrated his “chops” as an action-film director, while Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Man Who Would Be Governor) extended his already lengthy string of box-office blockbusters. Predator starred Schwarzenegger as the head of a team of mercenaries, hired to carry out a delicate rescue mission in the dense tropical jungles of South America, who are subjected to periodic attacks from an invisible foe that turns out to be an alien hunter toying with the squad one man at a time. A little slow to get going (by action-movie standards, anyway), Predator invests the characters with clearly definable personalities, and while Arnold is obviously the star, he's backed here by a solid supporting team, including Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, Sonny Landham, and Jesse “the Body” Ventura (another He-Man governor!). Not widely appreciated by critics upon its initial release, Predator has since become a model--good or bad--for younger filmmakers. Released to coincide with the theatrical debut of Alien vs. Predator, this "collector's edition" appears to feature the same solid if unremarkable transfer and DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound as the original DVD release. Extras on this double-disc set include a fine audio commentary by McTiernan, the all-new half-hour "making-of" documentary “If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It,” a dozen featurettes, and a deleted scene. Recommended. (E. Hulse)[Blu-ray Review—July 20, 2010—Fox, 106 min., R, Blu-ray: $29.99—Making its second appearance on Blu-ray, 1987's Predator: Ultimate Hunter Edition sports a great transfer and a DTS-HD soundtrack. Blu-ray extras include audio commentary by director John McTiernan, a text commentary by film historian Eric Lichtenfeld, “Inside the Predator” production featurettes (30 min. total), an “If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It” “making-of” featurette (29 min.), an “Evolution of a Species” featurette on the film's cultural impact (11 min.), “Short Takes” filmmaker segments (11 min.), various special effects featurettes (5 min. total), deleted scenes and outtakes (5 min.), a sneak peek at the upcoming feature film Predators (2 min.), a photo gallery, and a profile of the Predator. Bottom line: a fine extras package for a perennially popular action-horror film.]
Predator
Fox, 2 discs, 107 min., R, DVD: $26.98 Volume 19, Issue 6
Predator
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