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Arnold Schwarnegger. One of the most recognizable names on the planet. Actor. Governor. All around good guy. Sure some can question the "actor" part and say that he's more action superstar than actor, but the fact remains. Everyone knows Arnold. And as anyone who was around in the 80s can attest, Arnold was the king of the action movie. Some would argue Stallone, but in reality, that guy will always be either Rocky or Rambo. Arnold on the other hand will be remembered for the string of action hits he put together that include The Terminator, Raw Deal, Commando, Total Recall and, of course, Predator to name just a few.
In Predator, Arnold leads a group of elite commandos on a rescue mission deep in the jungles of Central America. Soon, though, he discovers that he's been duped and there was no rescue mission. But that's not all. Hot on his heels is a force much greater than any threat he's ever faced before - the Predator. One by one the Predator, visiting Earth on a little hunting trip, strikes down the members of Arnold's team until only our hero remains. And whoever wins, we lose. Wait... Same villain, wrong movie. Either way, it's a kick-ass ride.
I hadn't seen Predator in about 15 years. And you know what? The movie doesn't really age. It's as good now as I remember it being back when I was a kid. Sure, it's a little cheesy, but the formula works. And that's why the movie was a success. And that's the reason they are making Alien vs Predator. I'm sure the new edition will be nowhere near the quality of their respective originals, but really, how could it be?
And, just in time for Alien vs Predator comes this DVD, jam packed with never-before-seen special features. In fact, I was surprised at the sheer amount of features available. And, for the age of the film, most of the materials date back to when the film was originally released in the mid-late 80s. Sure, it'd be nice to hear some present day anecdotes from Schwarzenegger or Jesse Ventura, but you can't really fault the guys. They've moved on.
The first disc presents the film in it's original 1.85:1 theatrical format with the choice of either Dolby Digital or DTS tracks. Go DTS! Also available, we get an audio commentary by director John McTiernan and a text-commentary by film journalist/historian Eric Lichtenfeld and others. As with most McTiernan commentaries, his track is quite enjoyable. He has a lot to say and doesn't hold back in saying it. What makes this much better is that it was his first studio film, so this film and commentary provides a glimpse of his future directing prowess. I was a bit worried when he started the commentary by saying he wanted Carl "Apollo Creed" Weathers because he wanted a good actor for Arnold to work with. I guess I didn't realize he was a good actor. (Is he?!) Otherwise, a nice commentary. The text commentary, on the other hand, while enlightening, was a bit of a bore. I find it difficult to watch the movie and read at the same time. Maybe if I could have watched the movie/read the commentary in the bathroom where I do most of my reading, I would have enjoyed it more.
Disc two is where we get the heart of the special features. First is "If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It" The Making of Predator. Running just under a half hour, this is a nice piece of work detailing the various facets of the film, from cast to story to location and preparation - all the basics you've come to expect from a making of featurette. With a mixture of old and newer interviews, it's fun to look at how some of the guys have aged (I'm talking to you Apollo) and how little some of the others have (yes, you Bill Duke). It's also fun to hear some of the colorful language used here that you wouldn't normally hear in a modern DVD featurette. And, like I mentioned earlier, it's nice to see Schwarzenegger and Ventura being their pre-politics selves.
Next is a series of mini-featurettes titled "Inside the Predator". They include "Classified Action" (looking at some of the action scenes), "The Unseen Arnold" (looking at what a great guy Mr. Olympia is/was), "Old Painless" (looking at some of the film's weapons), "Camouflage" (wardrobe and make-up), "Welcome to the Jungle" (location, location, location), "Character Design" (self-explanatory) and finally "The Life Inside - Tribute to Kevin Peter Hall" which looks at the man inside the Predator. Hall died of AIDS in 1991. (Look around carefully here and you'll also find a fun Jesse Ventura Easter Egg.)
The next series of extras is titled "Predator Special Effects". Here, we see that the special effects crew used a man in a red suit to play the camouflaged Predator. Also, look closely and you find another hidden feature revealing a funny behind-the-scenes story from FX guru Stan Winston.
The special features are completed by some unspectacular deleted scenes/outtakes, a profile of the Predator which shows the various weapons and tools used by the killing machine, a photo gallery and a trailer for the Alien Quadrilogy.
What's not to like about Predator. The sequel is the only thing I can think of. (At least they didn't make one too many ala the Alien series.) Now, with this great two-disc DVD set, this ageless movie can relive the glory of the Predator and his battle with the once-fearless Arnold Schwarzenegger.
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