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Predator (movie)

Predator is a 1987 science fiction movie that was directed by John McTiernan and released on Friday, June 12. It featured actors Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke , Sonny Landham, Elpidia Carrillo, Richard Chaves , and Jesse Ventura.

Energetic and full of machismo, the movie was successful enough (earning $60 million in the United States alone) to generate a sequel, Predator 2, in 1990.

Plot

The mission began when 5 US Special Forces soldiers lead by Major 'Dutch' Schaeffer (Schwarzenegger) are ordered to rescue a Guatemalan cabinet minister who has been captured by guerrilla forces after his helicopter crashed in the jungle across the border.

Along with CIA man Dillon (Weathers) the team are dropped behind the border and began looking for traces of the minister and his escort. Instead they find the crashed chopper, which appeared to be a "reconnaissance bird" rather than transport as well as traces of a dozen rebels being followed by several men with American equipment.

Later on the mission, they also discovered three dead US soldiers hanging from trees, all of them mutilated horribly. The search and rescue mission continues, and they soon discover the guerrilla post and the hostages being held there. The team attacks and destroys a guerilla base but all the prisoners are already dead and turn out to be CIA men (Dillon made up the cabinet minister story).

With all guerrillas killed and a female prisoner (Carrillo) in their hands they make for a pickup point. As they move though the jungle they are stalked by something that they are unable to see in jungle.

The creature attacks and kills Hawkins (Black) and Blain (Ventura) before vanishing into the jungle using active camouflage. When they attempt to kill it by saturating the jungle with bullets, they succeed only in slightly wounding the Predator.

They mount a defensive position with claymore mines, flares and trip wires.

Meanwhile the predator uses an alien survival kit to heal his wounded leg. When it rips out the bullet encrustated in its leg, the creature let out a ferocious scream that is heard by the girl and one Native American soldier on the team. The Predator attacks once again in the night and destroys the defense position. The creature steals the body of Blain. Early on the afternoon, the soldiers once again mount a defensive position, this time by preparing a net in an attempt to capture the "killer". The creature falls into the trap but breaks free by firing a laser. Another laser destroys a branch that swung down and injures a soldier gravely.

The predator escapes once more and later goes on a killing rampage that finishes all of Schaefer's men with the exception of Major Schaefer and the prisoner girl.

Schaefer escapes the creature and falls off a cliff into a huge river. Just upon arrival at the river banks, he rests a little bit and soon hears a splash. The creature is still looking for him. But the creature sees in infrared, and cannot see the Major because he is encased in cold mud.

Schaefer waits until the creature is out of his sight and begins preparing weapons. After nightfall, Schaefer sent a war cry that was heard by the creature. The fighting began with a cat and mouse search that ended with Schaefer being wounded and the Predator activating a self-destruct device that left a large amount of jungle burned. The rescue team arrived and pulled Schaefer out of the jungle.

Details

The alien hunter (Kevin Peter Hall) is equipped with an impressive line of weapons including a shoulder mounted plasma cannon(plasmacaster), metal armor, wrist computer system, survival kit, wrist mounted double edged blade, cutting tools, and a cloaking device that bends light rays and turn the creature almost invisible.

An interesting fact about Predator is that three of the movie's stars went on to become gubernatorial candidates, two of whom won.

There is also a series of novels, comics, computer games, and a movie that connects Predator with the Alien series, called Alien vs. Predator.

See also

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations by or about Predator (movie)


Alien movie series
Alien | Aliens | Alien³ | Alien: Resurrection
Cross-overs
Alien vs. Predator
Relating to the Alien universe
Bishop | Ellen Ripley | LV-426 | Nostromo | United States Colonial Marines | Weyland-Yutani | Xenomorph | Yautja




Last updated: 05-02-2005 01:22:33