Predator-
Collector's Edition
(FOX Region 1 NTSC DVD)
(1987)
review by Head Cheeze

John McTiernan's Predator was much more than a knee-jerk reaction to the success of Fox's own burgeoning Alien franchise; it was a calculated move to launch star Arnold Schwarzenneger even further into the stratosphere, beyond the Red Heats and Red Sonjas, and into the world of action/horror/sci-fi. The success of Predator begat Total Recall which begat The Running Man which begat Kindergarten Cop...err....

In any event, Predator was a huge turning point in Schwarzenegger's career, and also introduced us to one of the most popular movie monsters in motion picture history; the titular Predator.

When a U.S. special ops team goes missing in guerilla infested jungles somewhere in South America, Dutch (Schwarzenegger) and his team of legendary badasses are sent in to survey the damage. When they arrive, they find the skinned and flayed bodies of the missing ops team hanging from the treetops, and blame it on the guerillas. However, after Dutch and his men lay waste to a guerilla camp, they encounter something else in the jungle; something invisible. Something deadly!

Predator is one of those films you can literally watch again and again. I've probably seen this film at least a twenty times, and I'll probably see it twenty more. It's one of those effortless chunks of easily digested cinema, packed with so-crass-it's-funny macho dialogue, killer special effects, and large body count. However, I've always found the movie a bit slow through the first two acts, taking it's sweet time getting us to the Predator. Of course, I feel that way about the original Alien as well, so take that for what it's worth.

In any event Predator is a bonafide action/sci-fi classic that finally gets a respectful region 1 presentation worthy of the film's status. This two-disc super special edition is packed to the gills with all sorts of nifty extras, including;

Commentary by John McTiernan
Text commentary by film journalist/historian Eric Lichtenfield
Deleted scene: Arnold Schwarzenegger Fleeing Predator
"If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It: The Making of Predator" documentary
Inside the Predator: seven featurettes
Deleted scene and three outtakes
Three Predator "red suit" special effects
Two Predator camouflage tests
Photo gallery
Predator profile

It's a rock solid set packaged in a slick black and red embossed slipcase emblazoned with classic lines like "I Ain't Got Time To Bleed" and "You Are One Ugly Motha Fucka". There's also a wee booklet with liner notes.

This set is a no-brainer purchase, even if you've already got the bare-bones version. There's heaps of extra goodies (the featurettes alone are worth the purchase!), a gorgeous anamorphic transfer, and a stonking DTS soundtrack. If that's not enough to make me want to throw my ol' bare-bones copy to the curb, I don't know what is.