Predator (1987) Reaction & Review! FIRST TIME WATCHING!! 

You should have seen this Movie in the Theater when you were 13 years old.... It would have made you a sexual tyrannosaurus, just like me.

2:21 Ah yes, the manliest handshake in movie history. lol

The black actor that is flying the helicopter at the end, is the actor that played the predator. He asked the director to be in the movie outside of the predator suit 'cause he thought no one would believe him that he was in a movie.

Carl Weathers(Dillon) famously played Apollo Creed in the Rocky-movies. Aside from that, most recently you might have seen him in Mandalorian as Greef Karga. Edit: Also, noteworthy fact. This movie features two U.S governors. Arnold and Jesse Ventura. :D

This is like an expresso shot of 80s action movies. It still does what it says on the label. The make up for the alien is still brilliant.

Predator isn't wearing exoskeleton, its a lizard like anthropoid that sees infrared, with superior strength, durability etc. to that of a human. Wears some armor, helmet, shoulder plasma canon, wrist blades etc. And of course has invisibility technology. Its an alien hunter using earth for safari, it's insinuated his species has been doing this for some time, "the demon who makes trophies of men". Predator 2 is a cool movie, with some familiar actors of the time, avoid the rest.

When Billy decides to fight the Predator one on one he is honored/respected by the Predator adding his skull to his collection. The others members were left in the jungle. At the beginning the Predator is watching the team cause a massive amount of damage and destruction. It sees them as strong warriors and worthy to hunt. Near the end where Dutch asks the Predator, "What the hell are you?", the Predator repeats the phrase as to it, Dutch is the monster. Dutch has a monster like face from the Predator's POV when the it's holding him looking at his face.

I NEVER tire of this movie.

I think this is the best Predator movie, the 2nd is good too, worth to watch!

When Anna told her story, she called the Predator "the demon that makes trophies of man." It hunts for fun/ thrills, only if you're armed and dangerous yourself.

The guy in the Predator suit is Kevin Peter Hall - he's 7'2", so it's his eyes you can see(with coloured contacts) through the mask. He's also out of costume as the helicopter pilot at the end.

The actor who played Mac, Bill Duke, was one of the bad guys in Commando.

The “Russian” that killed the hostage is Sven-Ole Thorsen. He was Arnold’s training buddy and was in many Arnold movies, starting with Conan the Barbarian. He was also in Gladiator.

Yes, the Predator, or Yautja species as it's officially been named, are a species of interstellar hunters, that's what they live for, it's a game and a thrill to them to travel to other world's in search of the ultimate game. They also have an honor code, they kill those who are armed and appear threatening or hostile and choose to fight those they deem worthy of it, Dutch proved himself a worthy opponent to the Predator. Kevin Peter Hall played the Predator in this and in Predator 2 as well as the character of Harry in 'Harry and the Henderson's'. Sadly he passed away shortly after filming 'Predator 2'.

When I first saw this, It didn't include the ship at the start. Imagine watching this macho military rescue mission...then suddenly? Scary alien situation. Definitely made the movie better for me

The Predator was on Earth to hunt. Similar to big game hunts in Africa. It only hunted those that had weapons to fight back with.

Shane Black, who played Hawkins in this, is also a screenwriter with an impressive list of credits including the Lethal Weapon films.

21:27, Peter Cullen, Optimus Prime, voiced The Predator.

Dillon is played by Carl Weathers, who played Apollo Creed in the Rocky films. He also starred in Action Jackson.

The black helicopter pilot at the end is the actual actor who plays the Predictor in the suit. They gave him a little part without the suit. :)

Was JUST looking around for a good movie reaction. Perfect timing!

Great review, love your analysis. The predators laugh at the end was also mimicry; it was a recording of Billy laughing at the pussy joke.

I see a lot of comments here about predator 2... I am so glad that it's finally getting respect as a movie. For years everyone bashed it, and I never understood why, really. Sure it wasn't as good as the first, but I loved it. I thought it was one of the most underrated sequels of all time. I'm really happy its reputation is turning around.

5:00, Bill Duke. The actor playing Dillon is Carl Weathers, Apollo Creed from the Rocky films.

awesome reaction! Bill Duke fought Schwarzenegger in Commando - he's also very memorable in a brief role in Menace II Society, another great movie I love your videos, brother!

The black guy Carl Weathers played Apollo Creed in Rocky, Rocky II, Rocky III, and Rocky IV. Plus mostly minor rolls in a lot of other movies and TV shows.

"Little character development". Wrong, this type of movie has exactly the right amount of character development it needs. The short scene in the helicopter should be a teaching lesson of how you can develop characters in a couple of minutes. Also, the ensemble cast is so ridiculously great that you can instantly sense the camaraderie and respect between those guys.

Arnold's totally defeated look at the very end of the movie really underscores how great this film is. It's not an upbeat ending; he's lost his entire team, all his friends, and he feels every bit of it. It subtly references Vietnam without hitting you over the head with it.

Originally Jean-Claude Van Damme was going to be the predator They actually hired him and he was on set with a special suit

Fun Fact: The helicopter pilot with the sunglasses at the end is Kevin Peter Hall, the man in the Predator suit

20:45 is probably my favorite moment in the film. I can almost hear the predator thinking, 'come on, man, I'm a hunter: I know all about these traps.'

4:00, they filmed in location in Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico.

McTiernan noted in the commentary how ridiculous the idea is of a creature that sees in infrared choosing the tropics and the daylight to hunt in , because they couldn't get the infrared camera to work on set. It was like trying to film directly into the sun. But hey it was in the script so in the end they just had to do it optically. Oddly enough, Paul WS Anderson actually got that right, when he had the Predators hunting in Antarctica at night.

The skinny guy with the thick glasses, Hawkins, was Shane Black, director of 2018’s “The Predator”. The Native American guy was in “Beverly Hills Cop”. The bald, black man, Bill Duke, was also in “Commando”.

I love ur James Bond eyebrow. It has a mind of it's own. U really have a great eye for the art of film, without out being pretentious. Oooo and I love explosions too!

Please watch "True Lies" !

Such a fun movie. I remember seeing it in theaters when it first came out.

You know why people love watching reactions so much? It's as close as we can get to that feeling we had the first time we saw the movie. This is such a kickass flick, and a perfect template of how to be badass and macho without demeaning anyone. (In-movie jokes aside, as some of the humor is crude. It's part of the characters, though and feels natural.)

The mud IRL had a sulfur-like smell to it. Made Arnold very sick and he lost 25 lbs. But it's purpose isn't to cool off his body, as a lot of people thought. It's like when in Predator-vision the soldiers walk behind trees. And the Predator is like a hunter that puts the deer head on the wall; trophy collecting in it for the sport. Mimics human speech not unlike hunters' duck calls. Lure them out.

John McTiernan has several classic action films in his filmography. There was a lot of chaos behind the scenes. Jan-Claude Van Damme was originally to play the alien, but he left the production.

6:07, when they showed this on Letterman in 1987, the audience went nuts! Lol!

Fun fact: Sonny Landham (who plays Billy) had to have a 6 foot 8 bodyguard with him at all times. Not because he was in danger, but because he was prone to bar fights and the like, the production's insurance company insisted he have a bouncer with him to protect everyone else from Sonny! The funny thing is though when you see him in on set interviews, the guy is so chill.

11:43, that's right, because he's Native American, like me, and has some kind of psychic connection with the Predator.

The guy who tells all the jokes is Shane Black, writer of Lethal Weapon and The Last Boy Scout, two other action classics.

You are wondering about the Predator thermal vision. Thats how they normally see. The mask act as a filter to better separate the different heat signatures..

The cast and crew had an awful time making this movie. It was a very difficult production. P.S. You should see, if you haven't, John McTiernan's Last Action Hero starring Schwarzenegger. Very fun meta action film.

I'll be honest: I was rooting for the Predator XD The second one is fairly good. It's more story and character driven. And I like the first Alien vs Predator movie. It's not great, but it's very entertaining.

Carl Weathers was Apollo Creed in Rocky. The explanation of his reason for visiting Earth is explained in Predator 2 a lot better than in this movie.

Carl Weathers was in one of the Rocky movies and is currently in The Mandalorian. The actor that played Billy, Sonny Landham, showed up on set with a body guard. The body guard wasn't there to protect Sonny Landham. He was there to protect the cast and crew *from* Sonny Landham! He was also a villain in 48 Hours starring Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte. The Predator was portrayed by Kevin Peter Hall was also the Sasquatch in Harry and the Hendersons. Sadly he passed away from AIDS. His girlfriend married him before he passed so at least he died in the presence of the love of his life.

Predator 2 is fantastic too. It also goes into the Predator's motivation and lore a bit more.

Love your reactions. Very insightful. Not too technical but not too simplistic either. Well done.

3:25 - I also respect Arnold because he didn't make his first million from acting. He went into business/real estate. He said he didn't want to be financially vulnerable between acting jobs and worked hard to set himself up. So not only a great actor, but a good business man. Way to go!

I love this movie. Youre correct, the predator hunts for sport. Though they only hunt worthy or armed opponents. This is expanded on in later movies. Also some trivia, the soldier on board of the helicopter at the end of the movie is the man who was inside the predator suit ,Kevin peter hall, who was 7ft 2.

Holy crap! You never watched this?!!!! Time to get my popcorn!...

14:27, Billy thinks that the Predator is an unstoppable force, and must face it himself.

The first time I ever saw the Predator rip out Billy's spine and skull with one hand and let out that roar.........STILL one of the most brutal things I have ever seen in a film.

15:35, the Predator was designed by Stan Winston, who would later win 3 Oscars for his work: Best Makeup and VFX for TERMINATOR 2. Best Visual Effects for JURASSIC PARK. He won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects on Aliens in 1987.

The actor who plays Mac is Bill Duke. He previously appeared with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie Commando in 1985. He was also in movies like American Gigolo will Richard Gere and Action Jackson with Carl Weathers.

You should definitely watch Last Action Hero. Holds up so damn well today and is hilarious.

21:55 - 21:56..the man who played the Predator in this film and in Predator 2, Kevin Peter Hall. He also played Big Foot in the film "Harry and the Hendersons"..he was 7'3 and was a trained fighter in martial arts and a trained dancer. He died in 1991 at the age of 35 or 36, not too longer after he was in Predator 2. He died from Aids from a blood transfusion he got. He still is, in my opinion, the best Predator actor. He was incredible as the Predator. Rest in peace, Kevin Peter Hall. 1955-1991.

For me this movie is as perfect as robocop and a beloved childhood fave

Anna explains the Predator's motives, although I did not catch it the first time I watched either. She says (paraphrased), "In the hottest years it comes. It makes trophies of men." So, you are correct, it hunts for sport. And though not stated, it is implied the Predator only kills those who are armed, and can provide a good challenge for it. Another excellent reaction, btw. You always provide unique insight to these films, and it's fun to watch with you; I think I gain a somewhat new perspective on these flicks.

Fun fact: This is supposed to place in the jungles in Guatemala. Guatemala is also the home of the Rebel alliance. And yes the most primal scream in cinema!

The Helicopter Pilot right at the end, was Kevin Peter Hall (The Predator & Bigfoot actor from Harry and the Hendersons) I believe the shrouded Predator dragging away Hawking's body, was Jean Claude Van Damme, because he was supposed to have been the Predator but he was problematic on set and eventually James Cameron redesigned the Predator design while on a plane with possibly McTiernan, I forget who he was with, might have been the effects guy. There's lots of behind the scenes trivia in little documentaries etc. And yes, the Predators are just big game hunters essentially, they found a planet which had areas warm enough and populated enough to find the best trophies, hence looking closely at Arnie's skull before the last fight, like a 'I'm putting that on the club wall' sort of inspection lol

You are so right about they filmed it in actual jungle. Behind the scene, they said there was no flat ground there, so it was very difficult. And the humidity, you can imagine the sweat these guys must have had every day.

"The Fountain" is a solid watch.

Unfortunately... Many 80s action movies were like this. They give you characters, a basic story line (a bogus rescue mission in this case)... Then the bulk of the movie is action. Like in this.. They're just trying to kill it and get out. By the end they just want out. But... It is by far, a better quality film than most in the 80s. By the way... Great Arnold impression 😂😂

Fun facts - Jean Claude van dame was the original predator in a way inferior costume and left during filming as he was unhappy with his face not being shown and also the working conditions in the costume (there is video of him on set on RU-vid )the chopper pilot at the end with the woman was the guy who played the predator. I recommend True lies with Jamie lee Curtis and directed by James Cameron

It's not 'knock you over the head' obvious.. but it's made clear the Predator hunts for sport. Skulls are trophies.. etc.

Thanks for reacting to this classic it holds up for myself after multiple viewings, Predator 2 is very good and different with Danny Glover and explains more, thanks

Dillon was in several big movies including Rocky films (if you haven't seen them, you must make a video of the first one!) and Action Jackson (lol). When The Predator was looking at Arnie's face up close, he was tacking a sneak peak at his skull, to savor the moment and pique his excitement. When he shot at Dutch and hit him, he actually hit his weapon, on purpose, I believe. To prolong the "game" One last thing, you ought to watch and review "First Blood" it is actually pretty good. Oh, and definately DEFINATELY Apollo 13!!!!!!!!!!!

The absolute pinnacle of 80's action movies. Or at least it will be, when there is a diverse female remake. Someone is thinking of it. Sigh.

You probably know Arnie was the governor of California? Jesse Ventura (Blaine aka commando with minigun) went to be governor of Minnesota. The Aliens vs Predator films are not well received, however, the first one is worth watching at least for the fight scenes between the Aliens and Predators. If you want to watch more Arnie films, Total Recall is his best IMO, and the Running Man (based on a Stephen King novel) is epic.

the vision of the predator was inspired from the very early 80's movie "wolfen", its also a classic but forgotten. and it's not a typical "wolf" movie

I remember Kevin Peter Hall from "Misfits Of Science" TV show, He played a character who could shrink to doll size. The show was like X-Men and the coolest character was the Electric Man who could shoot bolts of lightning from his fists and could move as fast as electricity.

I read a few Predator books and they view humans as a challenge to hunt. We might have technology but what makes humans so lethal is we're very unpredictable, especially when cornered.

Another great review of another classic film. You've got a sharp eye for detail. Nice work.

Definately watch Predator 2 - a great sequel that really expands on the Predarors mythology (ethics, weaponary, ect) & puts the primary antagonist in a different environment. Like Alien & Aliens and Die Hard 1 & 2, I personally view the sequel as more of an equal - it compliments the original so well & expands on the lore.

Predator 2 is better than it gets credit for, although I believe that's starting to turn around. Held up against the other sequels, reboots, and crossovers Predator 2 comes off as a fantastic film. So, definitely watch Predator 2, then consider the franchise done at that point.

That is Carl weathers who played apollo creed in rocky 1 through 4

That spaceship shot at the start was added by the studio. No one involved with the movie wanted it in there. They wanted the audience to learn as the actors learn. It;s also said that they did film in an actual jungle and it was extremely difficult. This explains why there's not as much of it as you would like. This info comes from the Commentary track on the BlueRay collectors edition. But, it's probably on others, also. In all fairness by the time we see Arnold and Carl's hand shake we've forgotten about it... You say no character development? I bet if I asked you about one of them you could tell me at least 5 or 6 different things about them all. They're all there, the betrayer, the tough guy (they're all tough but ones a baddass), the leader, the comic relief, the spiritual one. They're all there. There's no need for complex back stories for any of them that's not the point. Having them gather around a fire and talk about their lives and other missions they've been on only slows the pace of the movie down and doesn't change the overall plot in the slightest. All we need is lines like "Remember Afghanistan?", "I'm still trying to forget."... Done, we get it. The questions you don't have answers for, not that they're needed, are all given in the second movie.

It was all shot in the jungle. I went to the spot were Arnold jumps off a huge cliff. It's in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. There's a big natural pool at the bottom. We swam in it for a few hours. Very much the jungle and very cool. This was almost 20 years ago but I'm sure tourist buses still go out there.

I am mystified as to why you consider the alien "predator" in the film to be lacking in motivation. The film establishes quite explicitly that he is a sport hunter, or trophy hunter, and that seems to me to explain his "motivation" perfectly well.

Great reaction/analysis as always. Most of the Predator's motivations are hinted at in context, but the girl does say that the name for the creature in their language is "The Demon that makes trophies of men". Imagine the confusion of a lion in Africa when a hunter flies from half the world away to track and kill it with technology beyond it's understanding.

Happy you mentioned some things like the great tracking shots. Honestly this movie feels very modern in terms of the filmmaking - the tracking shots, the rack focuses, etc. If it didn't have such an 80s action movie vibe with the ridiculous testosterone and one liners you could convince someone it was a modern film. But that's what makes it fun!

I didn't look at all of the comments but when he was laughing after starting the self destruct he was using Billy's voice

There's a lot of lore backstory that isn't really made canon via the movies. The thing I appreciate about this movie is that they take a classic action movie protagonist team and show them off as being expert commandos... then they make that team prey to a superior enemy. Lack of motivation for the alien was actually very intentional. By removing that, it makes the predator feel that much more non-human and scarier.

Shot in the jungles of Mexico. You are correct. It was a logistical nightmare. And the actors and crew weren't particularly happy either. Best. Leo.

This, back to the future and roger rabbit all sound very similar. Alan Silverstri has an unmistakable sound

It is actually not an infrared camera. McTiernan had intended on using them, but because the ambient temperature of the jungle was too close to human body temperature, nothing would show up. Later, McTiernan used this fact as a plot point when he directed the Thomas Crown Affair remake.

The Predator is a hunter with honor. He doesn't kill anyone who doesn't have weapons to defend themselves. It didn't hurt Dutch when he shot him because he didn't shoot Dutch. He shot his weapon to disarm Dutch so they can have a fair and honorable fight. Also, the trap at the end was a trick. Dutch made the wooden spikes a little long on purpose so the Predator would see them. Then the alien would go to the other end of that crevasse where Dutch set up the dead fall.

I love this film and one thing I just realized about it is the diversity of the cast. This was before the modern-day where that is overly celebrated.

I love how the Predator decided Dutch was worthy prey at the end.

Blain("I ain't got time to bleed") was played by former professional wrestler, jesse "the body" ventura, who would also go on to give arnold inspiration by being elected governor of minnesota

You do such a good job! Love your observations and commentary. Keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll spread the word!

Summer of 1987! Predator and Robocop!

Hi, Shan. Glad you enjoyed the film. The title says it all. The alien is a predator, and yes the alien is a hunter for the pure sport of it all. They later reveal these things in Predator II. Another film I highly recommend. The alien is solely there for a challenge, and collects the skulls of his kills as trophies. Carl Weathers played Apollo Creed in the first four Rocky films. I personally like the film just the way it is. The tight shots in the jungle add to the frantic nature of it all. Edit to this post: John McTiernan essentially retired after putting out the film 'Basic' in 2003 with John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. Sadly, it lost money in theaters. I honestly don't remember ever seeing advertisements for it at the time, so I'm not surprised it failed. McTiernan is supposedly working on a new film called 'Tau Ceti Four,' but no release date as of yet.

I've watched a number of your reactions now. I really appreciate your commentary

Great video as always man. Keep it up!

Predator was filmed in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Nowdays, the movie location is a tourist attraction.