There are not many people on planet earth who don't know what to expect from an Arnold Schwarzenegger films - violence, one liners, muscles, blood, guns, and slightly wooden acting. However, like other great 'wooden tops' for example, Hugh-shouldn't have gone with Divine-Grant, he has a certain charm about him. Of course there are some rare exceptions (which I hate to admit watching) Twins and Kindergarten Cop.

The film predator (no not named after a football boot) is a classic 80s violent action movie. It should look dated, but thanks to the remastered DVD it is as fresh as a fish from Grimsby docks! (Sorry had to quote where I come from... not the docks but... oh never mind!)

It is an 80s classic - that remains a modern classic - due to the enhancements made to it. It mixed 'commando' type films with 'alien' science fiction to acheive an amazing coupling - that other films since have copied.

The picture quality is very clear and the sound is enhance with DTS. This means you get louder, more powerful explosions, and gun fire and your neighbours will love it! (and probably the environmental health team will want to come and sample the sounds too!) The musical score is brilliant, and really makes the film - it is as distinctive as the music from Terminator.

I guess I better tell you the plot - just in case you don't already know it! (What plot there is!)

Arnold is in charge of an elite commando team sent in the jungles of Mexico to rescue some captured soldiers. While they are hunting down the base where the prisoners are kept, they find that they are not the only ones hunting.

An alien hunter (the predator) is after them and won't stop until he's killed them all! He even enjoys killing and his attitude is that it is just a sport! With only the jungle to help, and of course an assortment of weapons, who will survive. You may have guessed the ending already, but it is an exciting film to follow despite its obvious plot.

Don't expect and oscar winning acting because lets face it most of the 'actors' are body builders or wrestlers! This does make for a stunning commando team and turns the film into a somewhat comic strip presentation. We have big men, with big muscles, with big guns and an impossible situation! Most of the actors are over 6ft tall!

This film is hugely entertaining, probably aimed at blood hungry boys/men, as I've not met any women who have said they have enjoyed it yet - hopefully one of you out there will say you have though. There are two jokes made in the film, reagarding 'womens private bits' (my clean attempt at explaining this!) and these could have been written by Roy Chubby Brown. I felt these jokes were not really needed in the film and didn't really fit it all. Maybe when I was younger and more of 'a lad' I would have thought these were great, and probably told all my friends, but now I don't like hearing them. Sorry if I sound old and boring!

So what do you get for £10? Yes, I have found this DVD online for £10! Bargain!

The packaging of the DVD is made up of a 3way fold out waxed cardboard case. I don't like these as they always suffer damage to the corners. Why can't we have special edition plastic boxes?! Mind you it does look good in the jungle colours and images from the film.

Inside you have the two discs and a one sided index sheet. Apart from the main film you have the following extras;

Director's Commentary - McTiernan talks through the making of the film. He has done this in retrospect and consequently rambles on remembering things as he goes. At times he sounds like he has a stinking hangover, and is only just remembering the night before! He does sound very dull! Zzzzzzzzzz. You do begin to get a feel for how hard it was to film in a Mexican Jungle though!

Eric Lichtenfeld's text commentary - Yep subtitles! Its Crouching tiger, hidden dragon thingy all over agian. Although it is in text form, it is very informative. Sound and special effect people are spoken to and give their opinions on making the film.
This was better, I feel, than the director's commentary!

If it bleeds, we can kill it - the making of predator. This is about 30 minutes long and is one of the best 'making of features' I have seen. It really does show behind the scenes, and everyone involved gets to speak on camera - giving their own unique perspective and thoughts on the film. This is far better than just listening to the main character and the director. Some of the footage comes from 1987 during filming, whilst other footage is recent. Both are spliced seamlessly together to create a full documentary.

Smaller featurettes on Disk2.

Classified Action - This shows the main gun battle at the enemy camp. The actors talk through the special effects, and we see how carefully mapped the whole sequence was. You learn how the guns, fires and explosions were set up and made. Craig R Baxley, the stunt coordinator takes you through the various processes involved. He does look dated, unlike the film, as he has rather bushy white hair and a thick tash! He looks like something from a 70s porn movie!!

The Unseen Arnold - Here you see Arnold off screen. Smoking a huge cigar that only a man that big could smoke! Jimmy Saville couldn't manage it! and you also see how prepared, professional, and funny he is. All of the cast and crew comment on him, and say wonderful things! You wonder if they want to work with him again?! Well I guess you wouldn't go into your bank and say to the manager 'hey, hate your tie!' would you?!

Old Painless - This is about the Gatling Gun used by Jesse Ventura. It does make no sense to cart a tonne of gun through a jungle, with enough rounds to weigh even a truck down, and then fire them all off in 10 seconds! Comic book stuff again! However it is a movie and anything is possible! Plus it's a great gun! At the end of this short segment we have all the pieces in the film where the gun is used rolled into one - very entertaining!

The Life Inside - This is a tribute to Kevin Peter Hall, the man who in both predator films was the preditor! We learn how the giant of a man was a lovable, soft caring chap. Sadly you learn he has since died. His huge size on screen certainly made Arnold look like a lad working behind the counter in McDonalds! It is quite amazing to see what he had to go through wearing that rubber suit.

Camouflage - This is a feature on make-up. We hear from the make-up artist who explains how difficult it was to keep continuity, and also how each character has a different make-up style - so the characters are easily differentiated. The camouflage make-up also gives hints to the characters! E.g. bold, strong stripes for Arnold. Native American stripes on the 'Indian's' face. Oh how I would have liked to have painted pink fairies on Arnold's face as a joke!!!

Welcome To The Jungle - This is about, wait for it, making a film in a jungle! You learn funny facts like - they watered the jungle because it was the dry season!

Character Design - This looks mainly at the director talking through each of the characters and how their characteristics were shown to the audience. We are reminded of the make-up, but learn the costumes are all different, as well as each of their weapons! Something I hadn't noticed or thought about in watching the film. It does also focus on the 'p' jokes that I mentioned earlier - this does question the place for them in the film.

Predator Effects - This is very bizzare! A man in a tree then walking in a red suit! This is apparently how the predator effects start off. We also see the computer generated effects of the creature. All these last about a minute - hardly worth including.

Outtakes and Deleted Scenes - Disappointing really - one deleted scene and three outtakes. The deleted scene shows Arnold escaping the predator. We have no music score or special noises, or even voice re-recording. All you here is a 'pathetic' Arnold panting and pretending to be scared - quite funny really! It makes you realise how much the music and FX make to a film. I wish they had included outtakes that were funny - bloopers, blunders etc. All you get is seconds of footage cut out, presumably because it was as boring in the film as it is as an outtake!

Predator Profile - a small set of pictures of the predator with details in text about the weaponry and technology used. Comic book stuff again!!

Photo Gallery - 50 still photographs of people involved in the film. I never really understand the point to these. If you could print them off I guess that would be something.

Predator v Alien game demo - there is a demo of the game. Wow! Free advertising!

There is one last delight to the DVDs. Easter Eggs. These are hidden features that you find when navigating off a menu page/list of features. I've only found one;

Stan Winston:practical joker - this is about the creature creator and how he goes back to his hotel and finds bull frogs in his shower! He then puts them in Arnold's bed! You find out that 10 years later all was not what it seemed. This is a funny story, well worth finding and listening to! Good luck finding more Easter Eggs!

I hope others out there enjoy the film, especially as it is so good on DVD. Just remember it is an 18cert so expect the worst!

Ok here's the other stuff you might want to know.

Actors and the parts they played;

Arnold Schwarzenegger - Major Alan 'Dutch' Schaefer
Carl Weathers - Dillon
Elpidia Carrillo - Anna
Bill Duke - Sergeant Mac Eliot
Jesse Ventura - Blain
Sonny Landham - Billy Sole
Richard Chaves - Poncho Ramirez
R.G. Armstrong - Major General Phillips
Shane Black - Hawkins
Kevin Peter Hall - The Predator/Helicopter Pilot

Languages:
DTS : English (Fantastic! Go and buy a DTS decoder!)
Dolby Digital 5.1: English

Certificate: 18
Duration: 106 minutes
Presentation: Widescreen
Aspect Ratio: 16:9 Widescreen / 1.85 Widescreen
Sound: DTS/5.1
Subtitles: Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, English for the hearing impaired, Finnish, Hebrew, Hungarian, Icelandic, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Turkish

Wow - you could even learn all these languages from watching the film! Or at least learn to swear and tell rude jokes in a foreign language!!!!!!!!!!!!!