Predator: Collector's Edition

Twentieth Century Fox | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

A group of airmen have been shot down and captured in a dense, remote Central American jungle, which makes a rescue quite difficult. But an elite squad of commandos has been assembled, one that has never failed in a mission. In the lead is Dutch Schaeffer (Arnold Schwarzenegger), a tough as nails soldier who never backs down from an enemy, no matter how outmatched or outnumbered he is. At his side is a collection of riotous and skilled mercenaries, each with a certain area of expertise. In other words, an almost perfect team that has been hand chosen to handle intense, high risk missions like this one. The men land in the jungle and begin the search for the prisoners, but the area is hard to traverse. Even so, the squad soon discovers the base of operations and storms the compound. But the camp isn't manned, at least it isn't at the time, though there is ample evidence of violence. The bodies of the airmen are soon found, torn to shreds and decimated like no one has seen before. The sole survivor of whatever ravaged the compound is a woman, who is almost killed by the mercenaries. As the men leave the camp, they begin to notice unusual things, such as movement, even though no one is there. When the men start to be killed off one by one, what force lurks in the jungle that preys upon them?

The third time's the charm, as Fox's third release of Predator on DVD finally gets it all right, a nice audio & video treatment, plus a host of supplements. The first disc was terrible in both areas and the second disc had minimal extras, but with this new Collector's Edition, Fox comes through and fans should be most pleased. The movie itself is a fun, over the top action thriller, with some classic lines and some terrific performances. Of course, this is not high art by any means, but for a modern action movie, Predator more than holds its own. Arnold Schwarzenegger tackles the lead and as usual, his turn is enjoyable, but not that impressive. But he handles the action demands and delivers his one liners well, so I see no reason to complain much. His costars add a lot to the experience too, with such folks as Jesse Ventura, Carl Weathers, Bill Duke, and former porn star Sonny Landham all on deck. The clash between the commandos and the unseen hunter is excellent at times, but you'll also notice a lot of the usual genre pitfalls. Even so, I always have a blast when I sit down with Predator, even after countless viewing sessions. Fox has finally stepped up to the plate with this Collector's Edition, so fans can own a definitive version at last. So the movie rocks and the treatment is great, which means Predator is well recommended.

Predator is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This appears to be the same transfer from the previous edition, but no worries there, as the movie looks terrific. The print used is in solid condition, with some minor nicks and such, but on the whole, the elements have held up well and there's no cause for concern. The image is clean and clear as a result, which allows all the cool visuals to shine through. The colors are crucial here and from the heat vision to the deep jungle greens, all the hues look excellent. Just as good is the contrast, which yields superb black levels and no visible detail loss. So this might not be a brand new visual treatment, but it looks great and that is all that matters.

Just as with the second release, this version houses both Dolby Digital and DTS soundtracks, which means the movie sounds awesome. This is an action movie, so the speakers have a lot of work to do throughout. The explosive sequences pack a powerful punch, with intense and loud presence. The surrounds come full blast at times, putting you right in the middle of it all, with excellent use of the channels. But not just the powerful scenes stand out, as even calmer sequences have been mixed with skill. The jungle atmosphere is brought to life here, with great separation that makes you feel immersed in the wild landscape. As usual, the DTS option has a slight edge on the Dolby Digital, but rest assured, both tracks are top notch. This release also includes French and Spanish tracks, as well as English and Spanish subtitles.

This is where this new edition earns its keep, as previous versions were slim on extras, but this release has ample supplements. The first is home to director John McTiernan's audio comments, as well as a special text commentary, which runs as a subtitle option. McTiernan is in better form than usual, but his session is still lackluster. Perhaps a star or two could have livened up the track, but a minimal amount of information is offered here. The text commentary is more insightful, taken from a series of cast and crew interviews. The format takes a while to adjust to, but the track proves to be well worth a look. The second disc has the rest of the goodies, such as a collection of seven behind the scenes featurettes, listed as Inside Predator. I'd rather have one extensive piece, but together, these featurettes build a solid look behind the scenes. A half hour featurette is also found on the second disc, as is a special look at the film's special effects. This release also includes a deleted scene, some outtakes, an inside look at the design of the predator itself, a selection of still photos, and the film's theatrical trailer.