Here’s Why ‘Predator’ Still Stands Tall as the Ultimate Man vs Nature Showdown

A Look Back at 'Predator' (1987)

As we covered in previous ultimate action movie history lessons, The Terminator introduced the action-movie world to Arnold Schwarzenegger, with his iconic physique and imposing screen presence. It was then Commando, an unlikely classic that combined well-timed comedic one-liners with endless over-the-top action, that proved that Arnold had what it takes to be a leading man capable of more than just monosyllabic catch phrases.

However, 1987 was truly the breakthrough year for Schwarzenegger’s career, as Predator and The Running Man were both released and showcased that Arnie not only could be a leading man, but also a star.

And while these two films have gone on to become sci-fi action classics in their own right, it’s really Predator that stands tall as a franchise-launching event that had the simpler premise, perhaps, but also more to ultimately say.

The film, which was directed by 80s and 90s action stalwart John McTiernan and written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, gave us another classic Arnold-tailored leading character as he played Dutch, the leader of a paramilitary rescue team sent deep into the Central American rainforest to ultimately take on… you guessed it… the predator.

Man Versus the Ultimate Forces of Nature

And while many elements of Predator might seem formulaic, cheesy, or predictable even by the action standards of the time, as the film heads further towards the inevitable ultimate showdown between Arnie’s Dutch and the Predator, the project begins to become something more than its premise.

A sci-fi film that could have been just about the gadgets and mythology behind the Predator and its alien species (something sequels and reboots will choose to focus more on time and time again), the original Predator film isn’t there to make the film about this character, but rather focus on the battle and the terror one feels when up against the silent, unseeable, forces of nature we find ourselves up against in the world.

Dutch sees his ragtag group of merry ensemble action players get picked off one by one until it’s just him versus this ultimate force. Forced to use every bit of his intuitive survival instincts and endless combat skills, Arnold doesn’t rely on his brute force or bulky physique this time; instead, he has to go deep into the mud to cover himself like an animal to survive.

The Same Tale Retold For the Next Generation

Sorry for the spoilers, but once Dutch finally emerges the victor in this battle against the Predator, he returns not as a hero, but as a traumatized individual who has lost not only his friends, but also his sense of being the supreme, all-powerful action force he presented at the beginning of the film.

And while the sequels and crossovers might not fully explore this to the same extent, the franchise itself has always been about retelling this original tale and trying to understand the battle between man and nature.

Generations before had Captain Ahab versus Moby Dick, while we had Arnold versus the Predator; what’s next will likely be another exploration of this timeless theme, but hopefully with new subtext and new characters that can launch their own franchises and stars, and hopefully help us wrestle with our own struggles as well.