A group of paramilitary men led by retired US Army Major Dutch go to Central America on a covert rescue mission. When they find skinned bodies strung up in trees and no living person to rescue in the enemy camp, it becomes clear that it was a cover to collect intelligence on the enemy. In the midst of this new conflict, an otherwordly monster starts picking them off one by one and collecting their bodies. Will Dutch be able to save any of his men from it or will their entire party fall victim to its hunt?
I remember watching Predator as a kid and I didn't remember most of the details. This is another film that is so fun to watch with priceless, cheesy lines (especially from Jesse Ventura), logic defying plot twists, and ridiculous scenes of 80's manliness. The beginning of the film shows the group's comraderie and that each person has a quirk that makes them unique. Even though there isn't a huge amount of character development, I grew to care about some characters before they died. Some parts had me laughing out loud like when Dutch and Dillon took off their shirts to build things in the jungle for absolutely no reason or when they had their arm wrestle at the beginning of the film. After they capture a guerilla named Anna, I expected the misogyny to flow, but they treated her pretty well and the men policed each other into treating her decently despite her allegiance. Dutch also convinced her to stop fighting them to be able to fight against the Predator.
The Predator isn't seen for the majority of the film. We get to see the aftermath of its actions, glimpses of it in camoflauge (which hasn't aged very well), and even through its eyes in infrared vision. The Predator is seen in all its glory during the final confrontation with Dutch when its camoflauge is damaged. The character design is amazing, especially the face prosthesis, and its MO is nothing short of deadly. I'm more familiar with the Alien vs. Predator movies and this initial film does a good job of setting up a single Predator as incredibly deadly and one of the universe's best hunters. There are some good horror elements here and I wish they were brought out a little more with the soundtrack and atmosphere. Action movie tropes and themes definitely dominate this sci-fi/horror feature. Predator is a fun film, but not as high on my list of 80's films.
My rating: 3.5/5 fishmuffins
* The Fly (1986)
Seth Brundle, an eccentric scientist, and Veronica Quaife, a reporter, meet at a party and hit it off right away. At his apartment, he shows off his pet project, telepods that will eventually make human teleportation possible. Veronica jumps at the chance to report on such a promising project, but Seth wants to keep it secret, trading her momentary silence for exclusive coverage in the future. The project progresses from teleporting objects to baboons and he finally transports himself. Something goes wrong and his body starts to change.
The Fly is the iconic film that brought body horror to the mainstream with commercial success. The characters are sympathetic and their relationship is believable (probably due to the actors being in a relationship as well). Jeff Goldblum plays Seth Brundle, an awkward yet endearing man who is also a brilliant scientist. Veronica is much more direct and ambitious, hungry for ways to move up in her field. I love that she didn't let their attraction distract her from her job and stayed focused on her goal. They are the sweetest couple together which makes it all the more heartbreaking and emotional when things fall apart.
At first, Seth thinks the teleportation somehow improved him with increased strength and virility. He doesn't want to see gross changes like thick hair on his back and his intense cravings for sugar. The various stages of his transformation are an amazing example of special effects from prosthetics to puppetry. I appreciate how accurate the fly behavior is as well. Flies vomit digestive fluid onto their food and so does Seth as he transforms. The ending is a tragedy on all sides and no one comes out unscathed. The Fly is a solid remake that improves on every aspect of the original and updates it. Of course it looks dated now, but the story and characters are still relatable and well written.
My rating: 4/5 fishmuffins
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