GET TO THE CHOPPEA!!!As I sit here writing this in the wake of the shit storm that Prometheus has created, I can happily say that I’ve never been a real fan of Alien. Yeah, Alien gets the glory, but to me, there was only one alien that was the definitive alien beast for me. If you’re paying attention, you know damn well by know, it’s Predator.
My love for Predator runs deep. The first time I watched Predator, it was at the tender age of 5. The previous year, my father made me watch Aliens, and forever scaring me. I was apprehensive to see movies about such creatures afterwards. But, as my dad re-wound that pivotal scene where the commandos are on the choppa, and Jesse Ventura offers dip to his comrades. As little Richard blasts in the background, one of the most epic lines in film history was uttered:
At 5, I had no idea what a Sexual Tyrannosaur was, but it came off funny to me. From there, I settled in as an invisible monster hunted down guys who all looked like they came out of a comic book and offed them gangster style one by one. I had no idea who Arnold was at the time, I just knew that he was facing down one of the most captivating looking monsters I had laid eyes on. The design, the look of the Predator captured my imagination. As I got older, and enjoyed the film on deeper levels, Predator became one of my all time favorite films.
Lance Henriksen was once asked on the set of Alien vs Predator which monster he preferred. His answer was a bit shocking to some. The Predator. His reason though, was sound. “They’re more romantic”. Not in the romance sense, but that there’s far more substance to the Predator. It’s not of a race of mindless animals just bent on reproducing. No. The Predator is of an advanced technological race, one that never gave up their primeval ways. The society has advanced forward not tor greater knowledge, but for greater glory. For the thrill of the hunt. To be proud warriors They go from planet to planet, wearing little Armour, using mostly hand weapons if you don’t count that sweet shoulder mount cannon. Using cloaking technology, they hunt the deadliest of prey, and among that prey, Man.
How could you not love Predator. He’s ranks amongst the highest of movie monsters, and I would argue that the three stand alone films in the series hold up better than most of the Alien series. Here’s to 25 years of good hunting.
