There may not have been a better decade for action movies than the 1980s. Over just ten years, movie fans saw the release of Die Hard, RoboCop, Mad Max 2, and the Rambo series. But out of all the action stars of the 80s, none have had such a prolific career as Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The name Schwarzenegger is practically synonymous with the action genre — he’s starred in such classics as The Terminator, Commando, Conan the Barbarian, and Total Recall. The majority of his filmography is generally thought to be little more than simple, shallow fun, with quotable one-liners but not much in the way of nuanced writing. However, there’s one iconic Schwarzenegger movie that has much more going on beneath the surface than most would give it credit for.
RELATED: New 'Predator' Film Casts A 'Legion' Star To Take On The Alien Hunter
The original Predator film, directed by John McTiernan, was released in 1987 to mixed reviews but massive box office success. Its reputation has only gotten better with time, however — especially in comparison with its sequels, which have universally been met with worse reception than the film that kickstarted the franchise. These days, however, the legacy of Predator is mostly limited to the iconic monster that lends the film its name, along with memorable quotes like “Get to the choppa!”
However, Predator has much more to offer than a cool-looking titular villain and an assortment of meme-worthy lines. At first glance, it may seem like just another typical, campy, testosterone-overdosed 80s action flick. But in reality, the film subverts many of the tropes typical of action movies at the time.
Take the characters, for instance. The cast of Predator is chock full of the sort of muscular, hypermasculine action heroes who are a dime a dozen in 80s action flicks. Our protagonist Dutch — played by Schwarzenegger himself — is no exception, coming off as the usual kind of role Arnold was so often typecast as. But over the course of the movie, the swaggering, boastful men of Dutch’s unit, like Jesse Ventura’s Blain and Shane Black’s Rick, are systematically hunted down and viciously killed by the Predator. In fact, it’s the cockiest members of the squad who are the first ones to die. In most 80s action movies, a confident loose cannon attitude is the mark of a hero. In Predator, it’s a surefire death sentence.
In many ways, Predator is a horror movie as much as it is an action movie. While it doesn’t have quite the same foreboding atmosphere as Alien, there’s still a palpable sense of dread in the air as the Predator stalks Dutch and his squad through the Central American jungle. The film plays out similarly to an old-school slasher movie, with the cast getting singled out and slaughtered one by one by an enemy they can’t hope to face head-on. The most arrogant and immoral characters are the first to die, and the only survivors are the most humble and virtuous of the bunch. From a certain point of view, Dutch has just as much in common with the slasher genre’s Final Girl archetype as he does with the traditional action hero.
After all, in many ways Dutch isn't a traditional action hero at all. He has the look of one, certainly — he’d have to, being played by Schwarzenegger. But in terms of his personality, he’s much more careful and calculating than the usual action movie protagonist. He doesn’t rush in guns blazing, he takes time to assess every situation before acting. And it’s that sense of caution that keeps Dutch alive while the rest of his squad is picked off one by one.
But just as Dutch is an unconventional action hero, the Predator is an unorthodox action villain in one specific way. Namely, it’s an enemy that can’t be defeated in a fair fight. Dutch’s squad throws all the firepower they have at the Predator, but they don’t make a dent. Meanwhile, the Predator is powerful enough to kill all its targets with barely any effort. In a sense, the Predator is a twisted, exaggerated parody of the action hero ideal — it’s a towering, muscular creature covered in weapons and armor, whose only goal in life is to fight and kill. And when pitted against this perfect warrior, all others stand no chance. All but one, that is.
And in the grand finale of the film, the showdown between Dutch and the Predator isn’t a typical over-the-top brawl. Instead, it’s a slow, tense battle of wits between two master hunters. When Dutch does finally attempt to face the Predator hand to hand, he’s easily defeated by the alien’s superior strength. In the end, it’s not his strength that lets Dutch win, but his resourcefulness and clever thinking.
Though it’s often hailed as one of the best action movies of the 1980s, Predator goes against the conventions of the genre in ways that its reputation wouldn’t suggest. It’s an action flick where a macho attitude gets you killed, the villain can’t be defeated through brute strength, and smarts are more important than muscle. But despite its subversion of genre tropes — or perhaps because of it — it’s rightfully remembered as a true classic.