This is only the second time I’ve seen the film – and the first time was last year. I don’t even remember how it came up, then, that I had never seen it – and my darling was horrified and I think we were watching it 60 seconds later. Thus I am still having some early reactions to the film!

My near-stream of consciousness notes:

• America in Central America, 1987: what a time. 
• I didn’t recognise Arnie for a moment; he’s so small! 
• I’m way more interested in Carl Weathers. 
• I really enjoy the way these 1980s action films set up the caricatures within the team. Dutch is the leader, refuses jobs that don’t fit his remit (we’re a rescue team); there’s a Latino, a geek (white, obvs), a scary black guy, a Native American (I assume; after all, they use him as a tracker, and it’s the 1980s – and he’s played by a actor descending from Cherokee and Seminole nations), a tough white guy – and those really are their characters. 
• Also, the “jokes” very much … of their time. 
• I like the way the cinematography emphasises the claustrophobic nature of the jungle, with plants right in the fore of early shots. 
• The skinned bodies are probably more graphic than a run-of-the-mill action film would include today. 
• The introduction of the Predator’s IR vision is magnificent. Using first-person is inspired. 
• It’s a more clever narrative than I initially expected: the rescue mission – which itself isn’t at all straightforward – and then the Predator as a completely seperate issue. 
• It’s very violent. Honestly, the extended fire fight against the guerrillas is quite boring. 
• Random woman as a hostage… doesn’t really serve much purpose except to slow them down. She seems like a mostly pointless inclusion, except that she gets to witness Geek Boy’s death. (And probably providing an inspiration for Prey.) 
• The (non)-appearance of the Predator is also fantastic; and then the first time we actually see the Predator, he’s fixing a wound. 
• Scary Black Guy Mack’s sudden emotional reaction to the Tough White Guy’s death feels weirdly out of place – for the character, and for the film. 
• “If it bleeds, we can kill it.” 
• OK, Anna isn’t so pointless after all. She’s cool. 
• Scary Black Guy becomes Loony Black Guy. Yay terrible caricatures. 
• Why does Carl Weathers have his shirt off? It’s really not clear. 
• Last Stand of the Brave but Loony Native American. Yeesh. 
• I do like the Smart Action Hero Arnie gets to play here: using Anna rather than seeing her as useless; realising the Predator comes through the trees, and that the Clever hides him; setting traps.
• Although setting a fire in the evening does rather defeat the “it hunts using IR” realisation. Atmospheric, though.
• The film would have been better to be about 10 minutes shorter. The extended fight scenes are just too much. 
• The removal of the Predator’s helmet? Amazing. It is truly an exceptionally designed creature. 
• Ah, the final fight, hand to hand, like true warriors. 
• There’s no reason for the Predator to understand, let alone use, evil laughter. 
• “Arnie in the mist.” 
• I really like that no explanation is given for the Predator. 

His notes:

• Opening sequence, spaceship on a stick… worse than Star Wars … but 10 years later.
• The arm wrestle… the making of many a meme.
• Choppers into the jungle, what could go wrong…
• Those ‘jokes’!
• Nothing says 80s action like underslung grenade launchers and shooting from the hip, despite this being 100% unrealistic. 
• We start with war paint, we end with war paint (mud)

My thoughts overall: I really like this film. It’s completely of its time, it’s clearly one of the inspirations for The Expendables, it’s mostly a vehicle for Arnie but basically rises above that. Worth watching!