Predator: Special Edition (2 Discs) (UK)

This is my fav movie next to the terminators, and let me tell you this special edition is great.

Picture: mabye not quite perfect but its almost 15 years old, transaction is best quality yet

Sound: brilliant, i havent found anything wrong with it yet

Features:the features r great not as much as i thaught there would be, but the ones there r great

Overall:i advise schwarzenegger fans to buy

Well, everyone knows the storyline by now (Movie starts - Arnie goes into jungle, Arnie kills things - Movie ends) - great stuff! The picture is good, but not brilliant, I was a little disappointed as there are some obvious signs of grain, but there isn't a great deal to complain about really considering the age of the film.

The special features are a bit of a mixed bag. The "outtakes" and deleted scene are (while it is always nice to see these things) a complete waste of time. But what we do get are some really interesting documentaries with a whole bunch of interviews from the cast & crew both during filming and retrospectively. "If it bleeds, we can kill it" is especially good.

Overall, a bit of a classic that has scrubbed up well with a nice second disc filled with some nice extras - good stuff, just not fantastic.

Content

The story concerns a group of commandos, led by Major 'Dutch' Schaefer (Schwarzenegger), who are hired by the CIA to rescue a cabinet minister, who is being held by guerrilla fighters somewhere in Central America. They are accompanied on the mission by Dillon (Carl Weathers), a CIA agent and old friend of Dutch. During a lengthy introductory sequence, the team is dropped off somewhere in the jungle and their search for the hostages begins. Along the way they uncover the mutilated bodies of a group of Green Berets. Upon further investigation, Dutch realises that he knew the dead men and quizzes Dillon about their presence, but Dillon denies all knowledge of the Green Beret's mission. Assuming that the guerrillas must be responsible for the atrocity, the team track them down and a bloody battle ensues. After the fighting has subdued it becomes apparent that there was no cabinet minister, and that Dillon and the CIA used the team to stop a potential security threat to the United States. Angered by his friend's deception, Dutch orders his team to retreat to the evacuation point, taking a female guerrilla along with them for the intelligence information she can provide.

Shortly afterwards the woman tries to escape, and is pursued into the jungle by one of Dutch's team. Just as he catches up to the woman, a mysterious, almost invisible shape emerges from the jungle, cuts him down and carries the corpse off into the trees. It soon becomes apparent that the guerrillas were not responsible for what happened to the Green Berets, and that someone, or something else is stalking the commandos through the jungle. An implacable alien creature, capable of blending into the surrounding environment and possessed of superior technology, is tracking them. One by one this unseen assailant picks off the commandos, until only the girl and Dutch remain. He alone must face this ultimate hunter; with whatever primitive weaponry his can muster. Alone, he must face the Predator.

Video

As with the R1 disc before it, the quality of the video in Predator is highly variable. This can be quite distracting at times, especially when the change occurs during supposedly continuous scenes. I can only surmise that different types of film were used during the shoot, which could explain why some parts look better than others. For example, the Fox logo at the beginning of the film is appalling, and the opening scenes are very grainy. Still, when it does clear up the image looks very nice indeed. The anamorphic 1.85:1 picture can be extremely sharp in places, with lush, vibrant colours that really bring the jungle to life. This mixed bag costs the disc points overall, but this is still the best looking version of Predator I've yet seen. If only the whole film had looked as good as the better scenes, this would have been a top transfer.

Audio

As with the R1 disc, sound is handled well. Fortunately, a recent upgrade enables me to enjoy the DTS track on this disc (something I wasn't capable of when I reviewed the R1 disc). There's no doubt about it, the DTS track is significantly meatier than the Dolby track in this instance; just wait until you hear the roar from your sub whenever Old Painless is fired for proof of that! The rears are utilised well, with some nice surround effects in evidence. In fact, the rear channels are active for most of the film, especially during the set pieces, where explosions and bullets seem to fly around the room. Sound effects are good, with the eerily alien sounds of the Predator's cloaking and visual enhancement technologies being a particular highlight. Dialogue always remains clear, even above the ferocious combat. The soundtrack is full of militaristic sounding music, and suits the film perfectly. Overall this is an excellent, dynamic mix.

Features

Here's where the R2 package sets itself apart from its R1 cousin. Whereas the R1 disc featured only the theatrical trailer, the R2 set contains a plethora of interesting features.

The first, and potentially the most interesting extra is the feature-length commentary from director John McTiernan. He goes into a great amount of detail regarding the production, and in spite of not having the most exciting delivery in the world it's an interesting and informative commentary. To compliment the audio commentary is a text-based commentary from film historian Eric Lichtenfeld, as well as all new material from many of the crew.

The all-new making-of documentary 'If It Bleeds We Can Kill It' runs for approximately thirty minutes, and examines all aspects of production. The documentary features interviews with all of the cast and crew, from Arnold Schwarzenegger to Jesse Ventura and John McTiernan, as well as a look at some of the special effects techniques used. This is an entertaining and informative documentary.

Inside Predator comprises of seven short featurettes entitled "Classified Action, The Unseen Arnold, Old Painless, The Life Inside (a tribute to Kevin Peter Hall), Camouflage, Welcome to the Jungle and Character Design." These cover things like the stunts, weapons and costumes used in the movie, and make for interesting viewing.

Three special effects segments and two camouflage tests are also included, which examine the "red suit" technique used to allow the creation of the Predator's impressive camouflage effects.

Next up we have a number of deleted scenes and outtakes. In fact, there's only one deleted scene, entitled "Fleeing the Predator" and three outtakes named "Chameleon", "Building Trap" and "Sliding Down Hill." The quality of the video is quite poor during these sequences, and they don't really bring much to the package as a whole. Still, I'd rather they were included than omitted.

"Predator Profile" shows static shots of the creature with accompanying notes on armament and capabilities. This is a short, yet reasonably interesting item. A large photo gallery contains a large amount of on-the-set, behind-the-scenes and promotional images. Finally, a demo of the PC CD-ROM game "Aliens vs. Predator 2" is included for those of you with access to a PC equipped with a DVD-ROM drive.

Overall

Predator is a highly enjoyable romp with some great set pieces. Thankfully these come thick and fast after an initial, albeit short, quiet period, and there's a fair amount of tension as you wait for the Predator to eviscerate its next victim. The `Predator' effects are good, even by today's standards, although some of the other special effects are starting to show their age, while the climactic battle is classic Schwarzenegger, and a thrilling end to a fun movie. As far as action films go, Ah-nold really had no equals during the 80s, and in spite of him not being the world's best actor you have to admire the man for all he's accomplished (even if all of his recent films have been less than inspiring). Predator is a fine film for a night in with a pizza and a six-pack, and it would have scored even higher if only the quality of the video was consistent. This is currently the best version of Predator available, and is recommended for action and Arnold fans alike.

Predator is a "classic" 80's sci-fi/ action adventure flick starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and directed by pre-Die Hard John McTiernan. Despite its cringe-inducing opening scenes of military machoism the film recovers when the bullets start to fly. McTiernan expertly handles both action and suspense and if not for the unbelievably long Arnie Vs. Alien finale (and the aforementioned beginning), this would be a truly great action film.

The film is now presented uncut. I never really found this film to be exceptionally violent but some of the reinstated cuts are pretty extreme.

Video: This is a real disappointment. In the early scenes there are HUGE defects in the print and it is quite clear this film hasn't been properly remastered. After twenty minutes or so the defects do decrease, though they are still there. Colours are fine and so is sharpness. The jungle is given depth and the sharpness shows this. Edge enhancements are surprisingly sparse, considering the master quality. The film's effects are still great today, though they would probably be done in an instant with today's technology. At times this video hits an 8 but sometimes it hits WAY below average and for a "Special Edition" that just isn't acceptable. I've seen fifty-year-old films look better than this.

Audio: Another disappointment. This version contains both a DD 5.1 track and a remastered DTS track. I don't have a DTS decoder so I'll just be reviewing the DD. It seems to me that when re-mastering this track the creators wanted to give some real good surround sound. Now the surrounds are great, they come in real strong in the action scenes and are full of activity. However, by doing this, it seems they have subdued the front stage. A perfect example of this is the camp shoot-out. There are gunshots or explosions in the front stage that are either heavily submissive or just not there when they should be. However the Predator sounds are nicely done and bass is fairly strong. Dialogue is fine and so is Alan Slivestri's music, but the errors in this remaster are nearly unforgivable.

Extras: Horrah! After two previous "vanilla" discs, Predator is finally given the extra features attention it deserves.

Disc 1: Contains a John McTiernan commentary and a text commentary by a film historian. Many DVD reviewers unfairly criticize McTiernan as "dry". Personally, I think he's great. If you don't find facts such as why he couldn't use the Fox logo in anamorphic interesting, this commentary is not for you. He does offer some anecdotes and stories but this is a largely directorial technical commentary. Also of note is his hatred for the computer effects in the old days. The FILM HISTORIAN commentary offers some good facts and trivia, but one complaint that I have is that some of the sentences go bye pretty quick. And I am not a slow reader! DVD ROM content includes a demo for "Alien Vs. Predator 2". You need a high spec computer for this. But its fairly enjoyable, but not a huge leap forward from the first game.

Disc 2: Cotains: "Inside Predator"- 7 Featurettes including, "Classified Action", "The Unseen Arnold", "Old Painless", "The Life Inside", "Camouflage", "Welcome to the Jungle" and "Character Design". These are the usual 5-10 minute featurettes. However, they score highly from onset footage and retrospective interviews. Not to mention they're pretty fun.

One deleted scenes and three outtakes are also included. The deleted scene is not finished (yikes, orange Predator!), but it still well worth your look.

Special Effects segments are rubbish. Whoa, Orange Predator looking around for about a minute each. Interesting!

However the best feature on this disc is the 30-minute documentary "If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It". It offers a large amount of interesting stuff and production stories. While largely retrospective, it also contains onset footage. McTiernan also displays quite a deadpan sense of humour. Great stuff!

Also included is a large Photo Gallery and Predator Profile. There are also four Easter eggs for you to find. Three on disc two and one on disc one.

Overall: A disappointing presentation. However the extras are excellent and this is a must for Predator fans. It's basically the previous anamorphic version with features. Perhaps the R1-ers will get a better presentation, as this still hasn't been released over there.

At Last Predator is here uncut and treated with respect. The Film is a classic and highly enjoyable action film, with a good performance from Schwarzenegger as the Major sent in to rescue cabinat ministers (Though all is not as it seems) and soon him and his team are on the run from the Predator.
If anyone can do a decent and enjoyable action film then John McTiernan is the man with Die Hard the following year, he has delivered to action classics with two action heros.
The picture is good and the sound brilliant, the DTS sound option is the better choice and finally the extras. The Commentary by McTiernan is slow and boring, but informative (Like his Die Hard one), the rough Deleted scene is ok and the documentary enjoyable, the rest is ok rounding off a decent package.

Feature:

Finally Predator has been released on a DVD worthy of buying
After the first release 2 years ago in which it was thrown with
it`s sequel (Which isn`t that bad) to add to the problems was that it was the TV Cut, which got rid of most of the Bad Language and Violence. But now Fox has doe it justice by re-releasing it as a 2-disc set. The story is pretty familiar, Major
`Dutch` Schaefer (Schwarzenegger) and is team of commando`s are put in the jungle for a rescue mission, which
soon causes big problems then to add to that they are being
hunted by some sort of alien, that has come to Earth to hunt
Mankind. The premise does sound rubbish but it has been brought to the screen affectivly by Schwarzenegger and his co-stars and from Director John McTiernan, who has established himself with this film and Die Hard that he is one
of the greatest action directors in the last 20 years or so. But now after a high demand for it, Predator has been released fully Uncut, and is actually quite a violent film in some places.

Sound:

Predator has had the full works by Fox, who are obviously not just treating this as a common re-release. The Dolby Digital is good, but if you have the right set up the use the DTS track in which you`ll have little trouble convincing yourself that you too are up agaisnt the blood thirsty opposition!

Picture:

The picture is ok, not as good as I would have hoped it would have been.

Extras:

Again Fox has given Predator the full works in the extras department. McTiernan`s Commentary is a little slow but does pay off with on-set gossip and insight into making the film. The new documenatry `If it bleeds we can kill it` has new interviews with the cast (bar Scwarzenegger) and crew, it`s quite good and by the end has the cast trying to do an impression of Arnie`s classic line. Then there are 7 short featurettes covering different aspects of the film, with a wealth of behind the scenes footage. The outtakes and Deleted Scene (Which isn`t finished, still in it`s rough cut form) aren`t the most astounding ever seen on dvd, but are worth a look.
Overall it`s a great film and great package from fox!

Intro-A bunch of commandos(sent by the CIA) are sent to rescue hostages held by guerrilla fighters in a Central American country. They encounter an enemy far more dangerous known to man...a Predator.

Predator, finally in it`s uncut form after enduring the butchered version for several years. This uncut version in this DVD includes the skinned marines in full to the loped off arm of one of the commandoes.


Video- Totally unacceptable. Although Predator is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, there is a substantial amount of grain, dirt and flecks appearing every second, just take a look at the beginning of the film. Did Fox used the video version and put a direct transfer? When I expect digital remaster, I expect the same quality as the Alien DVD and it`s older than Predator. It is an offence to have sub-standard video quality. I see no signs of frame by frame remaster.

UPDATE: Nevermind the whole of the film, just look at the Fox logo at the very beginning. I`ll let that speak for itself.

Sound- In 5.1 or DTS. The sound quality is slightly better but sometimes it can vary. Expect your speakers to be filled with explosions and bullets flying by. The score in Predator is one of the chessiest and worst scores I`ve heard. The best part to show off your state-of-the-art speakers is the scene where are Arnie and his comrades fight the rebels.

Extras- There are a fair amount of extras. On disc one, we have an audio commentary from McTiernan. He seems rather lost in the commentary and doesn`t say much throughout. At note of warning: he doesn`t even introduce himself and instead jumps straight into the action. Next, we have a text commentary, just as bad.

There is a playable demo of AVP2 on the disc if you pop the disc into your PC. Be prepared to have enough room to install it. If you are satisfied playing AVP2, then go pop into any Game branch and purchase a retail copy.


Disc two we have a retrospective documentary (named "If it bleeds,we can kill it") featuring new and old interviews. This clocks in at around 30 mins. Self explanatory.

There are 7 short making of featurettes, outtakes and a deleted scene(Arnie is seen running away from the Predator), sfx segments showing different views of the Predator plus galleries.

There are 4 easter eggs to find. I won`t tell you since giving away the easters egg may end up having my review edited. ;)


Overall- Action packed and very stylish. Predator is for those who like the Sci fi/action genre and those who like to see Arnie onscreen. Video/audio junkies(like me) may not consider purchasing this since the picture quality is sub-standard.