Predator (R, 1987)

common sense media says

Arnold vs. alien action is violent, ultra macho.

parents & educators say

67% say violence is an issue
67% say there are positive role models

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this macho sci-fi action adventure has lots of bloody violence -- not to mention artillery and gun fetishism (although, in the end, it's the low-tech death traps that prove most effective...). The villain is a laser-wielding alien that cuts down many of the heavily armed heroes, leaving hideously skinned corpses in its wake. Lots of strong language; some drinking, smoking, and drug references. The lone female character doesn't get much to do compared to star Arnold Schwarzenegger and his fellow male soldiers.

Positive messages: Dutch says that he and his men are rescuers, not assassins, and he never seems to kill an "innocent" person. But it's hard to tell the difference with his weapons-happy (albeit diverse) team of bruisers. A U.S. Army commander turns out to be dishonest. The men are stereotypically hyper-macho characters right out of Soldier of Fortune; the only female character (a communist guerilla survivor) isn't given much to do.

Violence: High-powered artillery slaughter. People are riddled with big bullets from big guns, knifed, set on fire with grenades, and so on. Mayhem, pummeling, and stabbing is inflicted on the vicious alien as well. People are shot in the head or blasted through by alien beams. The Predator dismembers people (at a distance) and leaves hideously skinned human corpses.

Sex: Double-entendre dirty jokes and sex talk.

Language: Language includes "f--k," "bastard," "son of a bitch," "damn," and "bulls--t." One African-American character calls another the "N" word, and not in a remotely friendly fashion. Some swearing in Spanish.

Consumerism: Not applicable.

Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Recreational drinking, smoking, tobacco-chewing, references to drugs.

Our ratings and reviews are informed by child development guidelines. Learn more.

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

Families can talk about the appeal of scary movies. Why is it fun to watch something that puts you on the edge of your seat? How do the scares in a movie like this compare to those in a typical slasher movie? Which do you find scarier? Why? Families can also discuss how the time period in which a movie is made affects it (beyond the quality of the special effects, that is). What political and historical events does the movie reference? If you don't know, how could you find out?

What's the story?

Set in the jungles of Latin America, PREDATOR follows a team of super-commandos on a U.S. military rescue mission to liberate hostages taken by leftist guerillas. Only after eliminating the guerilla headquarters do the swaggering heroes, led by Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) find out that their target was really a Soviet spy-invasion camp that the Pentagon wanted destroyed after an earlier Green Beret squad went missing. Meanwhile, an alien spaceship lands nearby and its deadly occupant observes the bloodshed. The creature is a tall, vicious extraterrestrial, and it was what killed the Green Berets. Now it's after the commandos, leaving Dutch to figure out how to overcome its invisibility and superior death-ray firepower. In the process, he runs out of guns and regresses to basic hand-made booby-traps and snares.

Is it any good?

Cited by those who keep track of such things as one of the ultimate "guy movies," Predator is a violent, militaristic, hyper-macho spectacle of biceps, bombs, and guns, with plenty of catchphrases tossed out by bigger-than-life actors (for example, Jesse Ventura's oft-quoted line "I ain't got time to bleed!"). If you can appreciate its cartoonish aspects -- for example, the fact that the cast members, despite having been savagely slaughtered, reappear for the end credits to take a bow and smile -- you'll likely be entertained.

Predator definitely is more fun than its 1990 sequel, Predator 2, in which the alien went hunting gangstas and FBI agents in a stereotypically hyper-violent Los Angeles, with Danny Glover grievously miscast in the Arnold role as a one-man-army cop. After that, the creature mainly appeared in video games and crossover comic books (even Batman fought the Predator!) until Alien Vs. Predator came along and filled in some of the questions about the Predator's eons-old interaction with the human race.

Movie themes & details

Movie Details

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
Director: John McTiernan
Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Duke, Carl Weathers
Genre: Science Fiction
Run time: 107 minutes
Theatrical release: May 27, 1987
DVD release: December 26, 2000
MPAA Rating: R

This review was written by Charles Cassady Jr.

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What parents & educators say

Based on 3 parent & educator reviews:

67% say violence is an issue
67% say there are positive role models
33% say language is an issue

Read the reviews

Most useful reviews by all members

Nojam
kid, 11 years old

A bunch of ADVENTURE!

What other families should know

Movie Details

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Genre

Predator (R, 1987)

common sense media says

parents & educators say

What parents need to know

More on Predator

What to talk about

Talk to your kids

What's the story?

What's the story?

Is it any good?

Is it any good?

Movie themes & details

Movie Details

Review It

Review Predator

What parents & educators say

Most useful reviews by all members

Don't listen to common sense on this 1 on stars.

Predator

i think if you play rated m games like grand theft auto it is ok for you to watch

Schwarzenegger does it again!

Great for tweens.

Bloody, in a Good Way.

ADVENTURE!!!!!!!!!

Stick Around

Perfect for teen gore finatics but not kids not even tweens if they are going tho tell their younger siblings about it.

Not a good family movie, but great for adults and older teens

Preadtor

If you are 11 or 12 whatch the TV-14 version on AMC

Really good action movie

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