80s Movie Review - Predator

Director: John McTiernan
Genre: Action/ Horror/ Thriller/ Science Fiction
Runtime: 107 minutes
Year: 1987
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Jesse Ventura, Shane Black

Description: A team of commandos on a mission in a Central American jungle find themselves hunted by an extraterrestrial warrior.

Review: Like “Alien”, predator is not of this world. When in “Alien” a group of astronauts discover this life form on a distant planet, in “Predator” it visits us on planet earth. It hunts and preys on humans during hot summers.
Dutch is the leader of a special units group of commandos, who get send out in the jungle of Guatamala to find a hostage. Not the hardest task for this group, but that’s just the beginning. When an unknown being starts killing his men.
“Predator” is influenced by “Alien”, who would eventually meet up in some cross-over movies. The first half hour of the film is a typical 80s action movie. When they took down all the guerillas, it seems like the end. But it’s just getting started.
“Predator” is a combination of horror, violence and a dose of action, but is also filled with some really cool one-liners from Arnold Schwarzenegger. The special effects are a bit dater, but the design of Predator itself still impresses.
“Predator” is one of the 80s movies I love watching, mainly because of Arnie.

Rating: 4 / 5

100 Movie Challenge 2016 - # 87: The Nice Guys

Director: Shane Black
Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Crime/ Thriller
Runtime: 116 minutes
Year: 2016
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Angouri Rice, Matt Bomer, Keith David, Kim Basinger, Ty Simpkins

Description: A mismatched pair of private eyes (Russel Crowe, Ryan Gosling) investigate the apparent suicide of a porn star in 1970s Los Angeles.

Review: Besides a director, Shane Black is also a great writer. While “The Nice Guys” is only his third directed film, he impresses. Like his previous film “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang”, this movie has a film noir feel and is a detective story set in Los Angeles. And again it’s fabulous!
The buildup in “The Nice Guys” is a bit more traditional, but the two private detectives in the story aren’t. Holland March, played by Ryan Gosling, is the kind of guy that hates himself. He doesn’t believe he will ever be happy again and blames himself for the death of his wife. March is cynical and funny. Gosling has a surprising talent for physical comedy. Russel Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a more straight forward detective. Probably better at his job then March, but less conventional. Crowe’s character is also very likeable. Angourice Rice, who plays Gosling’s daughter in the film, is fantastic. She is a smart twelve-year-old, who wants to work with her father even if it’s a danger for her own life.
Gosling and Crowe are a match made in heaven. They have great chemistry and good dialogues. Most ‘buddy cop’ films have two cops paired that are very different from each other. The characters in “The Nice Guys” are really not that different and that’s why this movie feels so fresh. It’s a great crime comedy for a broad audience. I love the cynicism, humor and action in this film. “The Nice Guys” is definitely a favorite of the year

Rating: 5/ 5