Predator
D**E
Ultimate Hunter Edition is excellent. DNR only bad in a few scenes.
I used to consider myself a film purist but I guess I no longer can because I really enjoyed this 'digital noise reduction' version of the film. That's because the excessive DNR was noticeable mostly in the first 10 minutes (before they got to the jungle) and for a few scenes outside of that - scenes which had incredible amounts of grain which is why they look bad when they were DNR'd to death in this release - but I imagine they would have looked worse, and more out of place, if they weren't grainless like the rest of the film (Ah, but film grain is good, and it should have been left in - in the first place - right? Yes, I'll elaborate later). For film, grain IS good. Grain basically 'is' the detail in the film. There's no denying that. I already have the 2-disc Collector's Edition DVD, which I've watched many times so I know how grainy it looks. It never bothered me because I understood that that's how the film was shot. The thing is, the original Blu-ray release of 'Predator' used a poor codec and the disc was only single layered. So, the compression artifacts made the grain look even worse. People complained, and FOX came out with this release. If they did it right the first time, and used the proper codec and bitrate (due to having the 50GB dual-layer disc that they have now), I'm sure there would be a lot less complaints. But, they screwed up the first time.Wanting to satisfy fans and milk this franchise for all it's worth (since they left out all of the special features on the last Blu-ray), they decided to "clean up" the picture, put back all of the special features, and give a little sneak peek to the new 'Predators' movie. It was a good business strategy, but film purists would not agree. At first, I was very against the idea of this release. But hell, Amazon was offering it for $13.99 and I always wanted to own 'Predator' on Blu-ray (with the best picture possible and all of the special features), so i decided to give the disc a try.The first scene of the movie looks excessively DNR'd. I'm not denying that at all. However, I'll live with that since the rest of the film looks BEAUTIFUL. It looks like it was shot yesterday. I know, I know. It wasn't shot yesterday. It was shot in 1986 and released to theaters in 1987. The film stock used was cheap, hence the film should look grainy. I know that. But damn, the picture looks so gorgeous now. I still have my Collector's Edition DVD for when I want to be a film purist and see the picture in all of its grainy glory. I wanted the film on Blu-ray, and I wasn't about go to buy the original release which was more like an upscaled DVD. If the movie were released, grain in tact, with the proper codec and bitrate, I would have bought that. I feel that this disc is the lesser of two evils.If you want the movie to look like it did when it was in theaters, please, go and buy the lovely 2-disc Collector's Edition DVD. If you want the movie to look like it was shot yesterday, buy this release. I've seen the movie enough times to know how it's supposed to look. If you can get over the first scene looking excessively DNR'd, then give this release a try. I've included a page with some comparison shots of later scenes in the movie (to see the comparison, check out the 'Comments' section). If you prefer the grainy pictures, buy the DVD or the original Blu-ray. If you prefer the 'clean' (DNR'd) image, buy the 'Ultimate Hunter Edition' Blu-ray. Aside from the first scene (the infamous shot of waxy looking Arnold - which really didn't look as bad in motion on my TV as it did in the screenshot), there really aren't too many parts of the film where detail is lost due to the DNRing that took place. I know, grain is detail, but I'm talking about the lack of sharpness that can occur when too much DNR takes place. That doesn't really happen at all, aside from that first scene. Give the screen shots a look and judge for yourself. The detail looks very well preserved, which is the ONLY reason I recommend this release. If the whole movie looked like the first scene did, I wouldn't go near it at all. But, the picture quality ends up being pretty damn amazing, albeit artificial (since I know what it SHOULD look like). Like I said, I think this release is the lesser of two evils, especially since I don't think FOX will re-release it AGAIN any time in the near future. The lossless audio (DTS-HD MA) track is amazing, the special features are great, and the picture quality (artificial, I know) is astounding. If you are a film purist, stay far away. If you don't even know what DNR means and you just want a nice looking movie, you won't be disappointed.On a side note, the menus can be a little annoying. They are very Predator-like, but they take too long to navigate and while you fastforward, an image pops up on screen showing you what chapter you're on - this is the only disc I have that does this. That stuff was only a minor annoyance that doesn't really detract from the awesome disc.In summary, I normally wouldn't recommend such a DNR'd release like this, but since the only HD alternative was the lower bitrate (and worse codec) Blu-ray that was already released (with no extras), this seems like the obvious purchase - especially since the DNR is only distracting in that first scene. Once the action starts, the film looks beautiful - and the sound is amazing.PLEASE CHECK THE 'COMMENTS' SECTION FOR A SCREENSHOT COMPARISON!
C**S
Awesome!
I have probably watched this film more than 5 times over the years. It is terrific each time. Arnold at his best and the Alien is the best!
C**8
It came for the thrill of the hunt. It picked the wrong man
Now few may know this, but before Arnold Swarzenegger became `The Govenator' of California, he actually starred in a score of action films. It's true! Predator (1987), directed by John McTiernan, whose next film would be the hugely successful Die Hard (1988), solidifying his status as the director with the most machismo in Hollywood, stars the great lumpy one (Ahnold), although not quite as lumpy as he was in his first major action film, Conan the Barbarian (1982), along with Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed from the Rocky films), Jesse `The Body soon to be governor of Minnesota' Ventura, Bill Duke (he also appeared with Arnold in the mindless 1985 action flick Commando), and Sonny Landham (Billy Bear in the popular 1982 Eddie Murphy film 48 Hrs.). There are a few others, but these are main players...along with the Predator, played by the colossal 7'2'' Kevin Peter Hall, who passed away in 1991.As the film begins, we learn some gooberment officials have been captured as their chopper (that's the cool way of saying helicopter, in case you didn't know) has been shot down in some unfriendly country, which, I believe, is somewhere in South America, but they never really specify. Maj. George Dillon (Weathers) calls in a group that specializes in rescuing captures officials, dignitaries, and so on, lead by Maj. 'Dutch' Schaeffer (Swarzenegger). Among his team are Sgt. 'Mac' Eliot (Duke), Blain (Ventura), who carries one of the biggest guns I've ever seen, and Billy (Landham), along with a couple others. The mission? Go in and rescue the missing men...or so it seems, as later we find out that Dillon knows more than he's letting on, but whatever...the group, with Dillon tagging along supposedly in command, enter the jungle, find the downed chopper, and make some horrific discoveries in that another team had been sent in prior to this one, a highly trained military unit, and only their `skinned' corpses remain. Now, it's never made clear whether Dutch's group is actually in the military, or an ex-military group for hire, or mercenaries. Dutch claims they only do rescue missions, which would seem to indicate they are no longer in the military, as you don't really get to pick and choose your missions, but his men still refer to him as `Major' so I don't know...I guess it doesn't matter...as they travel deeper into the nasty, hot jungle, we get the impression they are being tracked. They find and neutralize the enemy camp, and Dillon's true motives are revealed. This soon becomes a moot point, as they team begins to lose members one by one as a unseen hostile force starts picking them off. As they race back to a safe point for extraction (the choppers won't venture in too far as the area is now `hot', which I took to mean the group's presence is known, and unfriendly soldiers are now swarming, looking for this small band), they begin to understand what they're up against is more than they ever could have bargained for, as the elite team of fighters becomes fodder for something not of this Earth.If you are looking for sweaty muscle men with big guns, then you've found your Nirvana here. The characters never really reach much more than a two-dimensional level, but that's of little consequence, as the name of the game is guns shooting, things blowing up, and pretty much non-stop action. I swear, I think this film has the most gunfire of just about any movie I've seen, and I've seen lots of them. Ventura's character actually walks around with a Gatling gun, which looks uber-cool, but hardly the type of ordinance I'd take on a covert rescue mission. If you don't know what a Gatling gun is, it usually consists of about six barrels or ten barrels mounted in a revolving frame and fires about 320 rounds a minute. Overkill? Maybe, but when it comes to the Predator, they don't hit much. The battle scenes are exciting, as they're filmed in such a way that puts the viewer into the action, rather than just watching it from the safety of your funky couch. The dialog may evoke a fair deal of wincing, as it's chock full of macho witticisms, a few examples being, "If it bleeds, we can kill it", or, when a character gets his arm grazed with a bullet, another character says, "You're bleeding!", to which the injured character replies, "I ain't got time to bleed". If it had been me, I probably would have been on the ground, crying, but then I'm neither cool or battle-harden like the characters in the film. The Predator costume looks very good, despite the age of the film and the technological advances since, so much credit goes to special effects artist extraordinaire Stan Winston. All in all, Predator is fairly pure actioneer, with a dose of science fiction and a dollop of horror (the skinned bodies...). The film and it's makers know what it is, and there's very little pretense to make it anything more than that.The wide screen picture looks about as good as it's going to get, and does show some minor flaws, but the audio seems to have been remastered for a DTS soundtrack as well as a Dolby Digital 5.1. There's scads of extras, including a commentary track by the director, text commentary, a making of documentary titled "If it bleeds, we can kill it", a section titled `Inside the Predator' which is broken up into seven featurettes proving a great amount of detail, a Predator special effects section with five featurettes, a few deleted scenes and outtakes, a Predator profile, a photo gallery, and even a few Easter Eggs (hidden features) scattered about. Is this two disc set the definitive Predator edition? I suppose so, that is until another one comes out, like they did with Terminator 2. (It's definitive for me as it's more than I ever wanted or needed)Cookieman108
C**N
classico moderno
disco perfeito-bons extras-o filme foi bem transferido para o formato
A**R
PREDATOR 3D [1987/2013] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray]
PREDATOR 3D [1987 / 2013] [3D Blu-ray + 2D Blu-ray] Return to the Hunt In 3D! Soon The Hunt Will Begin!Arnold Schwarzenegger wages an all-out war against an unstoppable enemy in this pulse-pounding action thriller, now in spectacular 3D for the first time ever! On a rescue mission deep within a Central American jungle, a team of U.S. commandos find themselves hunted by a terrifying creature more powerful and deadly than any on Earth...because the Predator is not of this Earth.Cast: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, Elpidia Carrillo, Bill Duke, Jesse Ventura, Sonny Landham, Richard Chaves, R.G. Armstrong, Shane Black, Steve Boyum (uncredited), William H. Burton Jr. (uncredited), Peter Cullen (The Predator (voice) uncredited), Henry Kingi (uncredited), Sven-Ole Thorsen (uncredited), and Kevin Peter Hall (The Predator / Helicopter Pilot)Director: John McTiernanProducers: Beau Marks, Jim Thomas, John Davis, John Vallone, Joel Silver, Laurence Pereira and Lawrence GordonScreenplay: Jim Thomas and John ThomasComposer: Alan SilvestriCinematography: Donald McAlpineVideo Resolution: 1080pAspect Ratio: 1.78:1Audio: English: 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French: 5.1 DTS, Spanish: 5.1 DTS and Italian: 5.1 DTSSubtitles: English, French, Spanish, Danish, Dutch, Thai, Italian, Norway and SwedishRunning Time: 107 minutesNumber of discs: 2Region: All RegionsStudio: 20th Century FoxAndrew's Blu-ray Review: A group of mercenaries lead by Major Alan “Doesn’t my accent sound ‘Dutch’” Schaefer [Arnold Schwarzenegger] is hired by his old military buddy, George Dillon [Carl Weathers], to rescue a captured presidential cabinet member from guerrilla forces in Val Verde. When they get there, they find a downed helicopter and the skinned bodies of an Army Special Forces unit. They take out a nearby rebel encampment, but soon start to realize that there’s something else in the jungle, hunting them with thermal vision, a laser gun, cloaking device, and dreadlocks. This is a very cool sci-fi action flick.Some consider ‘PREDATOR’ to be the best action film ever made. While I wouldn't go quite that far, it's certainly up there in the top 10, and it's also one of my favourite films of all time. It easily ticks all the right boxes with a simple plot, big beefy men with big beefy guns, some cracking one-liners and plenty of blood and gore. And speaking of the plot: Dutch [Arnold Schwarzenegger] and his team of commandos are sent on a mission to a South American jungle to rescue some missing dignitaries. Instead, they end up being hunted by an alien. But who will win out in the end. Even after multiple viewings, `Predator' still manages to be tense, exciting and surprising. It's easily one of the biggest Arnold Schwarzenegger's best films yet and it certainly helped to cement his place on the Hollywood map and Carl Weathers, best known as Apollo Creed in three Rocky films, has not done anything half as good since.It's big; it's loud and incredibly well-paced. And to top it all off, it's got one of the best movie villains ever created and the Predator himself, a marvellous piece of design from special effects supremo Stan Winston. Sadly, the sequel and `Alien vs Predator' spinoffs have all been terrible. It's true to say that they just don't make them like this anymore. ‘Predator’ definitely holds up. The story leads you in one direction before dropping an alien on you to make it science fiction, and the action is still great fun to watch and the film is still great and still entirely watchable, even by today’s standards. ‘Predator’ gets “So you cooked up a story and dropped the six of us into a meat grinder?” out of “I ain’t got time to bleed.”As the film moves along, John McTiernan shows great control of the camera by maintaining focus on his main attraction, namely Arnold Schwarzenegger. And later, when the elite commando team raids a rebel encampment, the filmmakers have us fully convinced that things will continue in this direction. Essentially, the entire first act is nothing more than a setup, a crafty swindle of sorts to draw viewers in with expectations of a typical Arnold Schwarzenegger action film. It's much like what Dillon [Carl Weathers] does to Dutch in the story. It's no coincidence the film follows a small fighting force into the jungles of Central America with what at the time was standard action violence.Despite the humorous coincidence of co-star Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger both ending up in politics, the acting in the film is exactly the way it should be, with authentic fear, panic, camaraderie, and fortitude and who would have thought Arnold Schwarzenegger could ever find another role as fitting as his turn in ‘The Terminator’ [1984]. The sheer intensity of the skilled troopers makes for some worthy chase sequences and boisterous battles. While it is entirely for entertainment, the violence in the film also enhances the severity and immediacy of the situations, increasing the nerve-wracking nature of the hunt and rousingly garnished with thundering music by Alan Silvestri. Transcending typical creature features with its mix of genres, including action/adventure, horror, and science-fiction, ‘Predator’ has proven itself to be much more than just a cult monster film, especially seeing in glorious 3D. This superior blend of firepower, machismo, bloodshed, and one of the most exhilarating showdowns in cinema is often imitated but rarely equalled.3D Blu-ray Image Quality – The 3D is nothing short of stunning and awesome and this ‘PREDATOR’ upgrade has been done 100% perfectly. There is not a ghosting to be seen, and the 3D effect really does enhance the film and taking you deep into the jungle with Arnie and his men. You can almost feel the sweat and smell the danger and the terror when the Predator attacks are palpable. And this is probably the best the film has ever looked much better than previous inferior DVD and 2D Blu-ray releases. Can we please have MORE Blu-ray films like this?3D Blu-ray Audio Quality – ‘PREDATOR’ offers the same multiple audio options that graced the Ultimate Hunter Edition, with most audiophiles probably gravitating to the 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix. While this isn't as ubiquitously immersive a mix as that found in newer action fare, it's still a fairly relentless onslaught of effects, especially in the several set pieces where Arnold and the boys take out their big guns and defoliate the jungle with bullets. There's a very notable low frequency sound effect that accompanies each shift into the "thermo imaging" point of view shots from the Predator's perspective, and those are forceful enough to perhaps provoke a startle response in some viewers. For me, anyway, the most remarkable thing about this mix is Alan Silvestri's almost nonstop underscore, one which utilizes a lot of cool percussive effects. Alan Silvestri's score easily fills the surrounds and really helps to augment the awesom listening experience. It's an unusually effective score for a film that is often dominated by sound effects and it deserves more attention than it routinely gets, even by fans of the film.Blu-ray Special Features and Extras: All supplemental material can be found only on the standard definition 2D Blu-ray disc and most are the same set of documentaries from the “Ultimate Hunter Edition” and with this United Kingdom 3D release, you get a few extra supplements. The 3D Blu-ray only contains the actual film version.Audio Commentary with director John McTiernan: This is a slow laborious, lumbering slog. There are long stretches of uncomfortable silence, and most of the highlights have already been tackled elsewhere on the disc. John McTiernan does delve into why Predator was shot flat rather than in scope, expands on some of the specifics of the creature suit, and covers the frequently told story about trying to put a monkey in a red suit for the alien effects, but there's too much repetition and far too much dead air to be worth a bother. He also has a tendency to get caught up in random tangents, ranting about studio politics and the role Hollywood plays in tragedies like Columbine. Not really worth a listen.Special Feature: PREDATOR: Evolution of a Species: Hunters of Extreme Perfection [1080p] [1.78:1] [11:13] Producer John Davis and filmmakers Robert Rodriguez and Nimrod Antal discuss Predator's lasting impact in this new documentary. We get to hear especially from Producer John Davis discussing about the script that came his way and who has worked with Arnie before and on top of all that Arnie also suggested John Davis make the film. We also get told by John Davis that `Predator' nearly never got made, as the money ran out, but eventually it got made and that he didn't realise what an impact it would make on the audience. Filmmaker Robert Rodriguez who is the Director of the latest re-make of the ghastly `Predators' talks about how the original `Predator' made an massive impact on him. And finally, filmmaker Nimrod Antal also tells how `Predator' made a massive impact on him and how it gave him an incentive to make films.Special Feature: Text Commentary by Film Journalist and Historian Eric Lichtenfeld: This text-only commentary, when selected, runs as subtitles across the bottom of the screen. It's mostly comprised of interviews with the film's editor, sound effects designers, stunt choreographers, casting director and screenwriters.Special Feature: If It Bleeds, We Can Kill It: The Making of ‘PREDATOR’ [1080p] [1.78:1] [29:00] This making-of documentary is actually a retrospect that features footage from the set and allows a good majority of the folks who worked on the film to speak. Conversations cover everything from the script literally landing at the doorsteps of Fox Studios, the origins of the alien's fearsome appearance, and filming under humid conditions. For those fans unfamiliar with the history of 'Predator,' this makes for a must watch.Special Feature: Inside the ‘PREDATOR’ [1080p] [1.78:1] [31:00] Inside the ‘PREDATOR’ gives us seven vintage documentaries. Classified Action [5:21] takes us on set for some of the stunts, the cast and crew discuss Arnie's star-power in The Unseen Arnold [4:42]; Old Painless [3:30] is an ode to the massive Gatling gun that Ventura totes and The Life Inside [4:26] is a tribute to the late Kevin Peter Hall. Wrapping it up, we have Camouflage [4:54] a look at the make-up work, Welcome to the Jungle [2:40] a discussion of the film's sense of place, and Character Design [4:41] which covers each characters' personality.Special Feature: Special Effects [1080p][1.78:1] [4:00] Five really short pieces which are weirdly organised makeup and is a look at the camouflage effects in the film.Special Feature: Short Takes: Four short interviews that didn't fit anywhere else. In John McTiernan on Learning Film [3:05] the director talks about his film school experience, Jesse's Ultimate Goal [2:18] is about Jesse Ventura's venture into politics, Stan Winston: Practical Joker [3:02] is the story of a bullfrog-related prank and Don't Drink the Water [1:58] is expert advice for all travellers to Mexico.Deleted Scenes and Outtakes [5:00] Includes four scenes: Fleeing the Predator [1:43], Chameleon [00:28], Building a Trap [2:12] and Sliding Downhill [00:56].Special Feature: Photo Gallery: It goes without saying that these on-set stills are only interesting to those who like looking at production photos.Special Feature: Predator Profile [1080p] [1.78:1] A text-and-photo-only profile of the alien predator, detailing all of his weapons and armour.Theatrical Trailers [1080p] Includes trailers for ‘PREDATOR’ [2:11] and ‘Predator 2’ [1:36].Sneak Peak: Predators [2010] [1080p] [1:44] Director Robert Rodriguez talks about his vision for the upcoming ghastly third re-make of `Predators' film.Finally, in the end, ‘PREDATOR’ is one brilliant sci-fi/action extravaganza of all time, with a shrewdly understated sense of irony, using genre conventions effectively for a fun time at the films. No matter how we look at this now classic, the creature-feature was a novel twist to the summer blockbuster, igniting a popular franchise. Today, it remains just as entertaining as ever with one of Stan Winston's most memorable creations. John McTiernan's ‘PREDATOR’ 3D is a fun and entertaining creature-feature which revels in its animated machismo and an exuberant display of graphic action. The movie is a surprisingly well-structured blend of genre conventions which draws viewers in with one set of expectations and abruptly changes pace for a suspenseful thrill ride. The 3D Blu-ray surprises with a strong 3D spectacular image. The bonus Special Features and Extras is only accessible via the accompanying 2D Blu-ray disc. All in all I can heartily recommend picking up `Predator' 3D. A totally brilliant film, with an excellent transfer and of course a wonderful 3D Blu-ray disc and it is a massive honour to add this special Arnold Schwarzenegger film to my Arnie Blu-ray Collection. What is also beautiful about this Blu-ray is the fantastic Slip Blu-ray Cover, which is a totally brilliant design, and gives you a sort of insight into what to expect from this awesome 3D film. Highly Recommended!Andrew C. Miller – Your Ultimate No.1 Film AficionadoLe Cinema ParadisoUnited Kingdom
H**Z
Perfecta
Me gustó mucho el realce en los colores ya la tenia en bluray y quise ver que tal se veia esta en 4k
N**N
DE COLECCIÓN.
PARA COLECCIONISTAS.
C**L
Get to the chopper
Great film and excellent service.Blue ray quality is excellent and you wouldn't believe the film was from 1987.Also 10/10 for Arnies cheesy lines
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