John McTiernan’s classic Predator recently reached Disney+ through the streamer’s close partnership with Hulu. It’s available on a few other services, including the free streamer Tubi. It’s always a bit surprising to see anything as adult-oriented as a gory Arnold Schwarzenegger action-horror epic on Disney’s shelves. It fits well next to The First Omen and the first seven Saw films. Either way, fans are rewarding Predator for its newfound placement by making it one of the most-watched films on the service.
Predator Hunts Down Top Ten Spots on Disney+ and Tubi
The genius of Predator is difficult to recapture. The sequels can’t do it, but even repeat viewings struggle to find that perfect balance. For the first third of the film, Predator is a traditional Arnold Schwarzenegger action blockbuster. Ignore the unfortunate opening spaceship shot, and the rest flows perfectly. Arnold and fellow thick-armed gentlemen like the late, great Carl Weathers and Jesse “The Body” Ventura stepped straight out of Commando and into the jungle. They each fire enough rounds to stock a gun shop before they realize what’s really going on. Suddenly, they’re the prey for something impossibly deadly. It’s a cinematic experience about watching the traditional action hero struggle against a new threat. It’s not a twist or a subversion of expectations, but it understands the genre and adds new ones. Anyone who has the chance to see Predator for the first time should run to Disney+.
Predator spawned four sequels, but none of them fully lived up to the original. Each has its merits, but there’s something fundamental about Predator that a sequel struggles to replicate. Prey brought the franchise’s implicit Native American elements to the forefront. It’s easily the second-best entry, but its most impressive accomplishment is creating the feeling that this series still has life in it. Predator star Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t have the same trajectory. He slipped out of the acting world but never left the public eye. That larger-than-life persona grabbed the concept of movie stardom and lifted it to a new level. Predator came five years after Schwarzenegger broke through with Conan and three years after he first became The Terminator. The film blends neatly into his rise, but it’s also hard to imagine someone like Stallone in the role. Schwarzenegger and Predator were perfect for each other.
Predator‘s current wave of popularity on Disney+ and Tubi comes from several sources. Viewers all over Europe, North America, Australia, and Asia sat down to experience Predator over the last few days. It’s fun to imagine many of them finally getting around to this classic as it approaches its 40th anniversary. Check out Predator on Disney+ or Tubi. You only get to experience your first hunt once.
