Skip to main content
Close

Predator (1987)

By Siavash Behmard · August 1, 2011

Screenplay Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi

Movie Time: 107 minutes

1. INCITING INCIDENT

Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger) and his team of men have been deployed in the jungles of Central America to rescue hostages that are being held by the local guerilla movement. As the team treks through the tangle of the thick rain forest, they discover three skinned bodies hanging upside down from the trees. (00:15:57)

2. LOCK IN (End of Act I)

After wiping out the guerilla base, Dutch discovers that Dillon (Carl Weathers) deceived him into executing his mission. Dutch feels betrayed by his friend when Dillon refers to them as “expendable assets.” Dillon admits that those skinned bodies they found earlier were his men and that the only way he could get the job done was to get Dutch's team in there with a cover story. Dutch, furious, replies “I don't do this kind of work” and hands off the responsibility of the hostage, Anna (Elpicia Carrillo), to Dillon as he exits to lead his team out of the jungle. (00:29:38)

3. FIRST CULMINATION (Midpoint)

After Blain (Jesse Ventura) is killed by The Predator, Mac (Bill Duke) catches a glimpse of The Predator when it flashes its eyes at him. This causes Mac to erupt and fire in the general direction of where he spotted the creature. The whole team lets loose, unloading all their firepower, but after the smoke clears, they hit nothing. As they continue through the jungle, however, Anna sees some neon green blood that has dripped onto a plant. If it can bleed, it can be killed, so the team begins constructing a trap to destroy the alien monster. (00:50:51)

4. MAIN CULMINATION (End of Act II)

The Predator has viciously wiped out the whole team besides Dutch. Running for his life, he jumps off  a waterfall and swims ashore to the muddy banks with The Predator in pursuit. Now covered in mud, he crawls his way through the mud under the tangles of a tree. Just as The Predator approaches him to finish him off, Dutch realizes that the creature can't see him with its thermal vision due to the mud covering his body. Dutch has now discovered a weakness of the creature therefore giving him a slight advantage.  (01:20:13)

5. THIRD ACT TWIST

Just as The Predator is about to finish off Dutch, he challenges him to a battle without weapons and throws Dutch around like a little rag doll. Dutch being nearly beaten to death is in another compromising position when he realizes he can let loose the counterweight he had set up earlier. Dutch kicks the stick, releasing the trap that crushes The Predator. Inquiring where the creature is from, Dutch discovers The Predator has set off an internal self-destruct bomb. (01:35:22)