In Predator, Schwartzie plays Dutch, the head of a group of solders hired for a rescue mission in Central America. However they eventually find out they are being hunted and killed one by one by a creature not of this world.
It's a cliché, but this movie was definitely lighting in a bottle with it's cast. Everyone was amazing in what they were given to do, as well as standing out from everyone else. Arnold as Dutch was the epitome of the bad ass in the 80s: strength, presence, and being a natural born leader. Carl Weathers as Dillon was a great foil to Dutch: a former partner that now "pushes too many pencils for the CIA." Jesse Ventura and Bill Duke are Blain and Mac respectivly: two solders that have survived many a mission together (sometimes as the only survivors) and have a bond that make them seem to be as close as brothers. Sonny Landham is their tracker who is "afraid of no man." Rounding out the rest are Richard Chaves as their interpreter Poncho, Shane Black as the comic relief Hawkins, Elpidia Carrillo as Anna (a woman the group takes hostage and helps them piece togehter information about the Predator creature), and Kevin Peter Hall as the Predator itself (and a cameo out of the suit as the helicopter pilot at the end of the film).
To say the action is over the top would be an understatement as we have gunfights that last minutes upon minutes, buildings being blown up, people set on fire, and more (which was the norm during this wonderful time of action films). And like Arnold's film Commando from a couple years prior, there is no shying away from blatantly showing off Arnold's biceps (the handshake and the lifting of the truck scenes especially).
The look of The Predator is so unique with his humanoid body, yet it has a crab-like face. Kevin Peter Hall is completely covered and we have to rely on his body languge. He scores making this creature scary, imposing, and we can actually believe that it could kick the crap out of Arnold and his crew. The creativity of giving the creature a way to record voices to mimick people, bending light to appear nearly invisible, and seeing in heat vision, helps us join in this game of "cat and mouse" between it and the soldiers. The gore is great due to The Predator's weaponry: we have chests exploding, arms blown off, heads blown up, skinned bodies, and all that fun stuff. The movie even gets more "manly" is we get a final "mono e mono" fight between Dutch and The Predator.
One final thing I'd like to add is that there are comedic and dramatic elements that help us enjoy these characers even more. Two scenes in particular: Mac giving a eulogy to a fallen group member (wonderfully shot with the moonlight shining on Bill Duke's face)and the group listening to "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard while getting ready to go into the jungle.
In the end, Predator is an in your face action movie with great gore, a fantastic cast, some science fiction, an iconic looking creature (Stan Winstion is still one of the best), and more testosterone than you could ever imagine being put onto film. In my opinion, this movie would be Jack Daniel's in a glass, straight with no chaser. Sip up and enjoy it, my friends.