I wrote this about it in a convo with
@Kforcer and
@PrinceOfPain last Summer:
Predator is a actually really, really good film, small handful of campy one-liners and all. For an action flick Arnold's performance was actually spectacular, the best character he ever played and even possessed layers of subtlety IMO. The depth perhaps isn't even so much in the writing but due to Arnold squeezing more out of the material and dialogue than what is really there to be had.
The flick also gets an enormous boost with the horror elements that are fused into it, and is able to both build and maintain tension. Once they drop into Guatemala, almost nothing feels as though it's all fun and games. The investigation and exposure to the skinnings in the jungle is really class stuff, played remarkably well by all. The growing suspicion Dutch has for Dillon is absolutely palpable and the primary reason it's felt is due to Arnold's variety of understated facial expressions.
The shooting jungle sequence actually makes quite the metaphor for the impotence of strong-arm military aggression against an enemy that can't be predicted or understood. They are killed by the Predator not because of how they react but in spite of it; they are predators themselves who find out they are outclassed. The credibility of the creature here is also paramount to the success of though, I can't imagine if they'd stuck with JCVD in a ridiculous lizard suit.
It's also almost the anti-thesis of Commando in a way. I mean, at 40 years young it was the greatest shape Arnold ever attained or brought to a film post-bodybuilding career but his character wasn't indestructible. He's quite human, vulnerable and not near the one-man army (or literal killing cyborg) of most his other classics. He gets his ass kicked as he realistically should and ultimately wins due to his wit and survival skills as opposed to muscular brawn and unlimited ammo.
For being such a lean-and-mean script with a simplistic plot, the overall characterization was outstanding front to back (trying to avoid top/bottom puns): Every member of the team is believable, thoroughly belongs and comes with their own very distinctive personality, style and skill sets that are successfully fleshed out as much as was feasible.
"My men are not expendable" and they aren't: There's a sense of loss as each one is picked off and a dwindling sense of morale amongst them that Dutch is duty-bound and obliged to hold together. This isn't even touching upon the other blatantly obvious factors such as the design, features and effectiveness of the creature (an ATG), hostile environment and setting (absolutely real), the action scenes and weaponry (over the top amazing) or blunt celebration of raw masculinity.