When Predator came out on Blu-ray for the first time it was a huge improvement over the Dvd versions,o.k it did not look as good as newer movies released on the format,but given it’s age,print condition and the way the movie was shot it was never going to,also the initial release had very few extras so as a fan of the movie this was not an ideal situation.

So when a new ultimate edition was announced with a remastered picture and all new extras i was at the front of the queue.The whole thing seemed so simple for Fox,release the movie on a dual-later 50gb disc rather than a 25gb one and use a better encode,all this sounds great in theory but in reality is awful as they have managed to make Predator look like it was never shot on film,and certainly as far away from how Predator was supposed to look and worse than the existing release.

The first issue with the new transfer is it’s boosted contrast and brightness of the print,which are at odds with the whole films presentation and look false and tampered with,the movie now looks nothing like how it is supposed to,this in itself would not be so bad but Fox seem to have decided to remove and scrub away all the grain in the picture by using insane levels of Dnr,which to be fair removes the grain but robs the image of any detail,i can’t see the point in Fox using a larger capacity disc and better encode only to scrub away the films texture,facial details have pretty much been reduced to a shiny wax like appearance,and the jungle now looks like it’s been digitized,it’s the worst case of Dnr overuse on a Blu-ray i have ever seen.

A lot of these issues stem from the fact people do not realise what Blu-ray is,it’s not a magic wand that will make all movies look the same regardless of their age or individual print condition,it’s ment to deliver movies as close to their source as possible but in a higher definition than Dvd,people also forget grain is part of the film and if you take it away there is a drawback,in this case loss of detail.

So in summing the new Predator release i would say it’s extras are the only real improvent over the first release,the picture i would score 2/5 the initial release gets a 3.5/5 from me,the audio is pretty much the same on both releases as well.

So if you like your movies to look as they should buy the first release,if however you like your movies to look like videogames then the new might be right up your street.

This version of the now CLASSIC Predator has got to be the best 1 out there, The picture quality is outstanding very clear & bright “YES I KNOW SOMETIMES THEIR FACES LOOK WAXY” But you cant have everything perfect all the time.. The detail is just fantastic compared to my old DVD version, also the movie is uncut unlike my old 1 in the double pack “Limited Edition” with Predator 2..The sound Dolby DTS is just out of this world especialy at the beginning when the PREDATOR’S ship “ROARS past the screen.. Great value for your £ loads of EXTRAS on the Disc aswell. “GO & BUY”

This is THE Blu Ray of Predator we’ve been waiting for. Picture & Sound all outstanding. Oh, and here’s a follow up to the ‘Predators’ sneek peek on the disc…Well I viewed Predators last Monday at a press screening… IT ROCKS!! It’s the true sequel we’ve hoped for. Better than Predator 2 and a million times better than the awful AvP movies. Nothing will top the original… all together now… “..I’m gonna have me some fun..i’m gonna have me some fun..long tall Sally…she’s real sweet…”

Now there’s been alot of controversy about this release on various AV sites, that Fox have gone overboard in restoring and enhancing the picture resulting in an overshined effect. As someone who purchased the original Blu-Ray version of Predator (Region A), the PQ on that was appalling, in some places so grainy it looked more like a worn out VHS tape than the latest hi-def format. However I’m pleased to say in my view,claims that Fox have overdone it are largely exaggerated. For the most part the picture is just cleaned up and the sharp clarity you would expect from a good Blu-Ray. There are a couple of scenes – at the beginning in the HQ building where Carl Weather’s face looks like stretched plastic and later on in a scene with Bill Duke in the rain where his skin has a kind of speckled egg – which do look as if they have been overshined, but that’s all.

As regards the movie, it’s a timeless classic with plenty of slapstick action, possibly one of the first appearances of a “minigun” in a movie and loads of one liners from various cast members.

Definitely a keeper!

If you just want to know if this is good, and not take too much notice of the minute details, then just buy it. I have a high-end system and the quality is first class. It is hard to believe that this was originally made so long ago when you see this new Blu Ray version. You may view it as a bit expensive, but if you like the film, this is worth every penny.

When I got a Blu Ray player about 4 months ago I did say to myself that I would stay away from double or in most cases triple buying films I have on DVD after all I replaced almost all my VHS tapes to DVD.
Because Blu Ray is so damn good when done right I have not stuck to my guns with the films I really love.
Predator is one such film and I can happily say it really does look and sound good on Blu Ray I never got the previous version so I can’t compare but I did check out my special edition DVD straight after and there is a big difference especially during the dark scenes.
I honestly saw and heard things I never have before so I would recommend if you like the film, its not going to be a show case disk and is not perfect probably due to the age and original source material.
So it may be no Avatar but this is the best version you can currently get of Predator and you shouldn’t be disappointed.

I’m both amazed and appalled at what 20th Century Fox has done with this blu ray, providing one of the most schizophrenic video transfers I’ve ever seen, which despite its faults still impresses me.

Because eighty percent of the time, it’s beautiful.

They must have used a different source print than they had previously. Many scenes that were dull and dark before now show wonderfully vivid colours and much greater contrast. Also, it seems Fox has done a heavy amount of grain reduction, which I know will be an instant deal breaker for some cinephiles, but I do think that Predator benefitted from the treatment. I was astounded at the clarity some scenes have, every piece of foliage is razor sharp, and the Predator himself is so detailed in closeup it’s scary. And it doesn’t stop there.. From being able to see each bead of sweat on Carl Weathers’ face, to the intricate patterns of the lightning effects as Predator decloaks, the new video transfer often presents scenes that look light years ahead of older versions of the film.

But then there’s the other twenty percent…

The infamous scene at the start, when Dillon and Dutch lock arms, is one of the most egregious examples of video tampering. Carl Weathers’ moustache looks like it’s a blurry smudge on his face in this scene, whilst R.G. Armstrong now appears to be made of rubber. Arnold’s closeups here are just plain ugly. Certainly not a great start to the movie, and it sets a trend of blurred shots and smudged faces that continues off and on through the film. A scene will be playing out, looking detailed and film-like, then suddenly it cuts to a closeup and we’re examining a wax figure from Madame Tussauds acting in a Predator movie. Luckily this doesn’t happen too often.

Whilst the Ultimate Hunter Edition is very obviously a cash-in on the new Predators movie coming out, it’s honestly a better deal than the last Predator release Predator [Blu-ray] [1987]. Unlike the last bare bones version, this new edition includes every extra from the 2 disc DVD, even the still entertaining text commentary and easter eggs, as well as a brief but nice retrospective with producer John Davis and a quick look at the upcoming sequel.

If you already bought the last blu ray edition, or are unsure as to which looks better, I recommend renting them to judge the quality for yourself. There are a few moments that could have looked A LOT better here, but the film on the whole makes up for it by being much more vibrant and bold than before, and having stunning picture clarity when it counts. Not to mention the always epic DTS HD sound. Overall, I’d say this is definitely the version to pick up if you somehow don’t already own this seminal action movie.

I told myself that when it came to movies on Blu-Ray I would avoid the “double dip” (by 2 versions of the same film on blu-ray) and up untill now I have done just that. Then along came Predator Ultimate hunter…

I was guessing at some point the powers that be would do something with the predator movie as the previous blu ray outing for the film wasn’t the best. So with the iminent arrival of Predators in the cinema in the next week, now is the ideal time.

I previously reviewed Predator [Blu-ray] [1987] and was disapointed with the transfer of the film to blu ray. It wasn’t the most awful transfer I had seen, it suffered from grainy, hazy scenes and although it was the best copy of the film at that time it was a 3 out of 5 on film quality.

Enter now this ultimate hunter edition. This remastered version is a dramatic improvement on the 1st blu ray offering. Scenes are clear crisp and sharp and any haze on the film is down to the hot and steamy jungle not the quality of the film. So all round this film is upto a 4.5 out of 5 for video quality. You may ask why not a 5 ? well to be honest I have yet to see a transfer or remastering of any older film that is flawless. They always seem to have, albeit it brief, 1 or 2 less than 2 second camera cuts in the movie that they can’t improve any further even with full remastering. The Audio is still top notch here is a listing of the Audio options.

English DTS-HD Multi Channel
Russian DTS Multi Channel
Hungarian Dolby Digital 2 Channel
Polish Dolby Digital Multi Channel
Thai Dolby Digital Multi Channel
Turkish Dolby Digtal 2 Channel
English Commetary John McTiernan (director) 2 channel

Subtitle information
English for Deaf and Hard of hearing
Russian
Estonian
Latvian
Lithuainian
Bulgarian
Crotatian
Greek
Chinese (Zho)
Hungarian
Icelandic
Hebrew
Korean
Polish
Portugese
Romanian
Slovenian
Chinese (uncertain which type)
Thai
Turkish
English Commentary

The 2nd complaint I had about the original blu ray was No Extras. This has no been rectified also here is a list of extras on the disc
Predators a sneak peak (2 minutes).
Predator Evolution of the speicies Hunters of extreme perfection.
Text Commentary by film historian Eric Lichtenfeld.
If it bleeds we can kill it ! Making of predator documentary (28 minutes).
Inside the Predator.
Special effects.
Short takes
Deleted Scenes and outakes.
Theatrical trailers.
Photo Gallery.
Predator Profile.

Overall this is a great film and finally presented on blu-ray in a way that does it justice. The Mini Cannon destroying the jungle now looks as good as it sounds.

The one sticking point for some folks might be the price (expecially if you are replacing the 1st the blu ray version). I was lucky as I got my original predator blu-ray in the double box set as a gift. So I can justify my extravegant behaviour as I didn’t buy the 1st film myself (works for me and keeps my partner happier about it to All I can say is that this blu ray version is wonderful and a real must for fans of the movie.

So yet another original bare bones blu ray release finally gets the decent treatment it so rightly deserves.
When Predator debuted on Blu-ray a couple of years back there were some mixed reviews. I actually rated it quite highly, although it could obviously have been better, (featuring a relatively low bit-rate MPEG-2 transfer), that it was certainly a marked improvement over the really shoddy looking DVD with it’s noise and grain. The other gripe about the original release was of course, the fact that it completely lacked any extras. So now, Fox have recitifed the situation (or if you’re feeling more cynical – decided to nick some more cash out the fans back pockets) by releasing an inevitabvle remastered special edition to blu ray.

And here it is, newly encoded, dual layer 50GB disc crammed with all the extras from the DVD including McTiernan’s commentary and the ‘If it bleeds we can kill it’ making of documentary.

So how does it fare? Well, in fairness I think the remastered picture in this edition could well incite the same amount of criticism as the old one, but for the opposite reason. Personally I think it’s great, bright, clear, immensely vived and colourful and whereas the previous edition only really looked “Hi-Def” in a number of places, this looks pretty immaculate throughout. Black levels are also greatly improved. However, all of this comes at a price, which some fans may not like, because seemingly to combat the gripes about grain and noise this remaster is pretty heavy on the digital noise reduction. So if you liked the rougher, grittier texture of the original print, you’re probably going to be disappointed. Faces look particularly “smoothed over” and a little waxy in certain shots, but I should add that this is NOT the case all the time. In fact facial close ups for example look great, and incredibly detailed, (you can even see the texture of the camouflaged face paint) the jungle looks beautfully sharp and thoroughly alive and generally the print does a good job of masking the dirtier looking scenes. I felt that for the most part the picture looked much more naturally “hi-def” than obviously “tinkered with”, but I must confess there were a few bits where I really felt they’d overdone it on the enhancements somewhat, and that’s the only reason why i’ve dropped a star. At the end of the day tho, I think a blu ray where everything mostly looks like a DVD, is far worse than a blu ray where everything mostly looks hi definition. But this I’m sure will be up to what you prefer.

Not sure if the sound has been changed since the last release, but it is still a totally engaing and absorbing 5.1 DTS HD Master audio track. This was my favourite thing about the original release, and it is totally replicated in the ultimate hunter edition. It’s a brilliantly balanced track, giving great clarity and detail in the quieter scenes, exploding into hefty machine gun fire and explosions later on that pound your speakers without ever sounding too overbearing.

So all in all, whether this release is for you will come down to the remastered picture quality. If you dont mind the film looking polished, vibrant and, in certain places noticeably artifically polished, you will love it; if you’d rather watch the film closer to it’s original intended look, I would hang on to (or indeed go out and buy) the original release.