Here’s the thing: Those guys in the original Predator should have gotten to the chopper sooner. The whole elite military team except for Arnold Schwarzenegger becomes alien catnip mice, destined to be torn apart by Nuclear Explosion Critter. We might argue that the Big Picture requires Billy, Blain, Mac, Poncho, and Hawkins to sacrifice themselves so Major Dutch can defeat his self-detonating foe: The mushroom cloud climbs, but the girl is rescued, and we could all do worse.
But let’s not count this as a win. Billy, Blain, Mac, Poncho, and Hawkins most definitely did not win. And those predators keep coming.
What’s the life lesson here? In Schwarzenegger speech, get to the choppa! Not tonight, not tomorrow or next week. Get to the chopper now. Don’t assume you have plenty of time to explore the jungle while trying to find whatever space flotsam you think might have landed. Space flotsam can be dangerous.
