Dutch and Dillon’s arm-wrestling greeting was nominated.
The discovery of the skinned bodies was nominated.
The compound rescue was nominated.
Billy sensing that something is wrong in the jungle was nominated.
Blaine’s death was nominated.
Mac’s grief response after Blaine dies was nominated.
The team’s indiscriminate sustained gunfire into the jungle was nominated.
Dutch discovering that mud hides him from the Predator was nominated.
The helicopter-arrival wardrobe breakdown was introduced as a “Zapruder scene.”
The slasher-style sequence where the team is hunted one by one was nominated.
Dutch’s final one-on-one trap sequence against the Predator was nominated.
One host chose the jungle firing; another chose Dutch versus Predator; another chose the slasher section.

What’s Aged the Best?

Arnold’s iconography and battle cry, Old Painless, one-liners, production mythology, Sunny Landham, Jesse Ventura, Poncho, the creature fix, structure, score, and heat vision were praised.

In the discussion (16)

Approx. transcript time · 00:38:24Read transcript

Arnold’s first cigar shot remains effective action-star iconography.
Dutch’s battle cry remains effective.
Old Painless remains an iconic action-movie weapon.
The movie’s compact one-liners remain effective.
Arnold plays the escalating threat with unusual seriousness.
The cold, wet jungle shoot became durable production mythology.
Van Damme’s firing from the original creature role became durable production mythology.
The cast’s dawn workouts and physical competition became durable production mythology.
The reshot final third created a cleaner creature confrontation.
Sunny Landham was praised as a uniquely authentic and unpredictable screen presence.
Jesse Ventura’s wrestling persona translated into an unusually memorable supporting action role.
Poncho’s reactions and supporting presence were praised.
Stan Winston’s replacement creature design was treated as essential to the film’s success.
The shift from ensemble combat movie to slasher and then one-on-one duel was praised.
Alan Silvestri’s score was praised.
The thermal-vision effect was praised as both legible and durable.

What’s Aged the Worst?

The mud-disguise continuity, Anna’s thinly explained role, and contrived cleavage were the main concerns; Predator 2 was also dismissed.

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:53:46Read transcript

The amount of mud covering Arnold changes implausibly between shots.
Anna’s political or guerrilla role is never clearly explained.
Anna’s survival function never fully coheres, though her fear exposition was defended.
Her costume loses buttons without story justification.

The Joey Pants “That Guy” Award

R. G. Armstrong was the consensus-style choice over Richard Chaves and Elpidia Carrillo.

In the discussion (2)

Approx. transcript time · 00:58:11Read transcript

Armstrong’s long character-actor résumé and weathered face made him the quintessential choice.
Richard Chaves and Elpidia Carrillo were alternatives.

The Ruffalo / Hanna / Rubinek / Partridge Overacting Award

Bill Duke won for Mac’s grief-fueled “I’m gonna have me some fun” turn.

In the discussion (1)

Approx. transcript time · 00:59:19Read transcript

Duke’s escalation after Blaine’s death was the decisive example.

The Dion Waiters Award for Best Heat Check Performance

Carl Weathers won after debate with Sunny Landham and Jesse Ventura.

In the discussion (4)

Approx. transcript time · 00:59:39Read transcript

Carl Weathers was praised for playing an unfamiliar compromised, physically vulnerable version of his Apollo persona.
Sunny Landham was the passionate early pick.
Jesse Ventura fit the classic low-minute heat-check definition.
The group’s final spoken choice was Carl Weathers.

Predator was called the apex Arnold movie though not Arnold’s personal apex; Carl Weathers, Ventura, Landham, helicopter drops, jungle aliens, body butter, death scenes, self-sacrifice, Alabama ticks, and closing-credit smiles were assessed.

In the discussion (11)

Approx. transcript time · 01:08:49Read transcript

Predator was distinguished as the apex of Arnold’s films, while Terminator 2 remained his personal apex.
Carl Weathers was assessed separately as an apex case.
Jesse Ventura was assessed as an apex case for his movie career.
Sunny Landham was assessed as an apex case.
Helicopter insertions were assessed as an apex action-movie device.
Aliens in jungles were assessed as an apex premise.
Body butter on action stars was assessed as an apex styling choice.
Rocky IV beat Predator for Carl Weathers’s apex death scene.
Alabama ticks were jokingly declared an apex.
Billy’s final stand and Bruce Willis in Armageddon were compared as self-sacrifice peaks.
The smiling character-credit sequence was celebrated as an apex closing-credit device.