(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Most human characters in monster movies have it coming: either they've awakened the ancient slumbering beast of X, or desecrated the sacred burial ground of Y. Frankly, this kind of meat-tube has it coming. Just occasionally, cinema will give us an antagonist to truly fear; a character that actively hunts its prey with an array of deadly skills that makes Liam Neeson's character in Taken look about as scary as a bank manager. Genuinely badass movie predators are few and far between, but below are 10 stone-cold characters that would even have Chuck Norris checking under his bed.


Predator - Predator (1987)

What is there left to say about cinema's ugliest motherflipper, other than that every time we walk through a heavily-wooded environment and hear a rogue twig snap behind us, we half expect to turn around and be greeted by the gaping maw of an intergalactic warrior with the filleting skills of Marco Pierre White and the hair of '90s-era Lenny Kravitz? The Pred is soon to be seen in quasi-reboot Predators, where he'll hunt Earth's deadliest killers in an intergalactic game preserve - a set-up that sounds worryingly like a reality TV programme from outer space to us.

Bruce the Shark - Jaws (1975)

Der-dup. Derrr-dup. Damn, the shark from Jaws is such a terrifying hunter, even his theme tune is menacing. Responsible for an entire generation's fear of the sea, the great white - known only as 'Bruce' to Spielberg's cast and crew - might have been a malfunctioning rubber puppet that caused gales of laughter on set, but in cinemas, it filled more pants than Jason Voorhees and Hannibal Lecter combined. It's such an effective predator that, by the time Jaws: The Revenge rolled around and Sheriff Brody had long since died of a heart attack, the shark actually went after his children. Gulp.

The Velociraptors - Jurassic Park (1993)

Should the situation ever arise in real-life where dinosaurs are genetically brought back to life, thanks to Steven Spielberg's prehistoric romp, we'll know which ones are dangerous. Dinosaurs that eat leaves are friendly; dinosaurs with frilly collars are best avoided; dinosaurs that can open doors and run at 70mph and out-flank human hunters should be stabbed and shot and killed with fire. Dr. Allen Grant claims they evolved from birds, but we don't remember the last time a sparrow stalked us around the kitchen or bit someone's arm off. History killed the 'Raptors for a reason: here's hoping they stay extinct.

Xenomorph - Alien (1979)

How deadly a predator is the xenomorph in Alien? It's why people are afraid of the dark, that's how deadly it is. Scholarly types will claim that Ridley Scott's sci-fi horror Alien is all about the fear of male rape, given that the main character is female and that the elongated head of H.R. Giger's monstrous alien design is distinctly penile in shape. Frankly, we say it's pretty bloody scary whichever way you look at it. Let's put it this way. Imagine how hard you screamed the last time you saw a cockroach. Now imagine the cockroach is 15 feet tall and wants to eat you.

Anaconda - Anaconda (1997)

Snakes... why'd it have to be snakes? Well, because there's something about these belly-crawling blighters that just gives humanity the heebie-jeebies. Like all good monster movies, Anaconda takes one of nature's deadliest creatures and super-sizes it, therefore maximising the fear (although sadly in this case, the movie's special effects budget remained fun-sized). Capable of slithering at lightning speeds and squeezing harder than a drunk auntie at a family wedding, this Anaconda consumed all came after it, beating the hunters at their own game. Plus it had the good sense not to swallow J.Lo - all that bling would be tricky to digest.

Michael Myers - Halloween (1978.)

For some, Michael Myers is the ultimate screen slasher - the quintessential bogeyman who just happens to lurk around every corner and somehow wears big clunky boots that make no noise whatsoever. Despite his workmanlike image (along with Slipknot, he's responsible for giving the humble boiler suit a sinister reputation) and comedy head gear (a William Shatner mask painted white), Myers is one of horror's most enduring monsters, with 10 movies under his belt. To be fair though, Michael's recent murders have lacked the sparkle they had in the John Carpenter original. Maybe he's fallen out of love with being a homicidal maniac.

Graboids - Tremors (1990)

No Richter scale can measure it. No scientist can explain it. No self-regarding movie buff will admit to owning it. But for fans of a certain age, the Graboids of the Tremors series were reason enough not to get out of bed in the morning. Subterranean monsters of varying size - think the Sandworm from Dune in miniature - the Graboids zipped around beneath the dusty plains of Perfection, Nevada, breaking ground only to feast on a menu of hammy B-list actors.

The Thing - The Thing (1982)

All the crew know is that whatever that... thing is, it's not from this planet, it can take any form, and man is the warmest place to hide. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean friendly cuddles with ET: it means a horrible, horrible death from the inside out. That's the concept of John Carpenter's none-more-tense horror remake, which pitches man against the elements with an intergalactic twist in the form of a devious alien parasite with a penchant for parody. Although, thinking about it, if we could shape-shift into anything we wanted, we'd probably change into Kurt Russell too.

Dracula - Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)

The character of Count Dracula has been the stuff of mythology for over 100 years, but our favourite take on the Transylvanian terror is Gary Oldman's lustful interpretation in Francis Ford Coppola's chilling '90s adaptation. Displaying even more bloodlust than your average Saw fan, Oldman's Drac is a country mile removed from the toothless vamps of Twilight, displaying not only a ruthless desire for O negative, but also a sex drive that'd shame a hormonal teenager. Yes, he vants to suck your blood, but at least he's not hanging out at high school, playing baseball or - god forbid - sparkling.

The Child Catcher - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968.)

In retrospect, the grotesque Child Catcher isn't perhaps the most suitable villain to appear in a charming, U-rated family adventure, given that he's haunted more childhood dreams than Freddy Krueger and looks eerily like a post-election night Peter Mandelson. He did, however, make the naïve youngster of the 1960s naturally wary of the creepy looking guy giving away free lollipops on the street corner, and he remained pop culture's premiere pervert all the way up until a certain careless glam rocker popped into PC World to defrag his hard drive.

What's your best predator from movies? Post a reply

The retarded looking dude from "no country for old men"....he just creeps me out...

I mean they bad guy, the guy with the silenced shotty and the pneumatic thingy they use to kill cows with.

Never heard of him lol

"The Child Catcher" :pedo: would of wish he done that role =D

Leather face.

haha, it proberly was him in disguise

the lion in national geographic, its scary! :mad:

Leatherface really creeps me out

Jason Vorhees from Friday the 13th was EPIC

God, this thread needs pictures.