Predator introduced one of the most iconic and ᴅᴇᴀᴅly movie aliens in movie history, and its final maniacal laugh proves that it is even terrifying in defeat. The first Predator movie follows Arnold Schwarzenegger as Dutch, the leader of a team of commandos who are stalked in the jungles by an alien enemy who hunts for sport. The alien, sometimes known as Yautja, uses a variety of weapons and tactics to take down their prey.
At the end of the original movie, Dutch is the only one left standing and defeats the Predator in battle. However, the Predator literally gets the last laugh as it uses its last bit of strength to activate a self-destruct mechanism, laughing as it prepares to be blown up, in the hope of taking Dutch with it. It is a memorable moment in the Predator franchise, but one that has puzzled some fans. However, the Predator’s uncharacteristic laugh is a sign of its hunting tactics.
The Predator’s Mimic Of Billy’s Laugh Before Blowing Up Shows An Understanding Of Human Emotion
The Predator Studies Humans Closer Than It Seems
Despite how it appears in the movie, it is not the Predator’s actual laugh that is heard when it tries to blow up Dutch, but rather that of Dutch’s teammate, Billy (Sonny Landham). Earlier in the movie, Hawkins tells the typically stoic Billy a dirty joke in an effort to make him laugh. Billy’s boisterous laugh is unmistakable, and it is revealed in that scene that the Predator was watching. This means that the Predator used its mimicry ability to copy Billy’s laugh and repeat it back to Dutch in the end.
Not only did the Predator know to mimic Billy’s laugh, but it also understood it beyond just being a noise.
While this might seem like an effective way to give the Predator a stereotypical villainous laugh moment, it actually speaks to its understanding of humans. While the Predator spends a lot of time observing its prey in the movie, it is clear that it knows a lot about humans and that they are not an unknown species to them. Not only did the Predator know how to mimic Billy’s laugh, but it also understood it beyond just being a noise.
The fact that the Predator knew how to properly use a laugh and do so as it faced death suggests a much deeper understanding of human emotion. The Predator prequel Prey revealed that Predators had been visiting Earth since the 1700s. It is likely that they have gathered more and more information about their prey and understand a lot more about them than it initially appears.
The Predator’s Mimic Ability Comes Into Play In Other Franchise Movies
The Predator Uses Its Mimic Abilities To Trap And Taunt Its Prey
Throughout the various Predator movies, the Predator has repeatedly used its mimicry ability in various ways. The first movie finds the Predator using Mac’s voice to draw Dillon out of hiding so he can attack. In Predators, the hunter uses the cries for help of Cuchillo (Danny Trejo) in an attempt to lure its prey into a trap. However, while the mimic ability is clearly part of the hunting tactics, other examples of its use reveal more about the Predator’s understanding of human emotions and how to manipulate them.
Some of the most frequent uses of the mimic ability come from Predator 2, and they are frequently used to taunt Harrigan (Danny Glover), its main target in the movie. The Predator uses the voices of other characters it has killed, seemingly trying to further anger Harrigan and potentially make their battle more epic. However, the Predators also use their mimic abilities to play mind games.
After the other survivors in Predators decide that they cannot save Cuchillo, Isabelle (Alice Braga) puts him out of his misery by shooting him. However, the Predator continues using Cuchillo’s voice, even though Isabelle knows he is ᴅᴇᴀᴅ, just to mess with her. It will be interesting to see how the mimic abilities are further developed and used in the upcoming Predator: Badlands, especially given that this is the first time that the тιтular creature will be the protagonist in the Predator franchise.
