Predator 2

Predator 2 (1990)

Director: Stephen Hopkins

Writers: Jim Thomas, John Thomas

Cast: Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Kevin Peter Hall, Rubén Blades, Maria Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, Robert Davi, Adam Baldwin, Kent McCord, Morton Downey Jr., Calvin Lockhart

Synopsis:

While trying to stop an ongoing drug war in a decaying late 90s Los Angeles, LAPD lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Glover) and his team of detectives discover that someone or something is killing off members of rival gangs. As the killer makes his way through the ranks of LA's most violent drug gangs, a shadowy federal agent named Keyes (Busey) is brought on to investigate the matter further, much to Harrigan's chagrin. It's soon discovered that the murderer (Kevin Peter Hall) is not of this world and has chosen Harrigan as his next target. Violence ensues. 

First Impressions: 

This film came out when I was around 14, and I didn't get to see it in theaters because it was Rated R and my parents weren't cool. However, my buddy at the time had the movie network and parents that didn't give a shit what he watched, so I was able to see it in its uncut form a few months after release. I was pumped to see this film because I had seen the first movie only a couple years prior and really dug it. To say I was disappointed in Predator 2 was an understatement. After all, Arnold wasn't in it, which was tantamount to blasphemy in my 14-year old eyes. I was also left unimpressed with just the movie in general, so much so that I barely remember any of it 30 years later. I haven't seen it since that day, and the only reason I'm giving it another shot is I've seen some commentary on the internet that the film may not be as bad as some initially thought. So, with that in mind, I got a cheap copy of it on Blu-Ray, and I'm ready to dive right in.

Story/Direction: 

"You can't see the eyes of the demon, until him come callin'."

There's really not much of a story in this film, which is a shame because it could've been quite an interesting premise. The idea of moving the action from the jungle to an urban landscape was also interesting. Likewise, the decision to make the protagonist a cop was also a good move. In the right hands, the film could've been a dark, almost noir-ish detective film about a lone cop trying to hunt down a mysterious killer, who happens to be not of this world. Instead, we got a brain-dead action film with no nuance that simply used what little story beats it had as an excuse to move from one violent and gory scene to the next. Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with graphic violence, and when used correctly, such as in this film's predecessor, it can be effective. However, that earlier film took its time, built-up tension and kept some mystery surrounding the Predator and his motives.  None of this exists here, and I'd almost be okay with it (because who doesn't love a little brain-dead action every now and then) if the action scenes were memorable or even well done (more on that later).

It's tough to follow up a film that eventually became a classic, and the original Predator was a certified hit, but it seems like everything that the earlier film did right, this film did wrong. Like I mentioned earlier, the bones for a good story are here, interesting premise and location, but this film just didn't fill in the rest with goodness. For example, the first film had interesting protagonists, each member of Dutch's team felt like a real person, and you felt as though they had a history. Conversely, in Predator 2, the secondary characters feel like standard movie cop tropes; there's the maverick cop who don't take no shit; the low key best buddy and partner, the fiery female cop trying to make it in a male-dominated profession; and the arrogant young newbie who's clearly in over his head. Oh, and let's not forget the greatest trope of them all, the well-meaning but exasperated police captain. 

On that same wavelength, the story beats in the first film were simple but effective: a special forces team goes into enemy territory on a rescue mission, things turn sideways, and they must get out before the mysterious antagonist kills them all. It works as action, sci-fi and even a bit of horror. Unfortunately, in this film, the audience is given little to no setup, and we're thrust right into a shootout at the opening of the film, and it's just open action scene after the other with brief moments of talking in between. Honestly, the only thing that this movie can really boast about is that one throwaway cameo at the end of the film led to the creation of a spin-off franchise of equally terrible movies (though, a few pretty good video games). I guess that's what irks me so much about this movie. It could've been great had the filmmakers stopped to see the forest through the trees. 

Acting/Characters:

As mentioned above, I wasn't the biggest fan of any of the characters in this film, and the acting was less than impressive. However, I'm a big fan of Danny Glover, and while I wasn't originally happy that the sequel did not include Arnold, the inclusion of Danny made it sting a bit less. Interestingly, the role of Mike Harrigan is a bit off-type for Glover as, by this point, he was most associated with the role of Roger Murtaugh from the Lethal Weapon series. Murtaugh was the sensible character in that series and tended to play it safe. On the other hand, Harrigan is a hard-boiled cop that's impulsive and reckless, so in that sense, he's actually more like Murtaugh's partner Riggs. It's an interesting portrayal, and I think I would've enjoyed it more in a better film, but in this movie, I found it kind of...meh.

Bill Paxton also plays a prominent role as the callow young cop Jerry Lambert. I've never been a huge fan of Paxton's, as all of his characters tend to be the same (well, at least during the early part of his career). I didn't find his portrayal of Lambert that much different from his portrayal of Pvt. Hudson in Aliens, which was, in a word, annoying. 

Finally, let's talk about the film's primary human antagonist, Agent Keyes, played by formerly sane person Gary Busey. In the late 80s and early 90s, Busey was often cast as the heavy in action films, such as in the aforementioned Lethal Weapon. While his work in that earlier film was low-key and effective as the henchman Mr. Joshua, his portrayal of Keyes I found to be a bit hammy. Though that might just be some of my perception of what Gary Busey is like now seeping in. 

Visuals:

The visuals in the film are a bit of a mixed bag. The Predator himself still looks amazing (RIP Stan Winston), and the cloaking effects, while a bit dated-looking, are still effective. However, the other make-up effects, such as wounds and gore, seem more on par with a George Romero zombie flick than a big-budget action sequel. It's fine, I guess, but given that the film's predecessor looked so good, I expected more. I was also expecting a bit more from the design of the Predator's ship, which the audience finally gets to the inside of. Unfortunately, it looked like the design team just ripped off some of the designs from Aliens and painted them a different color. However, the display case with the skulls of various species was a nice touch.

Score/Soundtrack:

Alan Silvestri returned to make the music for this film. I'm quite a fan of Silvestri's, and I quite enjoyed his work on the first film. For the sequel, he used much of the same musical cues as from the first one. I honestly didn't really see much difference between the two scores (I'm sure there was, I'm just not musical enough to spot the). It would've been nice to add a bit more variety in here, but since I enjoyed the first film's music, I guess I enjoyed the music in the sequel as well.

Action:

To me, the action in Predator 2 falls flat, and that's a cardinal sin for an action movie. There were no memorable set pieces, no exciting stunts, nothing that would keep the audience on the edge of their seats. In fact, as I'm writing this, I'm struggling to think of a single action moment in this film. That's how impressively unimpressive the action in this film was. Shame.

Final Verdict:

Well, after 30 years, I can safely say that 14-year-old me was not wrong. This is a crummy movie, and it's best to steer clear of it. Seriously just watch the first film again.