I hesitated renting this one because I already owned it on DVD. That version looked terrible fuzzy, grainy, generally like crap. The Bluray is much sharper and more enjoyable to watch. Pretty good special features, too. I'm actually considering adding it to my collection of Blurays.
This time the eponymous extraterrestrial is on safari in the (then) futuristic Los Angeles of 1997, and it is Columbian and Jamaican drug lords, mon, that seem to be his prey of choice. But when he spots the crime-fighting juggernaut Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) in action, he feels he's finally found the king of this urban jungle. Harrigan then becomes the main object of the hunt, and the inevitable but exciting showdown takes place on the upper levels of a high-rise apartment in the L.A. slums.
The special FX of this sequel are not as fresh as they were in the original PREDATOR, but they are still adequate for the story and action. The Alien, when visible, gets more screen time than he did in the first film, and genre fans will be delighted to see that Stan Winston and his staff manage to make the E.T. look just as cool as before.
In short, PREDATOR 2 is not as fresh, classy, or suspenseful as its progenitor, but Danny Glover--who, though no Arnie, is a talented and interesting actor--creates an urban hero who is both compelling and sympathetic.
THE DVD from Fox offers a nice anamorphic Widescreen transfer and good Dolby Digital sound, and in addition to the theatrical trailer, the extras include a pretty cool behind-the-scenes featurette that was filmed during the movie's original production. Good movie and good DVD, but be sure to also get the DVD version of the even better original PREDATOR.Following a wildly successful film is never easy, especially one backed up with the star power of an Arnold Schwarzenegger, who apparently chose not to reprise his role as he didn't care for the script, feeling the idea of a Predator film set in a major metropolitan city was a poor one, instead working on a little film called Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)...perhaps you've heard of it...rumor has it Patrick Swayze was offered the starring role in this film, but couldn't accept due to injuries sustained during the filming of Road House...so with the success of Lethal Weapon (1987) and Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) under his belt, Danny Glover was chosen, for better or worse...written by Jim and John Thomas (the brothers behind the 1987 film Predator), Predator 2 (1990) was directed by Stephen Hopkins (Judgment Night, Lost in Space), and stars Danny Glover (Silverado, Lethal Weapon). Also appearing is Gary `Mr. Head Injury' Busey (Under Siege, Black Sheep), Rubén Blades (Mo' Better Blues, The Two Jakes), Maria Conchita Alonso (The Running Man, Colors), Bill Paxton (Navy SEALS, Twister), Robert Davi (The Goonies, Die Hard), Adam Baldwin (My Bodyguard, D.C. Cab), Morton Downey Jr. (Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation), and Kevin Peter Hall (Harry and the Hendersons, Predator) as the Predator, but obviously not the same one as in the first film (well, obvious if only you've seen the first film, which you should before seeing this one).
The film is set in L.A. (the original setting was to be New York City), in the grim, near future of 1997 (remember, the film was released 1990, and back then, we didn't have the brightest outlook on the future). The city and police are under siege by not only ruthless, excessively armed drug gangs, but also an oppressive heat wave. Smack dab in the middle is Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Glover), a play by his own rules cop doing what's necessary to get the job done, which often rubs his superiors the wrong way (can you smell a cliché here? It's the first of many). But wait, it appears there's a new player in town, one that even the powerful drug gangs seem to fear, later identified as an extraterrestrial being whom we've come to know as a Predator...apparently drawn by the hot climate and extreme amount of conflict, in town with a few days (and people) to kill, its prey being man, and begins making short work of the gangs, what with all the beheadings, disembowelings, flaying of skin, spine removals, and so on...this draws the attention of some gooberment types, headed by Peter Keyes (Busey), who have an interest in not only the alien, but its super awesoma weaponry and technology (oh my, another cliché). The stage is set, the players in place, the bloodbath ready to ensue...
I did enjoy this film, and I appreciated the effort to try and stick to the formula that made the first so successful, but the absence of director John McTiernan (he chose to instead direct The Hunt for Red October) and Arnold Schwarzenegger is painfully noticeable. Glover and director Hopkins do a good job, but the effect is kind of like going from tender, juicy steak to a hamburger. I like hamburgers, but next time you're in a restaurant, check the menu and notice the price difference between the two...anyway...one thing that has puzzled me with this film is the element of Predators visiting the Earth and hunting humans on a fairly regular basis. The impression I got of the species is that their whole lifestyle, be that as it may, seems to revolve around the hunt, and the more difficult the prey, most likely the greater the prestige and status. If that's the case, why do they visit the Earth, specifically to hunt humans? Let's face it, we're pretty easy targets, given their technology, weapons, and various other strengths. Sure, once in awhile they may come across a worthy opponent, like Schwarzenegger's character in the previous film, or Glover here, but in general, they mop the floor with us (I'm unsure the body count in this film, but it was very high)...but I digress, as is my wont...the script (which I heard had been re-written something like 20 times) is pretty rough, and the plot laden with clichés, but the pacing is strong, and the action thorough, so the end result is entertaining. I heard a decent amount of violent gristle had been removed to avoid a NC-17 rating, so I was curious why, with this release, they didn't reinstate this material, or included in a `deleted scenes' section. The film contains lots of gooey bits, but it did feel like parts (no pun intended) were missing. Maybe those scenes excised don't exist anymore. I sorta groaned at the composition of Glover's squad, an African American, two Hispanics (one male, one female in Blades and Alonso, respectively), and a Caucasian (Paxton), as I felt it was a lame attempt to present a cross section, I guess meant to represent the community...the actors did generally do a good job, but the material really wasn't there to allow for a cohesiveness to settle in, like in the first film. I'm not talking so much about deep character development, as that wasn't a necessity in the first film, but Schwarzenegger and his crew felt like a real team, hardened by past experiences, and that wasn't the case here. The inclusion of the new Predator weapons was cool, and the production overall is pretty slick, but ultimately falls a little short. And can someone tell me how the huge Predator ship came to be parked underneath the city unnoticed by anyone?
The widscreen anamorphic (1.85:1) picture looks sharp, and the audio clean and clear. This is a 2 DVD set, with most all the special features (outlined in detail on the Amazon site) appearing on the 2nd DVD. 3 stars for the film, plus one for the release.
Cookieman108
Read Best Reviews of Predator 2 (1990) Here
The collection has two discs the first has the movie with two full commentary tracks (with tons of info) and the second has behind the scene featurettes, a documentary, special effect clips, a photo gallery and trailers. Both Danny Glover and Gary Busey are great in this movie and make sure to watch for wall of skulls near the end when Danny enters the Predator's spaceship. Great surprise ending for those of you who have never seen it.Get it new or used.
Want Predator 2 (1990) Discount?
Predator 2 is a misunderstood and crimnally underrated sequel to Predator. It not only equals it's predesscessor, but also surpasses it in a few categories. Alan Silvestri's mind-blowing score from Predator 1 is improved on the 0-10 scale by 11. Stephen Hopkins' direction is excellent and gives P2 a very special and hard-worked feel to it. The Cinematography is awesome and makes the film scary and unpredictable. The action sequences are also Grade A+. The breath-taking shootout at the beginning, the Train confrontation, and the final Battle. Wow! P2 combines the intense action of P1 and amps it up to eleven. The action sequences are even more though-out and better than those of P1. The acting is brilliant too. Danny Glover makes a great Hero as Harrigan and has one of his best roles ever. He makes Harrigan a likeable character that you'll root for all the way too the end. The level of violence and gore is also a LOT higher than the original's and any gore-hound will be in Heaven with this. I also must say that P2's settings and story are brilliant to the max. A crime infested Los Angeles was the perfect spot for him to continue his Rampage and all of the sets, from the Meat Factory, Predator Ship and "shot-out" Buildings are mind-blowing. Predator 2 is all in all an excellent Grade A+ sequel that pretty much improves over the original Predator. I REALLY hope this review will give this underrated masterpiece a much better reputation. Give Predator 2 a chance and ignore everyone who shamefully panned it. I can't wait for the DVD release and I'm looking forward to Predator 3.Save 44% Off
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