An underrated follow up to 1987’s Predator, set in a crime-plagued Los Angeles. Danny Glover plays a loose-cannon detective hellbent on avenging his partners, killed by a new predator.
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Screenplay: Jim Thomas, John Thomas
Producers: Suzanne Todd, Joel Silver, Lawrence Gordon, John Davis, Terry Carr, Tom Joyner
Cinematography: Peter Levy
Editing: Mark Goldblatt, Bert Lovitt, Florent Danny Retz, Lorraine Salk, Laura Krumholz
Music: Alan Silvestri
Select Cast: Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Rubén Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, Robert Davi, Adam Baldwin, Kevin Peter Hall
Runtime: 108 minutes
Country of Origin: USA
US Release: November 19, 1990; 20th Century Fox
What allows the film to stand the test of time is a screenplay by Jim and John Thomas who penned the first; this continuity in tone allows for appropriate growth in the titular aliens, who shows trademark disinterest in children and a respect for those who beat them in combat. Likewise, the Thomas brothers are again able to flex their penchant for witty ensemble dynamics; Bill Paxton, Rubén Blades, and María Conchita Alonso leave lasting impressions. Then, the design elements are impressive; the costuming, makeup, special effects, and set design all paint a convincing urban hellscape of blood and sweat. The direction, by Stephen Hopkins, is also memorable with stylish shots aplenty (the reveal of King Willie’s head is grotesquely comical). Hopkins shows a strong sense of genre, effectively blending neo-noir, action, and science fiction.
Of course, for as strong as the movie’s pulp elements are, the flip side is a wallowing in broad racial characterizations; these depictions unequivocally do not stand the test of time (despite fitting in with the overall exaggerated features of the picture). Nevertheless, there is much to admire in Predator 2 and it is arguably the linchpin of the franchise, setting the stage for future installments.
by Vincent S. Hannam
Don’t miss the next episode – enter your email here!
And share with a friend!
Camp Kaiju 