A Worthy Sequel: Predator 2 (1990)

Stephen Hopkins' Predator 2 is, by my accounts, a criminally underrated sequel.  At this early stage in the franchise's development, I'm not sure if 20th Century Fox knew of its overall potential, though having a hot, young director like Hopkins (fresh off of A Nightmare on Elm Street 5) at the helm, suggests the similar formula that worked so well with Aliens a few years earlier.  Just by following up the juggernaut of success that the original Predator was, without its main star Arnold Schwarzenegger attached, this sequel was almost destined to be criticized right out of the gate.

Upon its release to home video (where I first saw it), I wasn't too impressed since Danny Glover was no Arnold, though I was still down since it was, ya know, The Predator and all.  Of course, the major eye-candy on display was the Easter egg (probably the first of its kind -- at least for me!) of the Xenomorph skull in the Predator's trophy case, teasing the Aliens Vs. Predator comic book mash-up a few years later! 

Now, as an adult, I'm able to fully appreciate Predator 2 for what it is:  a fun, roller-coaster ride of a monster movie that, at times, surpasses its predecessor!  Set in the not too distant future of 1997 (where fashion seems to hail from the Miami club scene and Gerardo was still popular on the radio), a crime-gripped Los Angeles is experiencing a record heat-wave which, of course, attracts everyone's favorite intergalactic big game hunter. A series of seemingly ritualistic grisly murders hints at an ongoing drug-fueled war between the Colombians and the Jamaicans.  Lt. Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover in his most Action Star role outside of the Lethal Weapon franchise) and his crew of Danny Archuleta (Ruben Blades) and Leona Cantrell (Maria Conchita Alonso), and fast-talking rookie Jerry Lambert (Bill Paxton, making him the first actor to be a part of the franchises for The Terminator, Aliens, and Predator!) is on the case, as more bodies start piling up.   

Let's take a look at some of the cool factors that help Predator 2 rise above mediocre sequel status and straight into the cult classic it should be seen as! 

1.) The level of violence on display works so much better in an Urban setting!

Right off the bat, Predator 2 begins with action as the LAPD is in the midst of a stand-off with the Colombian drug cartel!  There's lots of gunfire, explosions, and juicy squibs showing off overkill bullet hits.  At its core, this sequel is a police detective drama...but with the Predator involved.  Early on, the officers stumble upon the aftermath of the Predator wiping out The Colombians, leaving behind pools of blood on the floor and trails of viscera up the walls!  Literally, this film is completely gore soaked! 

 2.)  The Jamaican Voodoo Posse

Acting under the impression that the two feuding drug gangs are trying to wipe one another out, the story turns into just that:  the Jamaican Voodoo Posse, attacks Ramon Vega, head of the Colombian cartel!  The Jamaicans then proceed to ritualistically sacrifice ol' Ramon and cut out his heart!  This is also where the Predator gets his first big line of "Shit happens" before he wipes out every member of the Posse, while showing off some new toys of his own! 

Later on, we see more Posse members pick up Harrigan and bring him to a meeting with their leader, King Willie (played by Calvin Lockart, in an extended cameo).  Here the Posse ramp up Jamaican stereotypes as they arrive in an eccentric limousine, fish-bowling some enormous Wonder Joints that would make Dudley "Booger" Dawson proud! 

You want some ganja mon?

Furthermore, the scene where King Willie confronts the Predator a short time later is the definition of cool!  The Predator seemingly doesn't even break a sweat as he walks away with the Jamaican drug lord's still screaming severed head! 

3.) Gary Busey and Morton Downey, Jr (and, to a lesser extent, Robert Davi)

As a pioneer of "trash TV", Morton Downey, Jr. pretty much defined the darker side of syndicated television in the 1980s.  The chain-smoking Loudmouth was such a pop culture staple that, even at the age of 8 when Predator 2 came out, I knew who he was and what he was about!  Here, he's almost typecast as investigative reporter Tony Pope, being obnoxious and yelling in peoples' faces throughout his scenes.  

The brief appearance of resident "That Guy" character actor Robert Davi, as LAPD Chief Heinemann is also a thing of beauty.  Davi shows up long enough to be a prick and utter some savage insults at Harrigan and his team. 

Finally, there's Busey . . . this is almost immediately after his near fatal motorcycle accident and, in his role as mysterious Special Agent Peter Keyes, Busey chews scenery and delivers one-liners as though this were his final film!  "He's on safari...lions...tigers...bears...oh my!"

4.) The Predator's new weapons

Let's see, there's the razor wire net that makes short work of a Posse member early on . . . the retractable spear . . . the lobster claw-like spear tip that can fire from a wrist gauntlet . . . and, of course, that flying smart disc!  All of these new weapons expand on what made the original Predator so cool, yet aren't too intrusive or feel shoe-horned in to sell a toy or because the filmmakers thought they looked cool -- these DO look cool!

5.) Predator 2 expands on the Predator's mythology and gives a tease to a much bigger, connected world!

There's the aforementioned Xenomorph skull, suggesting the Alien and the Predator have crossed paths a few times (or at least will, fourteen years later on the big screen).  For my money, this Easter egg wins over the mash-up films we eventually got because of, not only the Wow! factor, but more so for the endless daydreams and What-If discussions it spawned among fans. 

On top of that, we get our first glimpses of more Predators and the sense that they are truly a tribe of hunters!  In the film's final moments, Harrigan is confronted by several Predators who seemingly have been standing aside, using their active camouflage, watching him battle one their own to the death.  I'm not sure who played these additional Predators, but they seem more in line with Kevin Peter Hall's body type and, for me, more realistic than the bulky, WWE-styled hunters we got in the AVP movies.  Again, this addition to the mythology is hinted at and teased in the film's final moments, leaving us asking questions and wanting more . . . which is a great thing!   THIS is how you set up backstory . . . today's screenwriters either don't know how to do this properly or they let studio suits interfere with demands for more and more details about where our characters come from.  

6.) The subway massacre!

Let's be honest:  when watching a movie like Predator or Predator 2, we want to see carnage and bloodshed right?  When Leona and Jerry decide to take the subway to meet up with Mike, they soon find themselves in the middle of a mugging gone bad as commuters draw their guns....and turn public transit into a shooting gallery for the Predator while remaining in his active camouflage appearance!  This sequence had to be one of the most complex for the production since it's in tight quarters and with limited lighting (love that strobe light effect though!).

Every single time I watch Predator 2, I hope that some how, some way Jerry Lambert will survive!  To me, that's a sure sign of a great film where, no matter how many times you've seen it, you always hope for a different outcome for favorite characters!

There are people getting shot, stabbed, thrown, smashed through windows, and just straight up hacked to pieces!  The strobe light effect throughout only adds to the suspense and ramps up the scare factor as the audience isn't completely sure of what's going on or who is still alive!  

Check out that gang member with the bloodied face and neck!!

7.) The one-liners

Since I was 8yrs old when I first saw Predator 2, it's pretty safe to say that the film contributed to a very outlandish vocabulary for me in the 1st and 2nd Grades!  In fact, given my age, I didn't even know what half of the dialogue meant; I just thought it was some funny shit!  Allow me to paint you some examples....


El Scorpio [after sniffing a cocaine mountain that would make Scarface blush] "Come and get it!  El Scorpio is ready!"

Gold Tooth:  "King Willie says, not only do I have to kill you, but I have to take your soul.  Voodoo magic.  Fucking voodoo magic, man!  But you know what?  I tell you what I believe:  shit happens!"

Old Woman In Apartment [after Mike declares he's a cop]  "I don't think he gives a shit."

King Willie:  "This is dread man.  Truly dread."

Mike Harrigan [descending down a pipe on the side of a building] "Maybe I'll get lucky and fall."

Leona Cantrell:   "I have heard about you."
Jerry Lambert: "Yeah?"
Leona Cantrell: "Yeah. Like your last partner got shot."
Jerry Lambert: "What?"
Leona Cantrell: "Well..."
Leona Cantrell: [grabs Jerry's balls] "Try that cowboy shit with me, fucker, and you can kiss these goodbye."

Jerry Lambert: "Okay everybody, just take a deep breath. Loosen your sphincters. We don't need any rush hour Rambos here."


There are so many other quotable lines here that I could easily keep going....but you get the idea!

8.) The look of the Predator itself!

Once again, Stan Winston and his crew designed the titular creature and, despite some cosmetic changes to the overall look -- again hinting at different tribes, ranks, clans etc. among the Predator species -- this is one badass movie monster.  Here, the Predator has more of a lobster/crustacean appearance to go with his crab-like mandibles and his head shape seems a bit bigger as well.  Again, seeing this as a kid, the differences never really stood out as much as they do these days and, for that, I'm really grateful on the redesign.  Winston's minor changes to look of the Predator weren't as distracting or jarring as, say, the constant revisions made to the Xenomorph starting with Aliens and continuing all the way through the AVP movies!

Look, Predator 2 may not be the macho movie that its predecessor was, but damn, if it doesn't strike a different chord!  For me, the original film appealed to that basic instinct of "boys playing war", as it's impossible to argue with the cool factor of the film's first half.  The second half being just a cool monster movie with Schwarzenegger kicking ass, ya know?  Predator 2 has a bit of a B-movie/almost Grindhouse vibe to it at times, along with its straight ahead Action/Sci-Fi premise and, for me, that makes it stand out as a great sequel worthy of praise!  

With screenwriter of the original Predator, Shane Black, and Fred Dekker, creator of The Monster Squad/Night of the Creeps collaborating on a super secret direct sequel -- aptly titled The Predator, due in 2018 -- hopefully fans will take a moment and look back fondly at Predator 2.