I spent years telling people that Predator 2 was a weak sequel to a classic. But no more. A recent viewing led me to a different conclusion; that if the original didn’t exist I’d think much more highly of this one.
Now, I’m not going to try and tell you it’s on the same level as Predator. The original oozes machismo whilst providing cinema with not only some of the best quotes of all time, but also the single best ‘group of special forces beefcakes levelling half a forest with automatic fire’ scene anyone has ever seen. It’s on a level that few films can touch, so Predator 2 doesn’t deserve grief for not matching it.
Harrigan’s persistence in chasing down what he thinks is an assassin is a decent plot thread; it gives us a chance to see his team’s skills as they start to realise what’s going on. Then there’s Special Agent Gary Busey’s Teeth and his team of douche-bags, who think they’ve got it all figured out with their arrogance and technology. There’s the gang war that the Predator may be inadvertently helping solve. Rounding things out is Bill Paxton, his death in this film completing the Terminator, Xenomorph, Predator trio.
This Yautja strikes me a younger, cockier. Perhaps it’s even on its first hunt. Overly aggressive and prone to getting itself into tricky situations, it also loves to use toys. I doubt the Predator that faced Dutch would have acted the same. This Predator make mistakes, which ultimately makes things more interesting.
Shout out to the score, which makes a pleasing transition from working in an actual jungle to a concrete one.
Taken on it’s own merits Predator 2 is a decent action/sci-fi film that deserves more credit.
Be the first to comment