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| PREDATOR 2 was released on November 21st, 1990. It received largely negative reviews and a poor box office return, but has since developed a cult following. |
PREDATOR 2.
OPENING; Right out of the gate it's different from the first, no space shot. Instead it visually transitions from the Jungle to the city which is a cool idea. Los Angeles 1997, its fun to know that since this movie came out in 1990 it was set in the future. Jumping into heat vision, the new hunter is listening in on the city.
GANG WAR; Two things that are present in this movie; gang wars and media coverage, both completely over the top. But its not hard to imagine no one noticing a Predator cutting through town with all of this going on. The writers of both films Jim and John Thomas were really pushing the heat and violence aspect of the hunt with the heat wave and city blowing itself up. Instead of a special forces team, we get a group of LAPD detectives. Harrigan is our primary heroic figure. I can't help but think of PREDATOR 2 as an alternate universe sequel to LETHAL WEAPON 2. Driving the car through to create a barricade, nice. The Scorpios have an armory that would make most gun nuts shit themselves. Harrigan with a shotgun, taking out everybody. Its interesting to note that originally Schwarzenegger was going to come back as Dutch but ultimately decided to go with TERMINATOR 2 instead. The script was than rewritten. Heat vision, the new hunter watching the roof. Harrigan being afraid of heights is a small detail, but a nice one. We, and Harrigan, see the hunter cloaked right up front. The idea being that we already know what the Predator is, so now we can cut out the most of the discovery of the character and go straight into exploring him. Its important to know that Harrigan already has the hunters attention at this point. As they investigate the slaughter of the gang, you get to see little details, like the hunters claw marks in the wall where he dragged the gang member up to the ceiling.
FALL OUT; The badass cop being yelled at by his superior. Where PREDATOR played with the war/action movie, PREDATOR 2 plays with the cop/action movie. Here we're also introduced to another aspect of the sequel which is the government knowing about the Predators existence. Its a very natural thing that they would be after anything having to do with it. Back at the police station which is overflowing, a lot of the "future" LA is the writers essentially projecting and jumping at possibilities. Keyes as played by Busey as only Busey could play him. The trinity of Harrigan, Leona, and Danny is terrific, you can tell there's nothing but love there. Maria Conchita Alonso crushing Bill Paxton's balls is great, its also fun to say Maria Conchita Alonso. Harrigan giving the we're all f*cked but we're a team speech, you believe that he's tired of what he does but he'll keep doing it.
PENTHOUSE; Full frontal nudity, something PREDATOR did not have. That particular actress would go on to become a fairly successful porn star. Jamaicans vs Colombians interrupted by the hunter. This penthouse attack establishes a number of new weapons like the net gun and the spear and brings back the iconic wrist blades. Its also our first look at the new hunter design by Stan Winston. Feds starting to take over everything having to do with the hunter, but Harrigan's not having it. The skinning of prey back in a big way, penthouse turned into a meat locker. The woman has been left alive by the hunter, cementing the idea that there is some sort of code at work. Keyes establishes dominance as fast and as unsubtle as he can. The media has an incredibly aggressive presence in this movie, everything is in a much more exploitative tone which was a commentary on the sort of trash reporting that had begun to be more prominent on television at the time. Harrigan being a detective, is not an idiot.
BEGIN INVESTIGATING; Bill Paxton always seems to have fun with his characters. Harrigan told Danny to wait for him, but he's a detective too, he's going to do what he can when he can. That "spear tip" is cool little piece, but how it got stuck in that vent cover is beyond me, ricochet? You see a lot more of the hunter, a lot sooner in this one. But like I said we don't need to discover the Predator because we already know about it. With Danny gone Harrigan starts to fall apart. Bureaucracy is something that was present in the first movie, but only barely. Here its right out there because you're in a major city, and you can't get away from it. You know exactly what Keyes is looking for, very obvious. Leona and Jerry bring Harrigan back to Earth and focus him back on what needs to be done. Keyes operation seems pretty well thought out, but we'll see. This forensic examiner is a natural part of the detective element of the story, but is she using an electron microscope? The hunter on the eagle is a beautiful image.
KING WILLIE; I really like the old world aspect of Willie, like a spirit warrior out of time. You almost forget that he's the head of the Jamaican gangs, but you understand why. Bringing a spiritual element to how the prey views the hunters is a nice play on the expansion of the Predators themselves. There's more going on than we've seen. The hunter walking in the water is a terrific visual. Willie drawing his sword, and the two warriors facing off is another. This bit where the hunter cleans his trophy and places it in his case is amazing. Amping up the hunting aspect to its natural next level, also our first hints of other trophies he's taken.
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES; More bits of information, small but helpful. Now the team is focusing in on the slaughter houses. Harrigan looking at the trophies in the store front, he knows, he doesn't articulate it but he knows what's going on. The hunter and the kid scene, carrying the concept of a code forward. In this movie the Predators mythology is expanding in every direction. The lonely music from the first movie fades in here, humanity comes back into the picture. Harrigan jumping around with his gun always felt off to me, but I think that was the point. Harrigan is shaken up.
THE SUBWAY; EVERYONE on the train is packing, you know whats coming. The hunter's attack on the subway seems random, but when you consider what he's done before, he's working his way up to Harrigan. So it's only natural that he goes after those closest to him. "Want some candy?" another often repeated line. Bill Paxton has been killed by a Terminator, by Aliens, and by a Predator, think about that for a minute. Leona goes back to help Jerry, but everyone is already dead and hung up. Heat vision, Leona is pregnant, leading to another demonstration of a code. I know there are people who have a problem with the Predators having an honor code of any kind, they think it makes them weaker and overall less threatening. But I love it, it brings character to the characters culture and sets them ever further apart from every other killer from outer space.
CHASE; Harrigan interrupts the hunter as he removes Jerry's spine and skull. Harrigan also punches out Tony Pope, which depending on your feelings either makes you cheer or doesn't affect you in the least. Harrigan keeps stumbling on things as he drives right into the area Keyes has under observation. The hunter being hit by lightning on top of the building is just a primal image, power. Keyes calls back to the first movie. If you look closely you can see Anna on one of the screens. They actually did film a full interrogation with Elpidia Carrillo but didn't use it. Keyes as Basil Exposition as he explains every little detail known about the Predators that we have up until this point.
SLAUGHTER HOUSE; Now here PREDATOR 2 goes ALIENS on us. Admittedly it may or may not be intentional, but the comparison can still be drawn. If you think about it Keyes' plan was pretty intelligent. They think they have the hunter figured out, but he knows somethings wrong. Adaptation is the hunters greatest advantage, he faces a problem he works around it. Changing the vision on his mask, another new detail, but not a surprising one. It's hard not to cheer for the Predator in this movie, he's just so cool. Is Harrigan going into the slaughter house because he wants to help Keyes or because he wants the hunter, a little bit of both I think. I love this scene because it does show more of the warrior aspect of the Predators. Its a different mode of combat from the hunting, its more direct and destructive. He levels Keyes' team in seconds. The look the Predator gives Keyes when Keyes is all alone is really hardcore, almost between a 'how dare you' and 'what a joke'. The water disabling the Predators cloaking technology has always bugged me just a little, you would think they'd find a way to deal with that. Harrigan takes out the hunters shoulder cannon, but the hunter responds with a wrist launcher, a great little weapon. Harrigan with a shotgun equals destruction. Does anyone at the LAPD know about Harrigan's personal armory? I'm just wondering. I really love the design of the Predator in this movie, Stan Winston outdid himself. And I really appreciate his logic in the redesign; this is a different individual so of course it would look different. The 'mother f*cker' quote coming back is alright, not a fan of that moment. Keyes comes back but is promptly cut in half by another new weapon, the smart disk, awesome. Weird note; you never see Keyes' torso fall to the ground, but his legs do. Harrigan hates heights, and birds, although the birds thing may come from not want to die. Since he lost his mask, the hunter has a backup air supply, very smart, but leaving your spear so anyone can use it, not so much. We revisit the self-destruct as the hunter and Harrigan hang off a ledge over an alley. But cutting the hunters arm off Harrigan just saved millions of people, think about it.
CHASE ME; The hunter in the bathroom scene is another interesting moment of development. Yes there is advanced technology at work, but the imagery is distinctly primal. The Predator hover over the flame, adding ingredients, rubbing the gel on himself. It all gives the feeling of an ancient world come to life. Of course its undercut with the little old lady and Jeopardy theme. Harrigan manages to crawl his way into the bathroom with nothing but the hunters smart disk. falling down the elevator shaft is sort of beautiful in its symbolism, Harrigan is entering the underworld. And lands, on a Predator ship. Starting he begins my favorite part of the movie, possibly my favorite part of any Predator movie.
THE SHIP; This design is GORGEOUS. The lighting, the detailing, the mist, the monoliths, the ceiling, there is a culture here. And it is amazing. The trophy case is wonderfully detailed. Notice the various skulls of alien species'. The Alien skull being in there was a nod to the dark horse comic 'Alien Versus Predator' which was out at that time. But the thing I'm not clear on is why the Alien has a bone skull when its clearly biomechanical. Anyway. The final showdown between Harrigan and the hunter feels short because it was spread out over two locations. Here it ends quickly but not before a brief exchange of blades, Harrigan using the smart disk, and the hunters confidence, to his advantage. Than SURPRISE, the best moment in any Predator movie; the reveal of the clan. That elder Predator is most badass version of this species every put to film. Simply incredible. Stan Winston's crew actually called it the Grey Back, similar to a silver back Gorilla.
Fun fact, the elder and the hunter from this film were both played by Kevin Peter Hall who played the original Predator in the first film. He made sure to make the two Predators he played this time as distinct in their movements as possible. Things like the elder holding his necklace, add to their characterization. Another fun fact, the elders face was made using the Predator from the first film. They took that Predators face and aged it, fading the colors and adding piercings and spikes. Stan Winston then told the rest of his team to really go for it with the rest of the clan. Each person was allowed to design the clan members from scratch, which is why each is so unique from the rest. The problem came in casting, Kevin Peter Hall was 7'2" and there simply aren't many tall performers working, so Danny Glover went to the Lakers basketball team. That's right, the clan you see is portrayed by the Lakers.
As the clan carries away their fallen comrade, the elder acknowledges each member who than cloaks as they leave the room. He turns to leave as well, but stops, looking back to Harrigan, he thinks for a moment. Pulls a flintlock pistol from his belt and throws it to Harrigan, "take it". Harrigan examines the pistol, it reads; "Raphael Adolini 1715". A version of the story of how the elder gained that pistol is seen in the comic 'PREDATOR 1718'. The elder walks away, sheaths his sword, and cloaks. The code of honor, again, is something that does divide a lot of people. I actually think there's room for both views to coexist. But the overriding rule of continuity in these sorts of series is it doesn't count unless its in the movies. After the ship takes off Harrigan emerges from the tunnel like Dante out of hell. Covered in ash, and much like Dutch in PREDATOR, changed. Danny Glover sells it with his eyes. "Don't worry assh*le, you'll get another chance.", Harrigan knows it'll never be over. The hunters will always come.
CREDITS; PREDATOR 2 is the one that I remember most prominently from when I was a kid. PREDATOR was a ride that introduced me to the character, but PREDATOR 2 took that character and developed it in ways that I didn't see coming and that I love very dearly. I remember as a kid seeing the clan emerge in the ship and my mind was blown. That image had never left me, the elder has never left me. This movie could've so easily been just a horrible sequel to a great movie. Copying everything that came before, but it wasn't. it did something different and added to the mythos. And that's what a sequel should do. I know a lot of people hate PREDATOR 2, but a lot of that hate seems to come from the uniquely fanboy place of "its not like the first one". Its a complaint that comes up with every sequel of every movie, or of every adaptation of every comic book character. Its not exactly like whats come before so its not good. I actually think that may be an issue of most people have when it comes to something that's different. You're taking them out of their comfort zone so they hate it. I love PREDATOR 2, and I know there are other people who love it too. To the cast and crew, I say thank you for all of your hard work. Director Stephen Hopkins came in and was faced with the challenge of making a sequel to PREDATOR, and I think he did a terrific job.
But I should also single out Kevin Peter Hall, who gave life to the Predators in PREDATOR & PREDATOR 2. He was an actor who happened to wear creature suits and it showed. His performances were incredible and were a huge part of why the characters have lasted. If you go over to IMDB please look him up, chances are you've seen his work in other films and TV shows but didn't know it. Here are two links for you;
WIKI; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Peter_Hall
IMDB; http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001310/
Tragically Hall announced he had contracted HIV from a contaminated blood transfusion, and on April 10, 1991 he died from pneumonia at the age of 35 years old. His loss is still felt today.
Thank you for reading, this has been interesting for me, even though it was likely painful for you. Tomorrow will be the third and final part of this experiment as I watch PREDATORS.
Nice work Justin, I enjoy reading what you have to say. Is there an email address I can reach you at?
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