The Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.The Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.The Predator returns to Earth, this time to stake a claim on the war-torn streets of a dystopian Los Angeles.
- Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations
Rubén Blades
- Danny Archuleta
- (as Ruben Blades)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThe filming of the alley scene was very troublesome for the filmmakers, due to the rough neighborhood. The alley was littered with garbage, most of which was used in the film, and plagued with large rats. Local residents angered by the noise created by the film crew would throw bottles and paper bags filled with feces from windows at the crew in the alley below. Worst of all, the film crew found a dead body hidden among the garbage. "The most horrible places I've ever had to film in were the alleys in downtown Los Angeles," Shane Mahan commented, "and Predator 2 was shot in a lot of those disgusting alleys. They were dirty and depressing and gross, with people peeing on walls. We'd be rigging something, and there would be rats there."
- GoofsWhen the Predator regains consciousness at the slaughter house resuming his chase after Harrigan, he sees Harrigan in infrared scope, a major bloop, as the Predator didn't put his mask back on. Anyone who watched the 1st installment must remember: without the mask the Predator can only see in red, with only minor distinctions (i.e. hand-to-hand combat with Schwarzenegger). The Predator didn't put his mask back on all throughout till the very end, occasionally using his respirator seen on the rooftop sequence etc. Inside the Predator's spaceship, again, he sees Harrigan down on the floor in infrared.
- Quotes
[Harrigan runs through an old woman's apartment, chasing the Predator]
Lieutenant Mike Harrigan: [1:30:14] It's all right! I'm a cop!
Ruth: I don't think he gives a shit!
- Alternate versionsThe Australian Special Edition DVD released in 2005 is rated MA, but is uncut like the previous R rated version. It is not to be confused with the cut M rated version available on video.
- SoundtracksEN MI BARRIO
Written by Michael Sembello and Gerardo Mejía (as Gerardo Meija)
Produced by Michael Sembello
Performed by Gerardo
Courtesy of Interscope Records
Featured review
Not as good as the first one, but it's better than the general consensus would have you believe.
10 years after the events of the last film, Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) is a hard edged and stubborn cop who leads a team of detectives in keeping the battles between the Jamaican Voodoo Posse and the Latin American gang the Scorpions at least somewhat under control. When a group of Scorpions is slaughtered in an elaborate and over the top fashion including being stripped and skinned, Harrigan's investigation is stonewalled by Special Agent Peter Keyes (Gary Busey) who claims he's with a DEA task force but Harrigan is skeptical. As Harrigan and his team investigate the murders of not only the Scorpions but the Voodoo Posse, he soon finds out the killer is an alien trophy hunter.
After the success of the first Predator, 20th Century Fox approached Jim and John Thomas, the original films screenwriters, about the possibility of a sequel. The duo pitched a number of takes for possible sequels with the concept of the Predator in a city garnering the most interest. The Thomas' goal for the sequel was to expand upon the character of the Predator as well as showing off an expansion of its weapons (including its spaceship) and building on lore for its species. Stephen Hopkins was selected as director by Joel Silver based on his work on Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, and Hopkins had originally sought either Patrick Swayze or Steven Seagal for the role of Harrigan with the intention of teaming them up with Arnold Schwarzenegger's character Dutch, but Schwarzenegger declined to return and Hopkins opted for Danny Glover in the lead to make him more of an everyman while Dutch was rewritten as Peter Keyes. Released in November 1990, the film was overshadowed by films such as Dances with Wolves, Three Men and a Little Lady, Rocky V, and Home Alone and was edged out of the box office with $57 million in box office against its estimated $20-30 million budget. The movie has gone on to find appreciation by franchise fans and even Hopkins and Glover have spoken favorably about the movie in retrospect. While Predator 2 doesn't match its predecessor, it's a valiant effort with a lot of solid craft and passion.
Much like how the first movie started out as a typical Rambo/Commando style action movie, Predator 2 ties in with another staple of 80s action cinema: the cop film. With the multitude of cop films released throughout the decade featuring the likes of Clint Eastwood, Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson, and etc., it makes sense as a logical step for the Predator series in taking the audience through what seems like one genre only to throw that genre on its head and throw an alien trophy hunter into the mix. While Danny Glover has played cops before, notably as Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon series, Glover plays a decidedly more hard edged cop who's of the mindset it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. It's a really solid role for Glover and makes him a formidable foe for the Predator (know as City Predator in some circles of the fandom) and he's definitely firing on all cylinders in the movie. The movie also gives him a solid supporting cast with Ruben Blades, Bill Paxton, and Maria Conchita Alonso playing the fellow detectives who help him track down the murderer in high profile gang slayings, but unlike the first Predator that was more of an ensemble film with most of the characters getting equal screentime to develop character, the movie does feel like it's more centered around a single lead (Glover) this time around. The Los Angeles setting is put to good use with the gang culture, dark alleyways, and subway systems of the city used for memorable setpieces and it definitely helps give the film a unique feel that separates itself from its predecessor. While Hopkins does go a tad over the top in some scenes (such as the scene with the Predator holding his spear aloft to a lightning strike) it's the fun kind of over the top that's still enjoyable. Gary Busey's Peter Keyes character is one of the weaker points in the film, while I'm aware the character was a rough stand-in for Schwarzenegger's Dutch, even if Schwarzenegger had returned I'm not convinced this plot point would've worked. For me Keyes and his team felt like a rehash of the Weyland-Yutani stuff from the Alien films with their goal being to capture and study it and I think it doesn't work as well with The Predator because of its nature as a more intelligent antagonist than the comparatively more animalistic Xenomorphs.
Predator 2 doesn't match the level of the first film, but with a unique enough take on the Predator and with a solid ensemble filling out the cast we do get some memorable sequences. While Hopkins maybe goes a little too over the top in some sequences and the Peter Keyes subplot feels really unnecessary, Predator has enough good points to warrant a viewing and is better than most are willing to give it credit for.
After the success of the first Predator, 20th Century Fox approached Jim and John Thomas, the original films screenwriters, about the possibility of a sequel. The duo pitched a number of takes for possible sequels with the concept of the Predator in a city garnering the most interest. The Thomas' goal for the sequel was to expand upon the character of the Predator as well as showing off an expansion of its weapons (including its spaceship) and building on lore for its species. Stephen Hopkins was selected as director by Joel Silver based on his work on Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, and Hopkins had originally sought either Patrick Swayze or Steven Seagal for the role of Harrigan with the intention of teaming them up with Arnold Schwarzenegger's character Dutch, but Schwarzenegger declined to return and Hopkins opted for Danny Glover in the lead to make him more of an everyman while Dutch was rewritten as Peter Keyes. Released in November 1990, the film was overshadowed by films such as Dances with Wolves, Three Men and a Little Lady, Rocky V, and Home Alone and was edged out of the box office with $57 million in box office against its estimated $20-30 million budget. The movie has gone on to find appreciation by franchise fans and even Hopkins and Glover have spoken favorably about the movie in retrospect. While Predator 2 doesn't match its predecessor, it's a valiant effort with a lot of solid craft and passion.
Much like how the first movie started out as a typical Rambo/Commando style action movie, Predator 2 ties in with another staple of 80s action cinema: the cop film. With the multitude of cop films released throughout the decade featuring the likes of Clint Eastwood, Chuck Norris, Charles Bronson, and etc., it makes sense as a logical step for the Predator series in taking the audience through what seems like one genre only to throw that genre on its head and throw an alien trophy hunter into the mix. While Danny Glover has played cops before, notably as Roger Murtaugh in the Lethal Weapon series, Glover plays a decidedly more hard edged cop who's of the mindset it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission. It's a really solid role for Glover and makes him a formidable foe for the Predator (know as City Predator in some circles of the fandom) and he's definitely firing on all cylinders in the movie. The movie also gives him a solid supporting cast with Ruben Blades, Bill Paxton, and Maria Conchita Alonso playing the fellow detectives who help him track down the murderer in high profile gang slayings, but unlike the first Predator that was more of an ensemble film with most of the characters getting equal screentime to develop character, the movie does feel like it's more centered around a single lead (Glover) this time around. The Los Angeles setting is put to good use with the gang culture, dark alleyways, and subway systems of the city used for memorable setpieces and it definitely helps give the film a unique feel that separates itself from its predecessor. While Hopkins does go a tad over the top in some scenes (such as the scene with the Predator holding his spear aloft to a lightning strike) it's the fun kind of over the top that's still enjoyable. Gary Busey's Peter Keyes character is one of the weaker points in the film, while I'm aware the character was a rough stand-in for Schwarzenegger's Dutch, even if Schwarzenegger had returned I'm not convinced this plot point would've worked. For me Keyes and his team felt like a rehash of the Weyland-Yutani stuff from the Alien films with their goal being to capture and study it and I think it doesn't work as well with The Predator because of its nature as a more intelligent antagonist than the comparatively more animalistic Xenomorphs.
Predator 2 doesn't match the level of the first film, but with a unique enough take on the Predator and with a solid ensemble filling out the cast we do get some memorable sequences. While Hopkins maybe goes a little too over the top in some sequences and the Peter Keyes subplot feels really unnecessary, Predator has enough good points to warrant a viewing and is better than most are willing to give it credit for.
Helpful•256
- IonicBreezeMachine
- Jun 3, 2022
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Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official sites
- Language
- Also known as
- Depredador 2
- Filming locations
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $35,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $30,669,413
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $8,784,943
- Nov 25, 1990
- Gross worldwide
- $57,120,318
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