*Originally written August 29th, 2018*
I've never really got on with Predator 2 and that hasn't changed here. I appreciate them trying to change the scenery up by taking The Predator to the concrete jungle of Los Angeles compared to the actual jungle, but it just doesn't work, making for something that just feels a bit off. The lack of Arnie is a bit of a killer too, even though his replacement Danny Glover is merely fine.
I always forget the weird and deranged futuristic Los Angeles this takes place in. It almost feels like a bad Sci-Fi Channel film at times, everyone has ridiculous over the top weaponry (Glover's red dot sight pistol is ugly and lame to look at) and the different gang members throughout the city are pretty cringe and lack any sort of menace.
It does feel very '90s, compared to the '80s'ness of the first. It's a bit grimy and ugly to look at, especially when looking at the gorgeous jungles of the first. The 4K does at least make things a little nicer to look at, as the textures pop a bit more and the neon colours are much deeper, especially the night scenes, where most of the film takes place. Predator 2 has always been an uglier film, but this at the very least the prettiest it's ever been.
I do always forget how nasty and violent this is compared to the first. The first was violent, but this one takes thing up a notch. Maybe due to the gritty aesthetic, it gives it a darker edge. I saw this was originally rated NC-17 in America before cuts, so I'm interested to find out if the uncut version is available at all. There's the usually stuff you'd expect from a predator film, people are skinned, blown up and torn apart, and it is quite grizzly, even by today's standard. Luckily, there is nothing as nasty or horrible as the pregnant lady scene from Alien vs Predator: Requiem.
While Danny Glover is in no way a stand in for Arnie, he does fine. He barely feels any different from his Lethal Weapon character. He dresses the same, he's an ageing cop and has the same attitude. I was expecting him to say "I'm too old for this shit" at some point, but that sadly never happened. The highlight of the cast is easily Gary Busey, in his first role after his motorbike accident, and he's easily the best part, the film actually comes alive and feels fun when he's on screen.
My biggest problem with Predator 2 is just how dull it all feels. The action is bigger and it carries a more expensive budget, but it never catches the fun of the first and mostly just rehashes a lot of stuff, making for an action film that is competent, but ultimately kinda boring. I pin a lot of this in shoving The Predator in the city, it just doesn't work and I was they'd gone in a different direction.
There is a cool nod to the Alien franchise that most people know about by now. The Alien skull is in the Predator's trophy room towards the end, which was a hint that Fox were working on Alien vs Predator, but it ended up taking 14 years to come to fruition, leaving the Predator franchise dormant. But in all honesty, Alien vs Predator makes Predator 2 look like goddamn Die Hard.
Predator 2 is what it is, a '90s sequel to an '80s action classic that doubles down on action and violence, but just feels like a soulless sequel that never manages to come close to the greatness of the original, despite a few moments of watchable grizzly action.
5/10 Dans
Predator 2 is out now on 4K UHD, Blu-ray and DVD in the UK
Watch the trailer below:
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