Predator 2 DVD Review:

In the urban jungle of Los Angeles, the streets are gripped by a drug fuelled gang war that the authorities are fighting a losing battle against. Lieutenant Mike Harrigan and his crack police team are taking the war to gangs but they are outnumbered and outgunned and the war zone is getting worst. All of this violence has attracted the attention of something that just adores this kind of environment. The Predator has come to Los Angeles and his hunt is about to begin.

After the success of the 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger original, a sequel was inevitable but when the Austrian Oak passed on the second film to play the Terminator again what would the filmmakers do?

Instead of basing the franchise around a star like many Sci-Fi and fantasy series have done in the past, ‘Predator 2’ made the correct choice of concentrating on the creature. The Predator is the star of the film here and in the original and this is what makes the films so watchable. It isn’t the human character’s fight against this seemly unstoppable killing machine that you drawn in by but the Predator’s weapons and the thrill of its hunt that draws you in. The characters are mere fodder for his assortment of advanced weapons and abundant skill. It is easy to cheer for the hero but it is more fascinating to watch the creature at work.

Replacing Schwarzenegger was never going to be easy but Danny Glover does a good job as Lieutenant Mike Harrigan. Typical of the era, he is a hard-nosed detective who takes no prisoners on his approach to police work. This is a strong, no nonsense character that instantly comes to the attention of the Predator. The character succeeds in been completely different to Arnie’s jungle commando as the movie plays out in a far different way than the original.

Supporting Glover is a decent ensemble cast full of colourful and distinctive characters that are ultimately just pray for the Predator. Bill Paxton is his usual slightly over the top self but you can help but like his character. Gary Busey plays special agent Peter Keys, who seems to know a bit more about the Predator than he should do. Ruben Blades is Harrigan’s best friend and right hand man Danny and Maria Conchita Alonso is one of the emerging hard women of cinema that started appearing in Hollywood action flicks in the 80s and 90s.

The star of the show is the Predator however. Played convincingly again by the late Kevin Peter Hall, moving the creature from the jungle to the city was an inspired move by the filmmakers. The Stan Winston Creature Shop designed Predator has been improved and revels in the urban environment. Now we know what the Predator actually looks like, we can see more of the creature and more of his hunting, giving him a lot more screen time.

‘Predator 2’ is a decent sequel from an age when it was Hollywood way just to remake the same film over and over again. Entertaining throughout and full of the excessive violence and over the top character that were the norm in the 80s and 90s, ‘Predator 2’ should have been more successful than it was, as it deserves the cult Sci-Fi status that it earned since its 1990 release. The Hunt is still on.

Star Rating = * * *

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 with a choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 or dts surround sound, this transfer is very good. When you take into account that the movie was released in 1990, the picture is extremely sharp, even during the very dark nighttime encounters with the Predator. The sound is also very good, filling the speakers during the energetic action sequences.

BONUS FEATURES

Disc 1

Commentary by director Stephen Hopkins
This is an informative and technical commentary from the film’s director. He talks about the style of the movie and how it mimicked the excessive violence of the 1980s and projected this extreme to a possible future 1997, when the film was set. The changes to the setting, characters and feel of the movie are also discussed as he outlines the many differences between this and the first movie. This is an interesting commentary but it does suffer from only having one contributor, as there are some pauses.

Commentary from writers Jim Thomas and John Thomas
The writers of the first and second films come together to talk about the Predator franchise and the characters they have created. This chatty and informative commentary reveals the origins of the story, the characters and the creature itself. The pair regales you with tales from each of the two films, revealing secrets and behind the scenes gossip about Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny Glover and many other cast members. They also talk about the Alien Vs Predator movie, possible Predator sequels and ideas that they have for it.

Disc 2

The Hunters and the Hunted (35.40 mins)

Director Stephen Hopkins, writers Jim and John Thomas, creature designer Stan Winston, Stan Winston’s Creature Shop designer John Rosengrant, producer Michael Levy, stunt coordinator Gary Davis and stars Danny Glover, Bill Paxton, Ruben Blades, Kevin Peter Hall, Gary Busey, Maria Conchita Alonso and Morton Downey Jr come together to talk about Predator 2. With behind the scenes footage and interviews from 1990 and 2004, this featurette covers the origins of the franchise, the human characters, the Predator species, shooting in the urban jungle and the subterranean climax.

Evolutions (6.06 mins)

This mini featurette showcases the optical effects utilised to produce the Predator camouflage effects in the ‘Something on the roof’, ‘Enemy in the Alley’ and ‘Subway showdown’ scenes.

Weapons of Choice (6.52 mins)

Director Stephen Hopkins, Stan Winston’s Creature Shop designer John Rosengrant and star Danny Glover talk about the Predator’s weapons. Covering the gauntlet knives, self-destruct, plasma cannon, net launcher, smart weapon and telescoping spear, we see the Predator’s hunting arsenal.

Promotional Gallery

The Predator goes to Town (1990) (3.04 mins)

An original featurette from the 1990 release of the film, the cast and crew take you behind the scenes of the LA shoot.

International ‘Making of’ Featurette (1990) (5.32 mins)

With behind the scenes footage, the cast and crew talk about their characters and the story.

Creating the Ultimate Hunter (3.41 mins)

This mini featurette looks at the Predator’s weapons covering Predator vision, urban camouflage and his advanced weapons.

Hard Core Segments (7.05 mins)

Entitled ‘Hard Core Special Report: City at War’ and ‘Hardcore from Penthouse to Slaughterhouse: A Special Report’, Tony Pope reports live from the devastation and murder in LA. This is your chance to watch the full version that ran in segments during the film.

Still Gallery
Fifty-seven behind the scenes and publicity shots from Predator 2

OVERALL

Fox has produced another good two-disc set that will please fans of the Predator films. While the bonus features don’t go into as much detail as the impressive ‘Alien’ DVDs, there is still enough here to enjoy. They could have covered more about the creature design and included some deleted scenes but this is still a package that should please fans.



Jamie Kelwick