Predator 2 (1990)

Predator 2 (1990)

7/10

Starring

Danny Glover

Gary Busey

Rubén Blades

María Conchita Alonso

Bill Paxton

Directed by Stephen Hopkins

With a chaotic beginning—a war-like scene in the heatwave of Los Angeles in 1997—this science fiction movie starts with a punch. We witness a shootout between Colombian and Jamaican drug cartels, making the opening sequence memorable and an outright great action scene.

The movie has its own plot running parallel to the presence of the Predator in Los Angeles. When the path of the plots cross, we get to see the predator arc take charge, and from there one, the movie was an intense hunt.

The release of this movie wasn’t met with the same great reviews as the first Predator, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger. The movie is chaotic, and I love it. I’ve seen this one more times than the first, and I’m a huge fan of it, regardless of the negative reviews and poor box office performance. That said, the movie had a lot of racial undertones, which I think the screenwriters could’ve done without.

Predator 2 is a crazy, fun, and action-packed movie that has become a cult classic over the years. Danny Glover plays Lieutenant Michael "Mike" R. Harrigan, a stubborn and reckless LAPD officer who doesn’t follow orders.

Glover’s character in this movie reminds me of his role in the Lethal Weapon franchise, which had its first installment released in 1987—the same year as the first Predator. In Lethal Weapon, however, Glover plays a calm Homicide Sergeant, Roger Murtaugh, partnered with a crazy officer, Sergeant Martin Riggs (Mel Gibson).

This Predator movie makes the creature’s presence felt from the very beginning. The Predator intervenes in the opening battle, seemingly admiring Mike’s craziness and tenacity. In fact, the Predator appears infatuated with Mike, following him around and taunting him throughout the film.

Unlike the first movie, this one had a bigger budget, which is evident in the effects. It also packs a punch with the sheer number of killings and the ruthless ways some of the unfortunate souls meet their end at the hands of the Predator.

The plot revolves around a Predator on the loose—something the Feds are aware of and trying to contain. This Predator seems to be on a killing spree, attacking anyone he deems worthy of a fight.

The movie blurs the line between a revenge-driven man and a group of scientist Feds. The ending is something you have to see to appreciate as much as I do.