After a rewatch of Predator proved that even fairly baseline action movies from the 80s can still be great, it’s time to see if its sequel can repeat the feat. A cheeky opening shot whips us from some jungle like tropical trees, to the LA skyline, as the Predator’s heat-seeking POV hones in on a raging downtown gunfight. Welcome to LA in the 90s. It’s overblown carnage of course, movie action, almost comical, but there’s a little truth in every joke. Things are out of hand as the gangs rule the streets and the cops are outnumbered. Enter Lieutenant Harrigan (Danny Glover), his battlefield antics impress our observing alien friend. He’s impressed by the Predators handiwork too, after he makes light work of a Columbian drug cartel… except he’s not seen the hunter yet. Putting the mirage camouflage down to the summer heat, he thinks the escalated violence is gang related. Harrigan doesn’t like it, but he’s got some help from the Feds. The drug wars are out of control, so Keyes (Gary Busey) is sent in to restore order, or so he says. The cast was tiny last time out. This time there’s a much larger body count as the Predator wages his own gang war, ripping through Columbians, Jamaicans, all Americas favourite enemies. It’s a good set up, drugs, the law, dirty sweat dripping LA streets and an unknown killer from outerspace! Comic relief comes from Lambart (Bill Paxton), although he’s more annoying than anything else. As is hyped up roving TV news reporter Tony Pope (Morton Downey Jr.). In fact aside Harrigan, everyone’s quite annoying and honestly some of the gun-toting LA locals have it coming. The Predator is here for sport and it’s the perfect hunting ground. When Harrigan’s partner, Danny (Rubén Blades) gets disembowelled, it gets personal. Who’s gonna get to the Predator first, Harrigan or the Feds… and how much do the Feds know? We see much more of the Predator this time out. Stalking the rooftops, he looks pretty cool. Keyes knows what he’s hunting. Doesn’t want to kill him, wants to capture him. Sound familiar? It’s the same premise as the Weyland Company in Aliens, wanting the alien tech to advance their own capabilities. Therefore in traditional movie fashion, we know Keyes is screwed. The city location really helps make this pop. I loved the simplicity of the original in the jungle and often breaking that strength in a sequel spells trouble, but this really works. Glover is no Schwarzenegger, but he plays the action hero with a fear of heights wonderfully. The real strength though is the Predator. He’s more of a character here than just a mere threat and Kevin Peter Hall once again plays him well. It’s not quite as enjoyable as the first, but it’s close and doesn’t really deserve the stick it gets. It sets things up well for more to come, but after its box office flop, we’d have to wait another 20 years for another standalone Predator film. Which I’ll be watching for the first time next.
7/10

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