Predator 2 (1990)

Amidst a territorial gang-war, a sophisticated alien hunter stalks the citizens of Los Angeles and the only man between him and his prey is veteran LAPD officer, Lieutenant Mike Harrigan.

Director:

Stephen Hopkins

Writers:

Jim Thomas (characters), John Thomas (characters),

Stars:

Kevin Peter Hall, Danny Glover, Gary Busey

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kevin Peter Hall	...	The Predator
Danny Glover	...	Lieutenant Mike Harrigan
Gary Busey	...	Peter Keyes
Rubén Blades	...	Danny Archuleta (as Ruben Blades)
Maria Conchita Alonso	...	Leona Cantrell
Bill Paxton	...	Jerry Lambert
Robert Davi	...	Captain Phil Heinemann
Adam Baldwin	...	Garber
Kent McCord	...	Captain B. Pilgrim
Morton Downey Jr.	...	Tony Pope
Calvin Lockhart	...	King Willie
Steve Kahan	...	Sergeant
Henry Kingi	...	El Scorpio
Corey Rand	...	Ramon Vega
Elpidia Carrillo	...	Anna

Storyline

LAPD lieutenant Mike Harrigan and his cocky detective partner Jerry Lambert soon realize that what seemed a bloody feud between voodoo high priest King Willie's Jamaican gangs and Ramon Vega's Colombian drug gang is actually the work of a scary third party. Peter Keyes's federal team shields the crime scene even for the LAPD. BUt after forensics proves it must be an alien, who keeps making victims, the chase brings them all together.

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Plot Keywords:

hunter | alien | drug lord | gang | predator | 

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Taglines:

Pull over, park, and pray.

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Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated NC-17 for strong graphic violence and gore

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 November 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

Depredador 2

Filming Locations:

Anjac Building - 1031 S. Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$35,000,000 (estimated)

Gross:

$30,669,413 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Davis Entertainment, Lawrence Gordon Productions, Silver Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

108 min 93 min (FSK 18 version) (heavily cut) (TV) (FSK 18) 103 min (vcd)

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kevin Peter Hall had studied African tribal dances in order to get into the feel and flexibility of the Predator and to give him a personality.

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Goofs

The Predator's telescoping pike is actually two special effects props, depicting a first and second stage elongation. In the scene where The Predator deploys the pike on the slaughterhouse rooftop, you can see him drop the first stage pike prop out of frame before the camera zooms in on him and he grabs the fully extended pike prop.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Reporter: As drought-ridden Los Angeles swelters in agonizing heat, drug lords wage bloody warfare in the streets. Yet another open conflict... Oh, fuck this, get me out of here!

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Connections

Spin-off Aliens vs. Predator 2: Primal Hunt (2002)

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Soundtracks

"YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK"
Written by Papa Dee and Karl "Utopia" McFaul
Produced by Bankrash and Papa Dee
Performed by Papa Dee
Courtesy of Telegram Records AB & BMG Music International

User Reviews

Want some candy?

I've always loved this movie ever since I saw it way back in 1990 at the theater. Predator is great, but part 2 is equally great. It may not be quite as primal and fast paced, but it more than makes up for it with well developed characters, a more detailed back story and compelling setting, and a deeply developed story. If the predator wasn't in this movie, the story set up would make for a great movie on its own.

You may not realize it when you're watching it, but the climax of this movie is nearly 45 minutes long! Starting from the subway shoot out, the tunnel chase, the street-roof chase, the slaughter house fight, the roof top fight that spills into the apartment building across the street, the elevator shaft, and finally to the Predator ship itself. It is a breathless series of action sequences strung together so well that it's almost astonishing to look back on it and imagine such effort was crafted to make this movie.

This movie would never be made today. A sequel without the main character from the fist movie? A whole new setting? This would be seen as too great a risk, but in 1990 movie studios were still run by creative people, not accountants. This movie is a true, unsung classic of sci-fi, coming from an age when great care was put into genre movies that had strong stories, good characters, and dialogue that didn't sound silly and forced. Lines weren't meant to become one-liners, they were just so memorable that they ended up that way.

"You can't see the eyes of the demon, until him come calling." "Okay P-ssy face, it's your move." "Danny Boy."

And of course...

"Want some candy?"

Granted, those aren't as good as the classics from the first Predator, like:

"You son of a bitch!" "I ain't got time to bleed." "Knock Knock." "Stick around." "If it bleeds, we can kill it." "You are one ugly mother f---er."

and of course...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Last but not least, the music score from Predator 2 is one of the best ever. Alan Silvestri hasn't topped his work from this movie which has to have one of the most complex, layered, and just flat out astounding main themes ever composed for an action movie, or any movie.

And of course, it had the cameo that sparked the whole Alien vs Predator phenomenon. If it weren't for Predator 2, god knows where we'd be.