classicsoncall Review of Predator 2

Predator 2 (1990)

"What you're dealing with is way over your head."

[6/10 · 19 January 2016]

I can't come up with a legitimate reason why this film was made. It does nothing to advance the Predator mythology, where they came from, why they're here, etc. We eventually find out that they hunt for the sport of it, but that's not really demonstrable here, contrary to what I see some other reviewers rave about. The main Predator here seems to be focused on a territorial gang war in the heart of Los Angeles, but doesn't seem constrained to taking out just the bad guys. He's an equal opportunity killer who picks his targets and puts them all away with equal impunity, drug lords, cops and civilians alike. The idea that Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) gets to go one on one with a Predator and come up victorious seemed like an over the top stretch to me, and all the relentless action without a meaningful story just wore out it's welcome after a while. It wasn't until the full complement of Predators made their presence felt at the end of the story that I figured out why they primarily went after the Jamaican drug gang. I think it had to do with who had the better looking dreadlocks.