Customer Reviews

Predator 2 [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(79)
4 star:		(58)
3 star:		(39)
2 star:		(21)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

I hesitated renting this one because I already owned it on DVD. That version looked terrible - fuzzy, grainy, generally like crap. The Bluray is much sharper and more enjoyable to watch. Pretty good special features, too. I'm actually considering adding it to my collection of Blurays.

This sequel to 1987's highly popular and successful PREDATOR is not nearly as suspenseful as the original, but it is still exciting and action-packed. Though star Danny Glover does not generate the same commanding screen presence that Arnold Schwarzenegger did in the first film, he is nonetheless a very talented and experienced actor, and he and his fantastic supporting cast--the gorgeous Maria Conchita Alonso, the always-delightful Bill Paxton, Hollywood staple Gary Busey, and Panamanian character actor Rubén Blades--are able to raise 1990's PREDATOR 2 several notches above the average quality level of film sequels.

This time the eponymous extraterrestrial is on safari in the (then) futuristic Los Angeles of 1997, and it is Columbian and Jamaican drug lords, mon, that seem to be his prey of choice. But when he spots the crime-fighting juggernaut Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) in action, he feels he's finally found the king of this urban jungle. Harrigan then becomes the main object of the hunt, and the inevitable but exciting showdown takes place on the upper levels of a high-rise apartment in the L.A. slums.

The special FX of this sequel are not as fresh as they were in the original PREDATOR, but they are still adequate for the story and action. The Alien, when visible, gets more screen time than he did in the first film, and genre fans will be delighted to see that Stan Winston and his staff manage to make the E.T. look just as cool as before.

In short, PREDATOR 2 is not as fresh, classy, or suspenseful as its progenitor, but Danny Glover--who, though no Arnie, is a talented and interesting actor--creates an urban hero who is both compelling and sympathetic.

THE DVD from Fox offers a nice anamorphic Widescreen transfer and good Dolby Digital sound, and in addition to the theatrical trailer, the extras include a pretty cool behind-the-scenes featurette that was filmed during the movie's original production. Good movie and good DVD, but be sure to also get the DVD version of the even better original PREDATOR.

Yep, this description said it all! I have seen this movie too many times to mention and I STILL love watching it! The movie starts out fast and furious and there is so much action in this movie that once it starts, it DOESN'T let you catch your breath!

Danny Glover may not be your first choice when thinking 'action hero' but he does a VERY convincing job. Bill Paxton plays a street-smart, wise-cracking cop and delivers a fun character (as usual) that dies (as usual). As, Gary Busey plays the testosterone injected Special Ops officer that thinks he can actually CAPTURE the deadly Predator!

The AWESOME Predator effects (cloaking, vision modes) make this movie shine (not to mention the AMAZING number of bullets fired in this movie, DAMN!) The direction, lighting, fog and camera movement in the final showdown onboard the Predator's ship is pure genius as it makes you feel like you are actually "there" on an alien craft watching this galactic fight to the death, AWESOME!

For any self-respecting 'Predator' fan, this is a MUST SEE!!!

Predator 2 is a misunderstood and crimnally underrated sequel to Predator. It not only equals it's predesscessor, but also surpasses it in a few categories. Alan Silvestri's mind-blowing score from Predator 1 is improved on the 0-10 scale by 11. Stephen Hopkins' direction is excellent and gives P2 a very special and hard-worked feel to it. The Cinematography is awesome and makes the film scary and unpredictable. The action sequences are also Grade A+. The breath-taking shootout at the beginning, the Train confrontation, and the final Battle. Wow! P2 combines the intense action of P1 and amps it up to eleven. The action sequences are even more though-out and better than those of P1. The acting is brilliant too. Danny Glover makes a great Hero as Harrigan and has one of his best roles ever. He makes Harrigan a likeable character that you'll root for all the way too the end. The level of violence and gore is also a LOT higher than the original's and any gore-hound will be in Heaven with this. I also must say that P2's settings and story are brilliant to the max. A crime- infested Los Angeles was the perfect spot for him to continue his Rampage and all of the sets, from the Meat Factory, Predator Ship and "shot-out" Buildings are mind-blowing. Predator 2 is all in all an excellent Grade A+ sequel that pretty much improves over the original Predator. I REALLY hope this review will give this underrated masterpiece a much better reputation. Give Predator 2 a chance and ignore everyone who shamefully panned it. I can't wait for the DVD release and I'm looking forward to Predator 3.

Following a wildly successful film is never easy, especially one backed up with the star power of an Arnold Schwarzenegger, who apparently chose not to reprise his role as he didn't care for the script, feeling the idea of a Predator film set in a major metropolitan city was a poor one, instead working on a little film called Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)...perhaps you've heard of it...rumor has it Patrick Swayze was offered the starring role in this film, but couldn't accept due to injuries sustained during the filming of Road House...so with the success of Lethal Weapon (1987) and Lethal Weapon 2 (1989) under his belt, Danny Glover was chosen, for better or worse...written by Jim and John Thomas (the brothers behind the 1987 film Predator), Predator 2 (1990) was directed by Stephen Hopkins (Judgment Night, Lost in Space), and stars Danny Glover (Silverado, Lethal Weapon). Also appearing is Gary `Mr. Head Injury' Busey (Under Siege, Black Sheep), Rubén Blades (Mo' Better Blues, The Two Jakes), Maria Conchita Alonso (The Running Man, Colors), Bill Paxton (Navy SEALS, Twister), Robert Davi (The Goonies, Die Hard), Adam Baldwin (My Bodyguard, D.C. Cab), Morton Downey Jr. (Revenge of the Nerds III: The Next Generation), and Kevin Peter Hall (Harry and the Hendersons, Predator) as the Predator, but obviously not the same one as in the first film (well, obvious if only you've seen the first film, which you should before seeing this one).

The film is set in L.A. (the original setting was to be New York City), in the grim, near future of 1997 (remember, the film was released 1990, and back then, we didn't have the brightest outlook on the future). The city and police are under siege by not only ruthless, excessively armed drug gangs, but also an oppressive heat wave. Smack dab in the middle is Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Glover), a play by his own rules cop doing what's necessary to get the job done, which often rubs his superiors the wrong way (can you smell a cliché here? It's the first of many). But wait, it appears there's a new player in town, one that even the powerful drug gangs seem to fear, later identified as an extraterrestrial being whom we've come to know as a Predator...apparently drawn by the hot climate and extreme amount of conflict, in town with a few days (and people) to kill, its prey being man, and begins making short work of the gangs, what with all the beheadings, disembowelings, flaying of skin, spine removals, and so on...this draws the attention of some gooberment types, headed by Peter Keyes (Busey), who have an interest in not only the alien, but its super awesoma weaponry and technology (oh my, another cliché). The stage is set, the players in place, the bloodbath ready to ensue...

I did enjoy this film, and I appreciated the effort to try and stick to the formula that made the first so successful, but the absence of director John McTiernan (he chose to instead direct The Hunt for Red October) and Arnold Schwarzenegger is painfully noticeable. Glover and director Hopkins do a good job, but the effect is kind of like going from tender, juicy steak to a hamburger. I like hamburgers, but next time you're in a restaurant, check the menu and notice the price difference between the two...anyway...one thing that has puzzled me with this film is the element of Predators visiting the Earth and hunting humans on a fairly regular basis. The impression I got of the species is that their whole lifestyle, be that as it may, seems to revolve around the hunt, and the more difficult the prey, most likely the greater the prestige and status. If that's the case, why do they visit the Earth, specifically to hunt humans? Let's face it, we're pretty easy targets, given their technology, weapons, and various other strengths. Sure, once in awhile they may come across a worthy opponent, like Schwarzenegger's character in the previous film, or Glover here, but in general, they mop the floor with us (I'm unsure the body count in this film, but it was very high)...but I digress, as is my wont...the script (which I heard had been re-written something like 20 times) is pretty rough, and the plot laden with clichés, but the pacing is strong, and the action thorough, so the end result is entertaining. I heard a decent amount of violent gristle had been removed to avoid a NC-17 rating, so I was curious why, with this release, they didn't reinstate this material, or included in a `deleted scenes' section. The film contains lots of gooey bits, but it did feel like parts (no pun intended) were missing. Maybe those scenes excised don't exist anymore. I sorta groaned at the composition of Glover's squad, an African American, two Hispanics (one male, one female in Blades and Alonso, respectively), and a Caucasian (Paxton), as I felt it was a lame attempt to present a cross section, I guess meant to represent the community...the actors did generally do a good job, but the material really wasn't there to allow for a cohesiveness to settle in, like in the first film. I'm not talking so much about deep character development, as that wasn't a necessity in the first film, but Schwarzenegger and his crew felt like a real team, hardened by past experiences, and that wasn't the case here. The inclusion of the new Predator weapons was cool, and the production overall is pretty slick, but ultimately falls a little short. And can someone tell me how the huge Predator ship came to be parked underneath the city unnoticed by anyone?

The widscreen anamorphic (1.85:1) picture looks sharp, and the audio clean and clear. This is a 2 DVD set, with most all the special features (outlined in detail on the Amazon site) appearing on the 2nd DVD. 3 stars for the film, plus one for the release.

Cookieman108

The collection has two discs - the first has the movie with two full commentary tracks (with tons of info) and the second has behind the scene featurettes, a documentary, special effect clips, a photo gallery and trailers. Both Danny Glover and Gary Busey are great in this movie and make sure to watch for wall of skulls near the end when Danny enters the Predator's spaceship. Great surprise ending for those of you who have never seen it.
Get it new or used.

The original Predator set the standard for sci-fi action pics while having Arnold Schwarzenegger in the role of the hero. This much underrated sequel takes place in L.A. years after the original film concluded. Danny Glover stars as a burned out detective on the trail of a series of grusome murders, only to find that the Predator is back on the hunt. While Predator 2 is no where as good as the original, it is a very good film on its own, plus we get to see more of the Predator culture and some rather cool weaponry, plus more insight on their hunting rituals. A decent cast is here as well, featuring Gary Busey, and Bill Paxton. A little side note: when Glover is on board the Predator ship looking at the skulls, you'll notice the skull of an Alien from the Alien series of films on the wall.

First we must be honest with ourselves. Danny Glover is not playing some random LA detective in this movie. He is simply reprising his role as Roger Murtaugh from the immortal Lethal Weapon series. However, the resulting film featuring Good ol' Sgt "I'm gettin too old for this . . . " Murtaugh chasing after an evil alien human hunter is an action-packed, often humorous romp. The ending gives the Predator character a little more depth, but still leaves its presence a mystery for the most part, yet somehow the monster remains the perfect bad guy that we all love to hate.
However, this movie never garnered the attention that its predecessor did. This is likely due to the fact that we all wanted a Schwarzenegger shoot-em-up and got a slightly more humorous, plot-driven Predator featuring more of an everyman type of hero.
Yet what separates it from the first film is what makes it great. Glover is not subbing for Schwarzenegger. Rather, he is adding a new element to the story and, along with his supporting cast, some better acting than in the first and a slightly more intriguing plot. All in all, this is a worthwhile movie to own and watch again and again.

'Silent, Invisible, Invincible. He's in town with a few days to kill.' Has there ever a tagline cooler than this? I'm telling you there hasn't. Long, long, long underrated Predator 2 seems to be finally getting the recognition and respect it deserves. Why all of a sudden? Because when standing next to the extremely crap AvP, it looks like pure gold to those miserable cynics who disregarded it when it first came out because Arnie was not in it. Fair enough, a Terminator, Conan or even Commando film without Arnie just wouldn't work. But the 7-foot tall, Rastafarian, otherworldly hunter is the star of this film and this time round he gets much, much more screen time. We all know what the Predator is so Stephen Hopkins shows off this ace instead of hiding it up his sleeve.

The year is 1997 and the City of Angels is boiling under a 109-degree heatwave. Columbian and Jamaican drug lords have turned the streets into a war-zone. The police are out-manned and out gunned and incompetent. The last thing they need to deal with is the Predator.

The titular hunter has returned with an increased arsenal of weapons and is keen on slicing and dicing the aforementioned druggies for fun. During a brutal gun-battle on the streets he watches Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover), a slightly-crazed renegade cop, blow away half a dozen Columbian scumbags and chooses him as his ultimate prey. Naturally, Harrigan and his ethnically diverse team of cops have enough problems without having to worry about their skulls ending up in the Pred's intergalactic trophy cabinet.

Making matters worse is faux-DEA Agent Peter Keyes (Gary Busey) who pretends to be after the druggies but is really more interested in swiping the Pred's advanced technology. Yeah, good luck with that! From start to finish Predator 2 is brash, unsubtle, in-your-face wall-to-wall action. A hectic, breathtaking succession of non-stop, increasingly exciting set-pieces. The final 45 minutes will you wetting yourself with excitement I kid you not. While Hopkins (fresh from his Nightmare on Elm Street 5 debut) has remained constantly employed he's never really become a star director, which is a shame since he has a slick, cartoonish style and is far more talented than most other anonymous directors. Like John McTiernan did in the first, he provokes a dusty, sweaty and overbearingly hot atmosphere in the daytime scenes and an alien, Gothic feel to night (pun intended). The way he captures LA on film just makes you NEVER want to go there.

Fans of Alan Silvestri's score of the first film can take comfort in the fact that all of his cool themes are back (they were rudely ditched for AvP) and more evolved. It's probably the most engaging score he's done. His Latin drums, sinister, shrieking, Hermann-esquire strings, yawning, haunting urban sound effects and occultist voodoo chants dominate every scene and give each one its own unique voice.

But it ain't just that. Everything from set-design and cinematography to sound-design and film editing is nothing short of brilliant. If you think I'm overreacting just watch the film and see for yourself. There's nothing mass-produced or conveyor-belt about Predator 2. Twentieth Century Fox chucked loads of money at it to make it the most sophisticated sequel it could be. Everyone involved seems to have made a huge effort and done their absolute best.

It's sad that action films like this are not made anymore. Predator 2 is a classic, the kind of movie that feels torn straight from the pages of a 1950's pulp detective novel and crossed with a Twilight Zone episode. 10/10, no doubt.

This Blu Ray looks and sounds brilliant.

Like another reviewer said, people have a problem with this movie because its so different from the original. Why would people actually pay money to see the same actor in the same movie only with a number 2 tagged on it? The reason this movie is as good as it is, is because its a stand alone film; you dont need to see the first one in order to enjoy it. As far as those of you who say this one has little or no suspense in it: how much more do you want? This movie is so action packed, you barely have time to catch your breath in between scenes! The effects are astounding, and the surround sound is amazing (especially the part inside the meat locker!). All of the actors involved are excellent, and the new Predator is more juvenile and rebellious (which makes him more dangerous). The urban setting lends to the overall creepy atmosphere of the film. If all you do is nit-pick a film instead of enjoying it, stay home and never go see another one. This movie rocks for all the right reasons.