Review of Predator 2

Introduction

It`s been a long time coming, but the Special Edition of Predator 2 is finally here. Predator 2 was originally only available in the UK as part of a 2-disc boxset released in 2001, which contained the bare-bones versions of both films, although Predator was hacked to pieces. The uncut Special Edition of Predator soon followed but it took the recent hype of the Alien vs. Predator movie to expedite an update of the sequel. Finally you can purchase this film on its own, or if you want, a four disc SE boxset of both films.

It`s 1997, and LA is a war torn city as rival drugs gangs battle it out for supremacy in the 109°F heat. The police are beleaguered and crime is running out of control. Into this perfect killing ground comes the Predator, an alien hunter who sees humans as ideal prey. Lieutenant Mike Harrigan gets a rude introduction to the alien when he pursues a drug gang into their hideout, only to find their dismembered carcasses strewn about their lair, their guns having been no defence against an invisible assailant. The investigation is immediately curtailed though, as Federal officers under the command of Peter Keyes arrive to stamp their jurisdiction on the scene. The carnage hasn`t ended yet, as the rival Jamaican gang is also found to be worthy of the Predator`s attention. As Harrigan finds his efforts curtailed by the Feds, it becomes apparent that they have a hidden agenda, and know far more about the new scourge in LA than they are letting on. These matters don`t concern the Predator of course, who has found his ideal prey, Lieutenant Harrigan himself.

Video

Predator 2 is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic transfer. The Special Edition boasts improved image quality compared to the bare-bones disc, but it`s a marginal improvement at best. The image is clearer and better defined, detail levels are higher and I noticed an increase in the vividness of the colours. Most scenes show a noticeable improvement, and darker scenes are brimming with detail. It`s the moments in between, the dusty scenes shot in dim light that lose out when it comes to detail. The aftermath of the initial drug bust in the Columbian armoury is particularly prone to ghosting and a loss of detail, with skin tones noticeably affected. More problematic is that nothing has been done to remove the print damage that was apparent in the first disc. Small flecks abound, and an annoying thin vertical black line keeps cropping up. On the whole the image is improved over the previous release, but it hardly warrants a Special Edition appellation.

Audio

Sound on the other hand is a different kettle of fish. I was impressed with the sound on the bare-bones disc, but four years makes a big difference. Once again there is a DD 5.1 English track, but this time it is joined by a bigger DTS brother. I compared the Dolby Digital tracks, and found a noticeable improvement, with a feeling that I was immersed in the film from the Fox logo onwards. It`s a powerful, encompassing and vibrant surround track, putting you in the middle of the action. The Predator point of view sounds particularly effective. On occasion it did feel as if the dialogue was overpowered by action or soundtrack, but with the quality of the dialogue, it was no great loss. Unfortunately, the layer change is in exactly the same place on this disc as before, right in the middle of a music cue.

Features

And here we come to the whole point of Special Editions, the extras.

Both discs start by autoplaying anti-piracy warnings. Apparently it`s now illegal to defeat copy protection, so no making sneaky back up discs now.

Epileptics should take warning, as the animated menu on Disc 1 is based on the subway attack scene. Plenty of dark moments punctuated with flashes of light almost succeed in obscuring the menu options, not very user friendly.

Disc 1 contains a link to Fox.co.uk as well as two commentaries.

Director Stephen Hopkins provides the first commentary. It`s a little understated, a little gappy and there is a tendency to state the obvious from time to time. The second commentary comes from writers Jim Thomas and John Thomas. It`s a little more informative and rounded; it also flows better as there are two speakers, but the inevitable gaps appear. I think fans of the film would better appreciate the commentaries, but I found my attention wandering. Both are presented in DD 2.0 Surround, and in a nice move there are subtitles for both.

Disc 2 is a single layer disc that contains the rest of the extras, the most substantial of which is The Hunters And The Hunted, a 36 minute documentary presented in 4:3 as are all the rest of the featurettes. This is the making of Predator 2, with most of the material taken from 1990 when the film was released, but with the additional input from director Stephen Hopkins speaking recently. It`s a nice light-hearted piece, with clips from the movies, behind the scenes footage and interviews with the cast and crew. Gary Busey, who has a unique take on press junkets, most noticeably enlivens it.

Evolutions looks at how the optical effects were accomplished in three scenes from the film, with commentary from Visual Effects Supervisor Joel Hynek. This lasts 6 minutes.

Weapons Of Choice is a 7-minute look at the Predator`s arsenal. 6 weapons are examined with a convenient play all option.

Promotional Gallery contains 3 featurettes that were released to promote Predator 2. The Predator Goes to Town lasts 3 minutes, International `Making Of` Featurette lasts 6 and Creating The Ultimate Hunter lasts 4. These are brief, fluffy and repeat much of what is said in the main featurette.

Hardcore Segments shows two of Morton Downey Jr`s faux news reports in their entirety. Lasting 7 minutes they make a nice if pointless addition to the set.

Finally there is a stills gallery containing 57 pictures from the film and the production.

All of the featurettes are subtitled. For a special edition, there is a relative paucity of additional material, with only the main documentary and commentaries worthy of repeat viewing. You would have thought that they would have found room for the trailer at least, but that remains confined to the bare bones disc.

Conclusion

Sequelitis strikes again, as another lacklustre film is made to cash in on the success of an original property. It`s really a shame as all the ingredients were there to make a worthy sequel. The initial premise, so explosively established in the first film is box office manna. The story, rather than being a simple rehash of the first film actually shows some promise. The film also has a rating suitable for the subject matter. (As opposed to modern films which, to maximise an audience, become parodies of themselves to obtain a family friendly rating, and I`m not naming names here, Cough Alien vs. Predator!) As I said, the premise of the sequel has potential, the idea of the Predator coming to the concrete jungle to hunt, the battlefield between drug gangs being its playground and the police caught in the middle. Add to that the idea that the government has become aware of the alien following the events of the first movie and have their own agenda to capture alien technology. This all adds up to a great sequel. Unfortunately, the Producers added wrong.

The ideas behind Predator 2 are wasted with a poor script and some dismal characterisations. Admittedly the shock value of the Predator was gone, and since the audience all know what the alien looks like, the idea of suspense was dispensed with in favour of blood and guts from the off. Whereas the first film was a slow build up of tension culminating in some explosive action, we get thrown right into the thick of things here and the film fails to engage in the same way. Kevin Peter Hall is just as impressive as the Predator, but the rest of the cast fail to match up. Danny Glover is loud mouthed and brash as the perpetually angry Harrigan but that is the only side of the character we see. Gary Busey is promising as the Federal Agent, Peter Keyes, but his role is wasted and pretty much boils down to providing exposition, to remind us what the Predator is capable of, just in case we missed the first film. Perhaps the worst written character is that of Jerry Lambert, the flash, young Turk assigned to Harrigan`s unit. Written as charming and full of himself, he just comes across as irritating and venal. The rest of the characters are just wasted as Predator fodder or filler. Kent McCord is Captain Pilgrim and Robert Davi is Captain Heinemann, Harrigan`s feuding superiors, but the characters don`t actually do anything. They are just ideas that are never fully explored in this sequel by numbers, as is the irritating Morton Downey Jr news hack who appears as a sort of Robocop homage.

The script is cliché city and the characters are laughably bad, but what ultimately diminishes Predator 2 for me is this. In the first film, Arnold Schwarzenegger goes up against one and barely escapes with his life, and what`s left is a shattered shell of a man, gazing blankly out of that helicopter, who we instinctively know will never come to terms with what has happened to him. In the sequel, we are expected to believe that Danny Glover can go up against a Predator? (No offence to Danny Glover) It just doesn`t ring true. Predator 2 is a fun action movie and certain moments do serve the mythology of the Predator well, like the Alien skull as a trophy in the ship, but it is nowhere near up to the standards of the first one. It does serve as a good companion piece though, and as time passes, I find that its positives outweigh the negatives. Putting aside its myriad faults, there is still a degree of fun to be obtained from Predator 2, and as a mindless action movie it works well. It`s best if you don`t ask too much of the film, and keep some popcorn handy to throw at the screen during the cheesier moments.

This Special Edition release improves the image quality compared to the first disc, but not significantly. I can`t fault the sound though, as it was a greatly improved experience compared to before. It`s just in the extras stakes that the discs fall short, with a brief and inconsequential set of features that barely warrant Special Edition status. The commentaries failed to excite me, although that may be coloured by my opinion of the film, but the main documentary was entertaining. It`s worth a double dip if you are a fan of the film.