Predator 2 (DVD 2005)

Los Angeles in the future year of 1997, and gangs led by warring drug barons are plunging the city into chaos. Gun battles between the police and the gangs are all too common, and today the cops are trying to rescue two of their number who have been injured, but the gang members won't let them close. Enter Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover), who stages a daring rescue in the face of near-overwhelming firepower, and forces the gunmen into a nearby building. The lawmen go in after them, despite being ordered not to by the F.B.I., and are shocked to find the bodies of the hoodlums strewn around a top floor room - who or what could have caused this?

The first thing you'll notice about the sequel to Predator is the complete lack of an Arnold Schwarzenegger. For this follow-up, scripted by Jim Thomas and John Thomas, there are no supermen to battle the alien menace, only a team of hassled cops led by Harrigan. Instead of being an impossibly muscular match for the intergalactic assassin, Glover is harrassed, sweaty and frequently out of breath - finally the nineties had brought us an action hero we could relate to. The macho exercise in the jungle of the first film gives way to a hunt around the dangerous streets of L.A., and is all the better for it, with the gang culture easy pickings for the Predator.

The F.B.I. team contrasts with Harrigan's sidekicks, so it's good authorities versus bad authorities with the Feds led by Keyes (Gary Busey), who naturally just has to clash with our protagonist. The plot draws on a background of conflict between Jamaican and Colombian gangs, but when a top ranking member of the Colombians is found hanging dead along with skinned corpses of Jamaicans, it's clear there's someone else involved in the mayhem. We already know who simply by reading the title, but it takes far too long for Harrigan to catch up with the ins and outs of Predator hunting - if only Keyes had told him earlier we might have arrived at the big chase that highlights the last half sooner.

One of Harrigan's partners (and these cops are a multi-ethnic bunch, refreshingly) is Danny (Ruben Blades), who has noticed something at a crime scene, a little bit of Predator hardware, but when he goes to fetch it he is dispatched by the monster fairly swiftly, making this personal for Harrigan. The villain is as impressive as in the previous movie, played again by the towering Kevin Peter Hall, and has an array of gadgets to assist him, from the invisible camouflage to a selection of guns and knives. And let's not forget his talent for mimicry, making him the Mike Yarwood of the movie monster world. He's so impressive that Harrigan's efforts to triumph over him are almost too much to take, but Glover's good humour papers over the cracks.

Predator 2 is almost Robocop, featuring Robocop as the antagonist, with its police force swamped by serious crime and obnoxious media; the only thing missing is an anti-corporate agenda. There are welcome flashes of drollery, as when Harrigan is picked up by a car belonging to the Jamaicans, and is nearly overcome with ganja smoke, or when overeager cop Jerry (Bill Paxton) spots himself on television under the caption "Police Brutality" and is delighted. But it's the action that really comes alive, with a fight on a subway train and a tense scene in a large freezer to foil the Predator's infra red vision. Once it ends, with the promise of a further sequel, you feel as if you could do with another instalm

This is a DVD Movie i wanted to purchace for some time now, and when i found the 2-DVD Special Edition, at a great price, i couldn't let it get away.
A few things about the main movie:
The picture and audio quality is absolutelly great, considering the fact that it is about almost 19 years, since it was theater-released (1990). It also features a DTS Audo Stream, with superb quality. The picture itself is a stunning piece of work to look at, with great details all the way, even in the hot-action scenes. The main feature also houses two aditional commentary audio streams, first by the director and the second featuring the films' writers, both pleasant and interesting to hear (and also subtitled). The Main Movie has subs only for the Hearing Impared, but they are well-written and not annoying at all.
Scene Selection has only a few chapters to be selected, but i never paid attention to chapter-selecting anyway (mention it for reference only).
Passing on to the Second Disk (Extra-Features):
To be honest, i wasn't expecting much of movie extra's to be hosted, but, for a 1990 movie, i was surprisingly mistaken! There is plenty for the PREDATOR Fan to be happy about, and they are well hosted by the movie makers and actors alike.
I like watching movie extras, where i don't see just the Director mumbling one or two hours about how he put the movie together, but also the actors and members of the rest of the crew, talking about how each one contributed on bringing the film on screen. This film extras' hosts inside many people talking about their work in this movie, and i enjoyed it greatly.
More specifically, extra features include a making documentary about the movie, some extra featurettes, a good special effects' analysis, a predator's weapon analysis, a promotinal gallery, with Trailers, TV Spots and movie stills, plus two full-lenght mock news-reports, which look like real reports. There are some good deleated scenes somewhere (i liked them a lot, wonder why they where cut off, after i watched them two or three times).
As i final word, being a Predator fan and having watched and keep watching this movie occasionally, i highly recommend this purchase to Predator fans (and not only). I am sure they will be kept happy after purchasing this DVD Edition, and well-worth every penny they spent on.

P.S. (I hope FOX will consider seriously bringing a third movie to the big screen, even after all these years, having listened to most of the Predators' fans' main request: BRING PREDATOR 3 TO THE BIG SCREEN ALREADY !!!)

Thanks for reading, and i hope you found my review usefull. Simon

Predator 2 is very much like the first film. The only difference is the setting. Instead of killing many people in the jungle, the predator now moves on to a city. The film can be boring at times but the acting is good, the effects aren't bad and the plot is well developed. A worthy sequel for Predator.

Plot:

Harrigan, a brash policeman who is fighting drug lords in a decaying L.A. finds that the criminals are being killed in a very odd fashion. The federal authorities keep telling him to stay out, even though his own men are also being killed. He catches sight of a nearly invisible alien hunter who is searching for trophies. Harrigan injures the creature and pursues it, becoming the hunter.

This and the Arnold Predator film are in my opiion the only ones to bother with.
Forget the clumsy AVP and the atrocious AVP 2

I have all the other predator dvd's and needed this for the collection. and i like the film. Good effects and a different concept to the usual horror films etc

ok first off this a a must own but you also need the first one . i do like the idea of it been set in a big city mean much more action but still arnie in a jungle you cant beat it

Predator 2 the sequel!

What a film?

Arnold Schwarzenegger (Terminator & Commando) and his Elite Special Forces team were stalked as prey for the alien referred to as the "Predator" in the original film.

Now in the sequel, Mr Danny Glover, (Lethal Weapon/Saw 1) plays a cop on the edge out numbered and out gunned by the drug crazed criminals whom now rule the streets however, 1 by 1 these bad guys are being slaughtered like cattle.
Who is it? What is it?
It's the Predator, back for a second helping of human flesh and trophies of man to take back to his home planet.

One of the best sequels' i've seen, plaese watch you wont be dissaponited.

I'll leave you with a line from the film said by "King Willy" to Danny Glover

"Ya don see de eyes o the Demon...Until im cum calling"..

If you like the Predator creature then you should love this sci-fi sequel. It adds a massive amount to the alien races' mythology with new fantastic weapons and a clan reveal in the spaceship finale. This set has many behind the scenes documentaries which reveal a lot about the special effects and tons of rare shots of the incredible suits.

n an alternate 1997, Los Angeles is suffering from both a sweltering heat-wave and a vicious street war between rival Jamaican and Colombian drug cartels. Engaged in a protracted shootout with some Colombians, police officers Leona Cantrell (Maria Conchita Alonso) and Danny Archuleta (Ruben Blades) await the aid of their boss, veteran Lieutenant Michael Harrigan (Danny Glover). After an intense firefight with the officers, Harrigan's aggressive tactics cause the criminals to withdraw into a nearby building. A series of explosions rock the structure, followed by mysterious gunfire. Harrigan proceeds inside, against orders, only to find all the Colombians have been mysteriously slaughtered. He catches sight of what appears to be the hazy silhouette of a large man, but waves it off as an effect of the heat wave. Harrigan suspects that a new "player" has entered the streets for control.

At the police station, Harrigan is introduced to Special Agent Peter Keyes (Gary Busey), leader of a federal task force investigating the cartels. Harrigan is also introduced to a new officer for his team, Jerry "The Lone Ranger" Lambert (Bill Paxton).

Later, Jamaican cartel members attack the Colombian drug lord Ramone at his home. After ritualistically murdering him, the Predator takes advantage of the situation and kills the Jamaicans, leaving only the Colombian's girlfriend alive. Arriving first, Harrigan and his team enter against orders, observing one of the Predator's daggers stuck in an air-conditioner, before Keyes and his team arrive. Enraged at his defiance, Keyes threatens Harrigan, saying he will be 'disappeared' if he interferes again. Harrigan and Archuleta discuss plans to return to the crime scene later for further investigation into the murders. Archuleta arrives before Harrigan and attempts to retrieve the dagger, which has gone unnoticed by Keyes. Unfortunately, the Predator has also returned to the scene. Archuleta attacks on reflex and is killed by the Predator.

Harrigan is devastated, vowing to his superiors and Keyes to destroy the perpetrator responsible for his friend's death. After Cantrell and Lambert tail Keyes to a slaughterhouse, they visit a pathologist to investigate the dagger, which Harrigan had secretly removed from Archuleta's corpse. She discusses its origins, noting the weapon's molecular structure does not correspond with the periodic table. Harrigan decides to set up a meeting with the Jamaican drug lord King Willy, hoping he will know who is attacking them. Willy believes the creature involved in the killings of his men is not of this world. More confused than ever, Harrigan leaves - the Predator immediately attacks and kills King Willy.

Leona suspects that this killer is toying with Harrigan, as Danny was murdered shortly before Harrigan arrived, while King Willy was murdered moments after he left. Cantrell and Lambert, planning to meet Harrigan, are traveling by subway when a group of thugs threaten a man. They pull guns on each other, causing Lambert and Cantrell to pull their own weapons. As the tense standoff ensues, the Predator suddenly attacks. During the confusion, Cantrell assists the passengers to safety within another subway car while Lambert keeps the Predator busy. After stopping the train and getting the passengers to the surface, she doubles back to find Lambert has been killed. She encounters the Predator, who scans her body with thermal scan technology. V

Not the best of the Predator films but 2 disc special edition has some nice addition material. Still a must to have if you like the Predator films.

the dvd was fantastic to watch for action packed fans. it has improved from predator1 but for a 1990's film its one of the best of its time. fantastic seller and well packed.