Predator 2 (Film Review)

1990 20th Century Fox
Directed by: Stephen Hopkins; Written by: Jim and John Thomas
Starring: Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Rubén Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, Adam Baldwin, and Robert Davi
MPAA Rating: R; Running Time: 108 Minutes
The Nicsperiment Score: 7/10

In the sweaty, near-future hellscape of 1997, someone is hunting down drug dealers, stringing them up from the ceiling, and skinning them alive. At first, the drug dealers think it's the cops and the cops think it's other drug dealers. However, as the evidence piles up, something becomes clear: the killer is hunting for sport...and he is not of this world.
Predator 2 was doomed from the start. A sequel to an Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring, John McTiernan-directed film, neither starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, nor directed by John McTiernan? There is no way Predator 2 can measure up to the original film, which finds Arnie and a crew of muscle-bound soldiers fighting an invisible and seemingly invincible foe in the jungle. The action in Predator 2 is moved to the urban jungle, with Danny Glover, three years past uttering the line "I'm too old for this shit" in 1987's Lethal Weapon, starring as the action lead who must go toe-to-toe with the hulking Predator foe. But while, like the vast majority of action films ever created, it may not measure up to 1987's Predator, Predator 2 is still a fun and entertaining film.
While Danny Glover may not be Arnie, again, no one is Arnie. Glover got into great shape for this film and brings an angry swagger (the film says he is 40% more aggressive than your average cop) and confidence to this role, which he himself admits he rarely possessed otherwise. Glover is believable as the baddest person in this urban jungle and easy to root for. The supporting cast here is nearly as strong as the original film's, with Gary Busey and Bill Paxton being no slouches to the era's genre films or any films in general. Rounding things out, are Rubén Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Adam Baldwin, and Robert Davi, and all bring their A-game. Alan Silvestri returns from composing the score for the first film, and no one told him about sophomore slumps; his music here is phenomenal. The wild card here is director, Stephen Hopkins. John McTiernan directed Predator during a legendary run that includes 1988's Die Hard and 1990's The Hunt for Red October. The man was on fire, and Hopkins simply can't stand next to that. However, the young director swings for the fences throughout Predator 2, lending the film a wild and loose feeling that keeps things fun, even if he can't shoot action with the high geographical competence that McTiernan can. The film goes to some shockingly dark and violent places without losing its sense of fun and unpredictability, and that's all thanks to the eager young Aussie in the director's chair. So while Predator 2 does not and could have only measured up to the first Predator if it was one of the best action films ever made, it's still a memorable and entertaining film, and while this is not saying much, the second best film in the Predator series..