Predator 2
Film information
Directed by	Stephen Hopkins
Produced by	Joel Silver Lawrence Gordon John Davis
Written by	Jim Thomas John Thomas
Starring	Danny Glover Gary Busey María Conchita Alonso Ruben Blades Bill Paxton Calvin Lockhart Kevin Peter Hall
Music	Alan Silvestri
Cinematography	Peter Levy
Editing
Distributor	20th Century Fox
Release information
Release date(s)	November 21, 1990
Running time	108 minutes
Budget	$35,000,000
Worldwide Gross	$57,169,413 (worldwide)[1]
MPAA Rating
Chronology
Preceded by	Predator
Followed by	Alien vs. Predator

Predator 2 is a 1990 science fiction action film directed by Stephen Hopkins and starring Danny Glover, Gary Busey, María Conchita Alonso, Ruben Blades and Bill Paxton. Written by Jim and John Thomas, the film is a sequel to the successful 1987 film Predator starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and concerns a new Predator on a killing spree in the city. The alien hunter's slaughter of the city's warring gangs brings it into conflict with a hardened police officer and his colleagues, and also attracts the attention of a covert government taskforce attempting to capture the creature.

The cast is entirely new apart from actor Kevin Peter Hall, who returns to play the titular Predator, and Elpidia Carrillo, who makes a cameo appearance as Anna from Predator. The film received mixed reviews and gained a moderate return at the box office. However, like its predecessor, it gained a strong cult following after its initial release. It was followed by a further sequel, titled Predators (2010).

Contents 1 Plot 2 Cast 3 Production 4 Reception 5 Novelization 6 Cut Scenes 6.1 Danny's Funeral 6.2 Hard Core 7 Re-release 8 New Facts about the Predator 9 See Also 10 References

PlotEdit

In 1997, Los Angeles is suffering from both a sweltering heat-wave and a vicious street war between police and Colombian and Jamaican drug gangs. Engaged in a protracted shootout with the Colombians are police detectives Leona Cantrell and Danny Archuleta as they await the aid of their boss, veteran Lieutenant Michael Harrigan. After an intense firefight, Harrigan's aggressive tactics force 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 the Colombians have been mysteriously slaughtered. He follows their leader, El Scorpio, who is the only survivor, to the roof of the structure and shoots him. After the Colombian falls from the roof, Harrigan catches sight of what appears to be the hazy silhouette of a large transparent man, but dismisses it as an effect of the heat.

At the police station, Harrigan is introduced to Special Agent Peter Keyes, leader of a federal task force purportedly investigating the cartels, and warned to stay out of his way, news he does not take to kindly. Harrigan is also introduced to a young, cocky officer who has been assigned to his team, Jerry "The Lone Ranger" Lambert.

Later, Jamaican gang members attack the Colombian drug lord Ramon Vega at his apartment, ritualistically murdering him. The Predator takes advantage of the situation and kills the Jamaicans one by one, leaving only the Colombian's unarmed girlfriend alive. Arriving at the scene first, Harrigan and his team enter against orders, observing one of the Predator's weapons stuck in an air-conditioner before Keyes and his team arrive. Enraged at his defiance, Keyes threatens Harrigan, saying he will "disappear" if he interferes again. Harrigan orders Lambert to follow Keyes, while he 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 weapon they spotted earlier, which has gone unnoticed by Keyes' team. Unfortunately, the Predator has also returned to the scene and, revealing itself to Archuleta, attacks and kills him.

Harrigan is devastated, vowing to his superiors and Keyes to destroy the perpetrator responsible for his friend's death. After Cantrell and Lambert trail Keyes to a slaughterhouse, they visit a pathologist to investigate the weapon Archuleta had found. She discusses its origins, noting the weapon's material does not correspond with any element on the periodic table, and that it has almost no weight despite cutting like steel. Harrigan decides to set up a meeting with the Jamaican drug lord King Willie, hoping he will know who is attacking them. Willie believes that whoever, or whatever, is involved in the killings of his men is not of this world. More confused than ever, Harrigan leaves — and the Predator immediately attacks and beheads King Willie.

Leona suspects that the killer is toying with Harrigan, as Danny was murdered shortly before Harrigan arrived, while King Willie was killed moments after he left. The pathologist has further examined the weapon recovered by Archuletta and discovers that it is covered with traces of blood linking it to a slaughterhouse, such as the one where Lambert recently lost Keyes. Harrigan visits Archuletta's grave at the cemetery, telling Cantrell and Lambert to meet him at the slaughterhouse afterwards. Cantrell and Lambert witness a group of armed thugs threatening an innocent passenger on the subway. They pull their guns, initiating a tense standoff that is broken when the Predator suddenly bursts in through the roof of the train and attacks. During the confusion as the thugs are slaughtered, Cantrell herds the passengers towards the front of the train while Lambert challenges the Predator alone. After stopping the train and getting the passengers to the surface, Cantrell doubles back to find Lambert has been killed. She also encounters the Predator, which overpowers her and scans her body with its thermal imaging, seeing a foetus within her abdomen.

Harrigan arrives at the scene to discover Cantrell is still alive, having been spared. He also surmises that only people carrying weapons have been killed. Following a blood trail down the subway tunnel, he witnesses the Predator mutilating Lambert's body — removing his skull and spinal column in their entirety as a trophy. Harrigan pursues the creature, to the surface and then across town in his squad car, only to be captured by Keyes' special team.

Keyes finally reveals to Harrigan what he's dealing with, and that he and his team have been following encounters with the "other world life form" ever since Alan "Dutch" Schaefer and his Special Forces team were attacked in the jungles of Val Verde ten years earlier. Keyes and his men are determined to capture this creature for study, realizing its value as a potential means for immense technological advance. Armed with cryogenic weaponry intended to immobilize the creature, they have set a trap for it in a vacant slaughterhouse which the Predator has been raiding for food. The team wear thermally insulated suits to mask their heat signatures and render them invisible the the Predator's heat-based vision. However, the Predator switches its mask's scanner through a number of different ranges of electromagnetic wavelengths, finally settling on the ultraviolet spectrum, allowing it to see the black lights being used by the team. The Predator attacks, killing everyone except Keyes. Harrigan, who foresaw trouble, is able to escape custody and arms himself before heading inside to confront the Predator.

Harrigan is able to shoot the Predator down and remove its mask, but the creature revives moments later and attacks Harrigan. Keyes reappears, alive but scarred from the previous confrontation, and uses a specialized liquid nitrogen cannon to subdue the Predator. However, once again the Predator rallies itself and kills Keyes. Harrigan flees to the rooftop where the battle continues, before moving through an apartment building and finally into the tunnels under the city, where Harrigan discovers the Predator's ship. The two engage in a final duel on board, ending with Harrigan killing the Predator by slicing it open.

Exhausted, Harrigan suddenly finds himself surrounded by several more Predators. Instead of attacking, the creatures carry away their dead clan-mate, while an Elder Predator gives Harrigan an antique flintlock pistol as a sign of respect. Harrigan escapes the ship just as it blasts off into space. The remaining members of Keyes' team confront him, blaming his interference for their failure to capture a Predator. As Keyes men flee ahead of police backup, Harrigan, holding the flintlock in his hand, comments that they will get another chance.

Cast Edit

Production Edit

"Broad concept's the same. The difference is, this is a different individual. A different individual of the same species. As is a snake is a snake is a snake, but different snakes are different. Their colorings are different, different parts of their characteristics, their facial structures, subtle differences."

— Stan Winston describing the Predator in Predator 2 and explaining the reason for the varying designs and looks of the Predators.[2]

In Predator 2, the main Predator was designed to look more urban and hip than its predecessor. Design changes included tribal ornamentation on the forehead, which was made steeper and shallower, brighter skin coloration and a greater number of fangs.^[3]

Arnold Schwarzenegger, who starred as Dutch in the 1987 film, was originally intended to reprise his role in the sequel. However, Schwarzenegger declined the part, stating that he did not approve of the sequel's concept, feeling that taking the Predator into the city was a bad idea. The Dutch character was subsequently rewritten as Peter Keyes (Gary Busey). Returning to the role of Anna in the sequel, Elpidia Carrillo was originally intended to be in two scenes, but the part was cut back to a brief cameo appearance on a video screen in the government agents' surveillance trailer. Her character is seen amidst footage of the damage to the Central American jungle caused by the explosion at the conclusion of the first film. Actor Henry Kingi, who had an uncredited role as a guerrilla killed by Dutch in Predator, also appeared in Predator 2, albeit as a different character.

Due to excessive violence, Predator 2 was originally given an NC-17 rating in the U.S. The film was cut numerous times before being granted the desired R rating. More graphic and gory shots of mutilated bodies and decapitations by the Predator were cut throughout the film, including from the death of Bill Paxton. Other cuts were made for time purposes, including a subplot revolving around Maria Conchita Alonso's pregnancy and the chase sequence where Danny Glover tracks the Predator to the slaughterhouse district, which was originally significantly longer. The uncut version of the film has yet to be released.

Reception Edit

The film received mixed reviews, with Chicago Sun-Times critic Roger Ebert suggesting it represents an "angry and ugly" dream.^[4] Since its initial release, the film has, like its predecessor, gained a cult following.^[5] The worldwide box office revenue totaled $57,169,413 in ticket sales. Although this surpassed the cost of the film's budget, it was considered an overall disappointment in comparison to its predecessor's performance.

The film currently holds a 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 4.6/10.

Novelization Edit

The novelization provided a small amount of information regarding the fate of "Dutch" from the first film. Keyes recalls memories of speaking with the battered Major while in firmed in a hospital, suffering from radiation sickness. "Dutch" is said to have escaped from the hospital, never to be seen again. Furthermore, the novel also tells a great deal of the story from the Predator's point of view, such as its humiliation of having its mask removed by Harrigan, and reasoning for not killing Cantrell due to its discovery of her pregnancy.

Cut ScenesEdit

Danny's FuneralEdit

Danny Archuleta's funeral was originally seen, with several officers from the department in attendance. Afterwards, Tony Pope again confronted Harrigan for an interview, leading Captain Pilgrim to assault him and throw him away. Harrigan then intentionally backs into Pope's van as he pulls away in his car, damaging it.^[2] This scene was included in the novelization of the film.^[6]

Hard CoreEdit

Most of the Hard Core television news segments seen throughout the film were originally considerably longer, featuring more footage of Pope both in the studio and on location. One segment singles out Harrigan as a "cowboy cop".^[2]

Re-release Edit

In 2010 the film was re-released in the NuArt Theatre in Los Angeles on 23 April 2010, at an event hosted by Bloody Disgusting.^[7] Despite hopes to the contrary, the new release did not contain any additional footage or scenes reinstated.

New Facts about the PredatorEdit

Predator 2 established several new facts about the predator creatures, painting them less harshly than in the original film. The predators are portrayed as hunters who follow a strict code in which they refuse to kill unarmed, ill or pregnant prey. This was hinted at in the 1987 film when an unarmed Anna Gonsalves (Elpidia Carrillo) was never attacked, and when the Predator removed his armor to face Dutch in a fair fight.

In Predator 2, The Predator takes aim at a child carrying a toy gun, but when he scans it and realizes it is a toy, he backs off. During the Subway chaos in the middle of the film, Officer Cantrell (Alonso) is caught by the Predator with her service gun, but upon scanning her body, he finds a fetus inside her and doesn't kill her. At the end of the movie, after Harrigan (Glover) kills the creature, he is suddenly surrounded by additional predators. Presumably because their comrade was defeated in a fair match, they let Harrigan leave and even give him a trophy (an authentic flintlock pistol from the year 1715) in honor of his victory.

Near the end of the film, a Xenomorph skull can be seen in the predator's trophy collection. This was a last-minute addition by Stan Winston, who provided special effects for both Predator 2 and Aliens, designed as an inside joke for fans and inspired by the November 1989 Dark Horse comic Aliens vs. Predator (the first media to feature the two species interacting). Following Predator 2, the co-existence of the aliens and the predators was later explored in numerous other comics, video games, and the films Alien vs. Predator (2004) and Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007).

See AlsoEdit

• Predator 2 (novel) — The novelization of the film by Simon Hawke.
• Predator 2 (comic) — A comic book adaptation of the film.
• Predator 2 (video game) — The video game based on the film.

References Edit

1. ↑ Predator 2 (1990) - Box office / business
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Stephen Hopkins, Kevin Peter Hall, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Stan Winston, Joel Silver, John Davis, Jim Thomas, John Thomas. The Hunters and the Hunted: The Making of 'Predator 2' [DVD]. 20th Century Fox.
3. ↑ Jody Duncan & James Cameron (2007). The Winston Effect: The Art and History of Stan Winston Studio, 336. ISBN 1845761502. 
4. ↑ "Roger Ebert, Film Review for Predator 2". suntimes.com (November 21, 1990). Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
5. ↑ "Rotten Tomatoes, Film Reviews for Predator 2". rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-09.
6. ↑ Simon Hawke (1990). Predator 2 novelization. Warner Books, Inc., 102. 
7. ↑ BD Hosts 'Predator 2' Screening Friday, April 23 at the NuArt in Los Angeles!