[MacBlayne]

PREDATOR 2

Predator 2 has a strange reputation. It was critically derided on release. It was rejected by fans for ridiculous reasons such as it didn’t have Arnie, and for more reasonable reasons such as its exaggerated tone. It underperformed in the box-office, and had to rely on home video to turn a tidy profit. It eventually picked up cult following, but its mainstream reputation seems to be one that is recognised as underrated, but nobody really remembers why.

Well, cards on the table, but I adore Predator 2. The first film is better, but Predator 2 is very close. It lacks the leanness that the first film delivers, but almost makes up for it with a vicious abrasiveness that never lets up. Almost every line of dialogue is either snarled or yelled. The violence is beyond brutal at parts, bordering on pure horror. Sirens klaxon from every direction, and flashing lights rattle the frame.

It's exhausting, but it is with purpose. Predator 2 portrays a Hell on earth. A world ravaged by global warming, rising crime, 24/7 media (casting Morton Downey as loudmouth prick was clearly a Silver joke), gun ownership, and a police state. Boy, did they catch us out on that. It’s the most Joel Silver film ever made. You can almost taste the cocaine emanating from every frame.

This is what I love about Predator 2, and is perhaps why audiences couldn’t connect. It’s a surprisingly sprawling film that isn’t afraid to reflect on the genre, and the Reagan era. It presents a hyper-realistic world of excess – a world destroyed by the actions of the previous era. And yet, it doesn’t carry the bitter, cynical streak you’d expect. It carries a sense of optimism, that perhaps violence and gun-waving is not the ideal future for the world.

However, when the film does focus on the Predator stuff, it’s quite good. Alan Silvestri’s wonderful score returns. The cast headed by Danny Glover keep their characters likable despite their yelling, and quick reliance on violence. Director Stephen Hopkins does a wonderful job at giving Los Angeles an exotic horror vibe, and utilises odd angles and close-ups to create a sense of unease. And of course, the attack scenes.

Predator 2 is loaded with fantastic set-pieces, including what may be the best of the entire series. A nightmare sequence taking place on a rush-hour subway train, loaded with trigger-happy civilians, and a playful Predator. It’s a tour-de-force of direction, acting, editing, cinematography, and music, and has you feeling like you are stuck in the car with Bill Paxton. Nothing comes close to this sequence, which is why it’s a shame that the film carries on for another 30 minutes.

This is perhaps the biggest fault of Predator 2. While it is still fun, it turns into a standard chase film with “wacky” humour that lacks the pure terror the subway scene brought.

Still, I can’t deny I had a wonderful time revisiting Predator 2. Like Paxton’s Lambert, it is loud, excessive, vulgar, and as baggy as his trousers. But it’s also loaded with charm and personality, and it demands your attention. It's magic. Voodoo magic! F**king voodoo magic!