"Predator 2" is ultimately a fairly satisfying action film from director Stephen Hopkins... "Director Stephen Hopkins", that should give you your first indication of how different this film is from its predecessor. Unlike McTiernan, the no-nonsense, straightforward action director who directed the first installment, Hopkins is famed for less straightforward films, such as "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers". The first few minutes of the film willserve to solidify the fact that this film is entirely different from its predecessor, with the exception of the title character. Aside from Kevin Peter Hall, who returns to play the Predator, the cast is entirely different from that of the original.
This film is set in 1997 in L.A. where rival gangs have turned the streets into a war zone and where the Predator is loose and off killing/skinning people... But the story doesn't really matter. The good news about this film is that this L.A. feels more like Gotham city than the real Los Angeles, and the comic book atmosphere really does work here. All the characters are overblown and cartoonish and the cast is fun to watch, especially Glover and Paxton.
However, the film's quality is diminished by a very uneven script, a pretty bad score, and some questionable directorial choices. But it's still an enjoyable action romp and the Predator itself is a bit more interesting here in terms of its movement and weaponry.
"Predator 2" is one of the few sequels that truly separates itself from its predecessor. However, in going for the atmosphere it goes for, "Predator 2" earns comparison to those films that are similar to it, and in that sense is merely a pleasant, good film. Compared to the original it lacks the suspense or excitement of its predecessor. This is a good film, but maybe it should be forgotten as part of the Predator franchise, as it negates "Predator"'s fearsome nature by replacing it with cartoonish violence and broad characterizations.
6/10
