Predator 2 (1990): In the heat of the hunt
1990 • Stephen Hopkins • 1.85:1 • Jump to Gallery ↓
Set in a heatwave-stricken, near-future Los Angeles, the film transposes the Predator mythos from jungle warfare to urban gang conflict. Directed by Stephen Hopkins, it centres on LAPD Lieutenant Mike Harrigan and his team, who are trying to stop an invisible killer creating chaos amid an already turbulent situation by indiscriminately killing members of opposing gangs.
Predator 2 is a sweaty-looking film set in a 1980s urban nightmare reeking of excess. There are big guns, big clothes, and bigger knuckleheads. Danny Glover, in the lead role, looks as if he can barely keep it together amidst the heat, violenc,e and testosterone overload.
The heat is a central theme of the film, both in the hot climate, which is reinforced by saturated reds, yellows, and sodium-vapour ambers, and in the Predator’s thermal vision, which has become a signature visual motif of the franchise. At least, until the big confrontations between government agents and the killer from outer space change the tone completely, becoming as blue and cold as possible, before the heat returns once more.
Technical Specs:
- The Story: In a crime-ridden, heatwave-stricken Los Angeles, a seasoned cop finds himself up against a deadly alien hunter who has turned the urban jungle into its latest hunting ground. Read my review of Predator 2.
- Actors: Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Rubén Blades, María Conchita Alonso, Bill Paxton, Kevin Peter Hall.
- Director: Stephen Hopkins
- Year: 1990
- Cinematographer: Peter Levy
- Origin: American Cinema
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Genre: Sci-Fi / Horror / Action
