I've always loved this movie ever since I saw it way back in 1990 at the theater. Predator is great, but part 2 is equally great. It may not be quite as primal and fast paced, but it more than makes up for it with well developed characters, a more detailed back story and compelling setting, and a deeply developed story. If the predator wasn't in this movie, the story set up would make for a great movie on its own.
You may not realize it when you're watching it, but the climax of this movie is nearly 45 minutes long! Starting from the subway shoot out, the tunnel chase, the street-roof chase, the slaughter house fight, the roof top fight that spills into the apartment building across the street, the elevator shaft, and finally to the Predator ship itself. It is a breathless series of action sequences strung together so well that it's almost astonishing to look back on it and imagine such effort was crafted to make this movie.
This movie would never be made today. A sequel without the main character from the fist movie? A whole new setting? This would be seen as too great a risk, but in 1990 movie studios were still run by creative people, not accountants. This movie is a true, unsung classic of sci-fi, coming from an age when great care was put into genre movies that had strong stories, good characters, and dialogue that didn't sound silly and forced. Lines weren't meant to become one-liners, they were just so memorable that they ended up that way.
"You can't see the eyes of the demon, until him come calling." "Okay P-ssy face, it's your move." "Danny Boy."
And of course...
"Want some candy?"
Granted, those aren't as good as the classics from the first Predator, like:
"You son of a bitch!" "I ain't got time to bleed." "Knock Knock." "Stick around." "If it bleeds, we can kill it." "You are one ugly mother f---er."
and of course...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Last but not least, the music score from Predator 2 is one of the best ever. Alan Silvestri hasn't topped his work from this movie which has to have one of the most complex, layered, and just flat out astounding main themes ever composed for an action movie, or any movie.
And of course, it had the cameo that sparked the whole Alien vs Predator phenomenon. If it weren't for Predator 2, god knows where we'd be.
You may not realize it when you're watching it, but the climax of this movie is nearly 45 minutes long! Starting from the subway shoot out, the tunnel chase, the street-roof chase, the slaughter house fight, the roof top fight that spills into the apartment building across the street, the elevator shaft, and finally to the Predator ship itself. It is a breathless series of action sequences strung together so well that it's almost astonishing to look back on it and imagine such effort was crafted to make this movie.
This movie would never be made today. A sequel without the main character from the fist movie? A whole new setting? This would be seen as too great a risk, but in 1990 movie studios were still run by creative people, not accountants. This movie is a true, unsung classic of sci-fi, coming from an age when great care was put into genre movies that had strong stories, good characters, and dialogue that didn't sound silly and forced. Lines weren't meant to become one-liners, they were just so memorable that they ended up that way.
"You can't see the eyes of the demon, until him come calling." "Okay P-ssy face, it's your move." "Danny Boy."
And of course...
"Want some candy?"
Granted, those aren't as good as the classics from the first Predator, like:
"You son of a bitch!" "I ain't got time to bleed." "Knock Knock." "Stick around." "If it bleeds, we can kill it." "You are one ugly mother f---er."
and of course...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Last but not least, the music score from Predator 2 is one of the best ever. Alan Silvestri hasn't topped his work from this movie which has to have one of the most complex, layered, and just flat out astounding main themes ever composed for an action movie, or any movie.
And of course, it had the cameo that sparked the whole Alien vs Predator phenomenon. If it weren't for Predator 2, god knows where we'd be.