John McTiernan’s “Predator” remains an excellent hybrid of action, horror and science fiction, not to mention one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s best movie vehicles from a decade (the 1980’s) that saw the future Governor of California rule the box office. A sequel was inevitable, but it took three years after the original “Predator” killed (no pun intended) in 1987 for the creatively-titled “Predator 2” to arrive in 1990. Released in 2003 on DVD, “Predator 2” makes for an interesting viewing experience in the wake of the recently-released “Alien vs. Predator” movie and the new Collector’s Edition DVD of the original “Predator” movie.

Notice I said ‘interesting viewing experience’ though, not ‘good movie.’ Set in a 1997 Los Angeles that’s overrun with an epidemic of gang warfare (not unlike what L.A. was experiencing at the time the movie came out, or the Detroit of the future from the first two “Robocop” movies), the hunter from outer space arrives to do some headhunting in a man-made urban jungle. Setting his sights on the city’s most powerful criminals, the Predator goes about its business of slaughtering his prey. The Predator also kills some L.A.P.D. officers investigating his trail of skinned bodies though. Somehow this plot gimmick gets a military strike team led by a nut named Peter Keyes (Gary Busey in a role tailor-made for… Gary Busey!) involved with Lieutenant Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover), the only L.A.P.D. officer standing between the Predator and… uhhh, more dead criminals in Los Angeles??!!

Since it was scripted and produced by the same team that wrote/produced the original “Predator” one would expect the sequel to at least sustain some of the excitement and atmosphere set by its predecessor. That’s what sequels are supposed to do, right? Unfortunately “Predator 2” has bigger plot holes and pointless action scenes than a “Walker, Texas Ranger” TV episode. The exposition between action scenes is minimal and incoherent, almost like a porno movie intent on getting to the good parts ASAP. Even when people are dying in a swarm of gang bullets and Predator-thrown laser blasts, “Predator 2” feels as hollow and empty as the prequel was exhilarating and fast-paced. Remember how you could taste and feel the oppressive mugginess and heat of the jungle in the first “Predator”? “Predator 2” has none of that, relying instead on the leftover appeal of its predecessor than in anything new the filmmakers thought of in the three years in-between movies.

It’s cool to see the aftermath of where Predator has been as well as the inside of his ship (which was lovingly re-created in the “Alien vs. Predator” Jaguar videogame from 1995). The special effects and gore are also decent, but by themselves they cannot hold together a 105 min. flick that doesn’t have a soul or reason for being other than make money (which it failed to do back in 1990). The group of ‘heroes’ in “Predator 2” might be a reasonable ethnic representation of what L.A. is like (two Hispanic detectives, a black Lieutenant, etc.) but they can’t hold a candle to the likes of Weathers, Ventura, etc. from the original. But hey, at least Bill Paxton (as wise-ass detective Jerry Lambert) can claim to be the only actor to have appeared in both an “Alien” (1985’s “Aliens”) and a “Predator” movie (this one!).

Director Hopkins (“Trespass”) can’t hold a candle to McTiernan in staging exciting action scenes. Schwarzenegger’s imposing presence and on-screen charisma (which made his fights with the Predator an on-screen match of equally-built titans) are sorely missed, with Danny Glover making a very poor substitute. Channeling his Richard Murtaugh character from the “Lethal Weapon” series, Glover gives it his all but seeing him go mano-a-mano with the Predator in the movie’s climactic confrontation is downright laughable (though not as laughable as seeing Sanaa Lathan take on the Alien Queen by herself in the new "AvP" flick). Rent at your own risk, and buy “Predator 2” only if you can are a diehard fan of the original movie that’s been left hungry for a little more intergalactic hunting by both "Predator" and "AvP".

1/2