I come not to bury Predator 2, but to praise it to the darkening skies above a war-torn LA in Stephen Hopkins’ neglected sequel. This is, IMHO, the best Predator movie, better than all the Alien films, first two aside. It’s action packed, bloody, exciting, expands the mythology and just works; I get that some will feel I’m trolling, but the truth is…I love Predator 2.
So what went so very right? With Arnie not coming back, the money that might have gone in a big-star salary was used to create a fantastic dystopian future-world for the then future of 1997. Canny use of the freshly built LA subway helps convince us that this is something more real than the usual art-director’s dream. Danny Glover, a serious actor with gravitas-up-the-wazoo, steps into the protagonist’s large shoes, and brings a weary, everyman quality that sets him apart from the usual strongman act. And the urban setting allows for ferocious gun, car and collapsing building action that’s easily the best of the franchise.
Some critics say this is a rote sequel; to them I say, did you honestly expect to see the Predator using a suburban bathroom, only to get chased out by an old lady with a broom and curlers, straight out of Tom and Jerry? Thought not. In fact, there’s lots of surprising things here, from the support (Bill Paxton from Aliens might be expected, but Grammy-winning musician Ruben Blades, 80’s stalwart Jake Busey in a spacesuit, Morten Downey Jr as a crazed tv reporter?) to the massive, carrot-shaped blunts most of the characters smoke. And just so things aren’t too much of a sausage festival, Maria Conchita Alonso kicks ass every bit as much as the guys. And the setting is a winner too, a gang-battle between Jamaican and Columbia warlords that’s explored in some detail; arguably the best single-kill here is King Willie’s demise at the hands of the super-charged Predator. Another set piece, as the Predator demolishes the gun-toting occupants of a subway car, is a miracle of flashing lights and suggestion.
This is a Joel Silver production, so expect plenty of bang for your buck. And it’s also post-Verhoeven, so expect satire around the edges as per Robocop and Total Recall. Franchise pics are ten a penny, but I’d be quite happy to see a Predator movie every year if they were as visceral and imaginative as this. With non-stop action, plus a huge man to predator love-in for the finale, Predator 2 is the yardstick by which any great sequel should be judged. Nay-sayers, please feel free to line up in the comments section; be prepared to be skinned one by one and have your corpse unceremoniously hung from the nearest building…
I love Predator 2 but not as much as the first. Mainly because know one is as badass as Dutch.
Dutch is a bad-ass for sure, but the sequel fills the hole he leaves with everything it can find!
Absolutely. I think I have a hard time judging predator 2 badly because it came out at a time where I watched Predator and the predator was my most favorite thing. So any movie with the predator was just good. The same can be said with others like Jason, Freddy and the Xenomorph. As a young fan, you can’t go wrong. So even today there is a sense of childlike fondness over the sequel.
So, because of all the “I love P2” too comments here, I tracked down a 720p copy.
Did we watch the same movie?
Don’t get me wrong, the action and violence was awesomely awesome and maybe even awesomer than that, but the characters? Glover wasn’t a hunter. He came across as an arrogant asshole. I had forgotten about the whole Government side of things and I actually enjoyed that inclusion. And the drugs just made me laugh my head off! The stupidity came across as funny for that.
But the predator was an idiot or the director was. The predator is down, with his hand cut off, practically dead and then “magically”, he’s back to fighting trim? I don’t expect much physical logic in my action movies (humans can’t be tossed around like sacks of garbage and then just get up, scale tall buildings and shoot like a sniper with a handgun (and that’s another issue)) but that was just too much. Now I want to see 1 again to see if Arnie went toe to toe with his predator, because I didn’t remember him doing that.
I did like seeing a young Adam Baldwin. He was a favorite of mine in the tv series Chuck. And since he was featured as President of the United States in one of Larry Correia’s novellas, I’m familiar with his name and face. I just wanted to pinch his cheek here because he was so young.
Ok, enough ramblings. This re-watch made me change my mind that it was a horrible movie to simply a brainless kill-fest. Without much cool factor.
Just 720p? That’s why blu-ray or HD is the way to go. Awesome than absolutely awesome is all you can ask from a film like P2, characterisation is for Dickens, although I’d argue the toss about Glover; he’s quite a refreshing change from the usual macho man. Admire you for swimming against the tide of public opinion, but I’m surfing the wave of predator adulation for now! Thanks Lorde Bokstodge!
My tv is only a 720. I bought it back in ’12 when Mrs B was dealing with some medical issues and couldn’t do anything more than lie on the couch. Now that she’s better, doesn’t watch tv and I only watch as background noise, I’d rather spend money on something else. Heck, even our bluray player is a $60 walmart special 😀
Goodness, what have we unleashed with this bad naming convention? I guess we can’t put the genee back in the bottle though :-/
I’m sure Roger Ebert didn’t have people assailing him with allegations about not doing his ironing properly! No, there’s no reason to get upset about typos, typing in a phone leads to such errors, and I appreciate mega-brains like yourself and fraggle taking the time to correct me and slag me off.
Yeah, but Ebert also didn’t claim that P2 was a great movie 😉
You can tell how much Fraggle and I really care about you. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be your biggest slagging off fans!
I can take it! Besides, that’s where I have the cutting edge over Ebert, because he never had these thoughtful, insightful commenters like yourself to keep him right.
Yeah, Ebert just had that partner guy, what’s his name? I don’t think he was very good if I can’t even remember his name!
Gene Siskel. But he didn’t have what you got…quite like the idea of a reviewing partner…
Ahhh yes, Siskel. What a hack.
If I reviewed movies, we could double tag team the whole movie industry. With covid, they’d fold like a wet paper sack!
The industry seems to be managing that without our intervention. But we’d need to get you a new tv. I’m sure we could find one, there’s some spare monitors in my van. Why don’t you pop down and have a look?
But my 36incher fits the stand perfectly. I’d have to buy a whole new stand and a modern sound system. my wired speakers work great right now 😀 (except when the speech is on the same channel as the bass and so I have to turn the volume up and down between conversations as the tanks rumble by)
Are the tanks on tv or in reality?
hey now, I don’t live in LA! hahahaha.
any time something goes on the bass channel, whether guns or thunder or wahtever, I have to turn the volume down as it rattles the whole stand. But then I can’t hear the conversations so I have to turn it backup. If I watched more it would be an issue.
That system would do a disservice to a masterwork like P2…
The opening? The gun fire was deafening!
Man, you can’t write a poem in a trench. And to appreciate P2, a rattley , low-spec tv will not allow the nuances to flow…
ps, I’m making pizza. Would you guys want some?
What flavour have you got? Stuffed crust?
Sorry, never been a fan of stuffed crust. I like french bread pizza. It’s the perfect size and I can add fresh veggies or extra cheese or spices as I see fit.
Just extra cheese, some dips and a soft drink. I’ll leave the hatch open, cheers…
That’ll be $115 plus delivery and tip, so….
$300 even and don’t sweat the change.
Great, invoice my people, they’ll sort you out.
If you see an extra charge for the napkins, don’t worry. There was a paper shortage in the spring due to covid and I’m still milking it for all it’s worth.
How much extra?
Nothing to worry about. Maybe 1 or 2….
000…..
Wait, this isn’t a pizza, it’s gravel glued to a paper plate!
Oh you didn’t specify that you wanted the “Premium” package. That would have included dough, sauce, cheese and some spice. It would have cost you 10 anchovies though. Pretty steep for a guy sitting in a van all day.
I’m getting a big reward for collecting all this information about you.
Well then, if you order 2, RIGHT NOW, we’ll only charge you for the price of three. Limited Time Offer.
Three paper plates with gravel glued on? I’ll pass…
Ok, napkins too.
I’m just here to agree with you, Predator 2 is truly great! I’ve actually enjoyed most Predator movies so far, perhaps except for the AVP movies, which I found abysmal. 🙁
You know, Predators was fine at the time, but the Shane Black one, and the two AVP ones are pretty poor…
WOW!! In total agreement. I totally love Predator 2 and it’s so underrated. Love how they went from Arnie to Danny Glover…..and it works brilliantly. Never understood the hate! It’s one of the greatest sequels of all time and deserves more love
I’m happy to be the lightning conductor for this film, really nice to hear that other people feel the same. Now that we’ve seen how hard it is to make Alien and Predator movies, this one stands out as getting the formula right! Cheers!
I gave the Predator films a miss first time out but thought I’d been too pre-judgemental so set my reservations aside for the remake/reimagining/re-whatnot which to my surprise I enjoyed so went back to see what I’d missed. Still wasn’t so taken with Pred 1 but Pred 2 stands up much better.
Is the correct answer. I get the love for Predator 1, but 2 is a much more rounded package and not just for star-fans…
You lost me here. 😉 I praise you to set loose such wild thoughts on this sequel and get so many followers to approve with you but my last re-visit of this movie last year brought me to conclude that it was poorly-acted and poorly-told! I even got around to reading a comic book adaptation of it that almost made me want to reconsider but… nop. 😛 Maybe the next time I revisit the Predator franchise (with each movie, it basically just got worse… don’t get me started with the last one that came out not too long ago…), I’ll try to go in unbiased! 😀
Shane Black’s Predator was hideous, for sure. But I genuinely believe that 2 is a franchise high, and while the acting won’t trouble the Academy, who watches a Predator movie for the action? My enthusiasm for this film waned after my first viewing, but seeing the digital effects in HD made me reconsider and tips the balance in it’s favour. but I’ll confess to a bit of grandstanding; it’s nice to champion a written-off movie, and every positive comment has made me smile, even yours!
Thank you for this review! I’ve NEVER understood all of the hate this movie has got over the years. I saw this on Christmas Eve the year this came out with my uncle. It’s got a simple story, a star studded cast, fantastic paced action, great performance from Danny Glover, and Bill Paxton. Looking back now, it’s truly the best of the sequels and a worthy follow up to the original. It’s also an amazing time capsule of late 80s/early 90s excess, full of hyper violence, and shopping bag size piles of cocaine!!! I have been in many arguments about this over the years, and I will defend it with my last breath!
I saw it in the cinema at the time and loved it! Wasn’t quite the same in vhs or dvd, but blu-ray really seals the deal. If I was president, I’d promise a copy of Predator 2 in every home by 2022. Everything is big and 80’s, the hair, the guns, the explosions, the ridiculous joints. Thanks for joining me in my quest to get this film re-assessed as an action masterpiece!
I’d vote for you…
That is my only current policy but I believe it should have cross-party appeal…
You’d definitely win the Populist vote here…
What kind of platform would you stand on?
Handguns are government mandated when you turn 18. You get a choice from 5 models and 500 rounds of ammo.
It’ll be a bloodbath for the first couple of years, but once the crazies and stupid are gone, the rest of us can deal with the criminals. No utopia can start without a bloodbath after all…
That seems pretty reasonable. Where do I sign up?
Unfortunately, it’s just a pipe dream. While a true blooded American patriot and citizen, I was born in another country, so I’m out of the running.
Our manifestos are thematically similar. If the Predator taught me one thing, it’s the survival of the fittest. I think all political parties would endorse a Battle Royale scenario…
I’m ALL for that scenario. Even if I did hate the book and manga 😀
Right, I’ll make a few calls and get them to fudge the ‘country of birth’ detail. I’ll be your VP and you will be King of America!
As long as Demi Moore doesn’t try to take that from me. Australia I’m ok with giving up, but not America!
Great review! Now I wanna watch this asap! I forgot about the plot – being set in LA sounds so cool. A stark contrast to the South American jungle of the first film, which I absolutely love. I don’t believe you that 2 could be better than the first one. Haha. I can’t wait to watch 👾💢🪒🚨
That jungle setting is good, but there’s far more potential for mayhem in a big city. This film starts in a war zone and then goes even further; hope you enjoy as much as I did! Thanks for the comment!
Me, too! (and glad you mentioned Morten Downey Jr since I forgot his name)
You’re welcome! Thanks!
Yep.
Love a positive comment!
This post just made my day! I’m so happy to see someone who loves this movie as much as I do😀😀 I could not agree with you more: I love the Predator itself (still think it’s the coolest looking alien ever), and while I loved the first film, I think i like this one slightly more myself as well. It’s just a fun film, giving us more background for the Predator itself, and some fun characters as well. Needless to say I love this film…and this review! It’s nice to see this film finally getting some recognisition! 😀😀😀
Now this is how to reply to a review! Love to hear enthusiasm for a film widely rubbished at the time. Comment of the day so far, you will not be strung up by your heels! Thanks!
Haha…phew, glad I avoided that strung up by my heels thing…phew😅😅😅
Well…that’s nice: comment of the day, don’t hear that very often, so I will treasure this day😀😀😊 Thank you!😊
You’re welcome! Hope it sets your week in a positive direction!
Thought this was pretty good at the time, and still enjoyed it on my last rewatch. I wouldn’t rate it as highly as the original though. The bit about the Predator’s spear “not corresponding to anything on the periodic table” is one of my favourite pieces of pseudo-scientific movie talk.
Well, the subtext for me is that I’m not such a Predator fan, the jungle setting and the endless wrestling match don’t offer up as much carnage as this one…but cool, you will not be strung up; I’ll let you live out of mutual respect….
Wow, I can tell you love your commenters * THIS MUCH *
While I enjoyed the original the most, I simply sank my expectations for every single release in the franchise after and I must admit, that’s a good thing. Unlike the Terminator franchise where I’ve loved every movie even while acknowledging the badness of some of them, with Predator I haven’t been able to do that.
This movie just left me underwhelmed. Of course, it’s probably been 10-15 years since I watched it, so….
I implore you to set aside your past frustrations and have a look at this in HD. It’s old school 80’s stuff, but looks better now than it did at the time…
I’ll have to see if I can track down a copy. I think my only cheap option is the dvd at the library. Not sure what available for amazon prime…
I bought a blu-ray for two quid and it’s now the first thing I would rescue from a house-fire…
I’m sure your family is impressed with your priorities. I mean, you could always get married again, but buying Predator 2 for 2 quid? When is THAT going to happen again?
Second happiest day of my life.
Dare I ask what the happiest day was?
It’ll be the same for me as it was for you, getting married, right?
I thought so, just didn’t want to make assumptions. I’ve been burned before with assumptions.
Anyway, I’m genuinely amazed that you can like all the Terminator movies. Even Rise of the Machines, Salvation and Genisys; that’s quite remarkable. How do you do it?
Rise of the Machines was probably the toughest, but I genuinely enjoyed Salvation and Genisys.
It probably helps that I don’t watch a lot of movies and when I do, it tends to be only once, the so the “new” factor comes into play. While I’ve watched Salvation several times, along with T1 and T2, none of hte others have been re-watched and I plan on keep it that way.
Obviously I’m with you on T1 and 2, but once the terminators stopped killing on sight, it turned into something else for me…
I think it helped that I’d read several books and read some comics, so I was prepared for a non-auto kill Terminator. And I’m pretty much in love with the idea of the future trying to influence the past and how that all works out.
I actually enjoy that movie, the Paxton character gets a little on my nerves and Glover’s character felt a bit over the top, but still the Predator in the city was a nice idea and the action is very good.
That’s what I like to hear, agree that Paxton is a bit tricky at first, and Glover is up to 11 before the predator even appears, but it settles down. Thanks!
Couldn’t agree with you more; I’ve never understood the hate Predator 2 gets. I love the first one, but Predator 2 is definitely the best of that franchise in my book.
I actually also like Predator 2 more than the others too
Snap! And once you’ve seen all the bad Predator movies, you can appreciate how much this one actually gets right!
Love to hear it! I guess a lot of people saw a fuzzy VHS and felt it was a step down because there’s no Arnie, but there’s a wealth of great stuff in this movie! Thanks for the positive comment!