Predator 2 – Thursday 5th June 2025

Hadn’t seen this film in decades!

I clearly remember when it came out, and eagerly reading the comic book adaptation in anticipation (because in those days, films would come out in the UK months, and sometimes even a year after their US release).

The first Predator was a staple of my childhood, and I so wanted to see Arnie return to do battle with the Predator one more time… except, they went and pulled a Nightmare on Elm Street part 2, and made a movie that barely has anything to do with the first one!

At the time, it was a major disappointment! (Although, not as much as ‘Nightmare on Elm Street part 2’, which at the time, was the most disappointing sequel ever! ‘The Last Jedi’ has since stolen that crown)

Seeing it now, you realise that it’s actually not that bad. Danny Glover does a good job as the lead, but he was never going to be able to fill Arnie’s shoes, and the supporting cast doesn’t compare to the original film’s either. If the film had a cast of heavyweights, then it would definitely stand up to scrutiny, because the concept is pretty solid.
Replace an actual jungle with a concrete one, and have the Predator hunt down violent, gun toting drug dealers, with plenty of civilians caught in the cross fire! The Predator is actually the good guy, cleaning up the city more than the cops, which is probably why the cops wanna get rid of him! He’s making them look bad!

The film also featured the first ‘Easter Egg’ that hinted at a shared cinematic universe (decades before Marvel movies normalised the idea), by showing the skull of a Xenomorph from the ‘Alien’ movies. I remember everyone being excited by the idea, which lead to the Alien vs. Predator comic book, and eventually the abysmal movies. Speaking of which, Predator 2 is by far the best sequel to the original masterpiece, with every subsequent iteration being utterly sh!t!

There’s a lot to like in this movie, and although it doesn’t stand up to the original, it’s definitely worth revisiting.