Predator 2

[Britorama Rob]

Wondering what people thought of Predator 2?

I had great memories of this film growing up, thinking it was practically on par with the original. My friend's disbelief at this led to me re-watching it a few months back and naturally my views changes substantially.

Things like the pimp-rastas, "want some candy" meme, Danny Glover outboxing the goddamn Predator(!) and plenty of other things left me wondering what my 5 year-old self was thinking.

However there's still plenty of great scenes, the battle in the train, post goofy gun drawing 'comedy' bit (designed lazily to get two dozen heavily armed people into the scene I imagine) is really brutal and tense, due to the lighting and compact spaces. Plus Bill Paxman gets stomped so fun for the whole family really.

Special mention however has to go to Gary Busey and his federales and the awesome massacre in the packing plant. A well orchestrated set piece, again with great use of lighting, claustrophobic atmosphere and swift, brutal violence topped off with Busey literally getting sliced in half.

Considering I don't really like the main character or many of the supporting ones I still did really enjoy it. I think it does a good job of creating a cramped, suffocating atmosphere and transplants many (certainly not all) of the original's motifs to the 'urban jungle' pretty damn well.

Still I can't ignore the goofy out of place comedy, like a doddering old granny barely noticing an 8-foot alien shrieking in her bathroom.

Also there's Predator 2 greatest failure, its accessory to two major crimes namely AVP and AVP: Requiem by merging the two universes together in the first place and setting up the soon to be shattered dreams of many a loyal fan.

All in all I'd say 3/5

[Robocop]

Horrible mess of a film with paper thin characters, terrible locations, disappointing story and bad direction. The greatness of Predator was that it was set in a jungle where all forms of communicaions were cut loose making there badass soldiers appeal vulnerable. Sure P2 gives us a deeper insight into the clan and historical mythology, but when you replace a star stunned line up the likes of Weathers, Ventura, Dukes and Arnie with Glover (boring) and Paxton (annoying) then you know you got problems. I'd take the slow build up of suspense, mysterious and menace of the superior original over the dull extensive action sequences of P2 any day

Not only is it a crap film, but it gave birth to the AVP spin-off series. 

[SPazzo]

I love it!  I realize that it's not as series as the original Predator, but it's a fun film anyways.  It's definitely so bad it's good.  I guess it technically spawned AVP, (some say that the idea first came from the comic book writer Chris Warner) but it could have been worse.

I did really enjoy it.  8/10

[Robocop]

(some say that the idea first came from the comic book writer Chris Warner) but it could have been worse.

Technically yeah, but P2 established the connectivity with the cliff hanger, resulting in AVP becoming a film reality rather then just a comic/novel/video game fantasy. 

[bob]

Extremely bad. No where near as good as Predator.

[dean]

I loved it at the time for the expansion of the Predator character itself: The disc along with some classic moments made it super fun for me.

But then you think about it more and the flaws come out, like when the predator slices that guy and you see his legs drop, what happened to his torso?  They didn't magically disappear and I'm sure they also get affected by that thing called gravity.

That and Glover 'I'm too old for this sh!t' man his pants were so high and so bad that they were the true terror on the screen.

I still find it lots of fun, but it sure has some silly moments.  Some of those are just bad ones, others are so silly its fun to watch in a group.

[Chainsawmidget]

If you want to blame Aliens vs Predator for being a bad movie, blame the people who worked on Aliens vs Predator, not some movie that only throws a little Easter egg into it. 

[Robocop]

True, Chainsaw midget. However the whole concept of AVP should have never been translated to film in the first place, and P2 being the shocking piece of crap it is lead the way by supplying a sneak preview. So with the public demand from fans, unfortunately the film had to be made which it did and its no surprise the result is worse then mediocre.

[Chainsawmidget]

True, Chainsaw midget. However the whole concept of AVP should have never been translated to film in the first place, and P2 being the shocking piece of crap it is lead the way by supplying a sneak preview. So with the public demand from fans, unfortunately the film had to be made which it did and its no surprise the result is worse then mediocre.

You're adding 2 and 2 together and getting "cat".  Stop for a second.  Think. 

Predator 2 wasn't a sneak preview.  I don't see how that it makes sense in anybody's mind that it was.  That was little more than a blink and you'll miss it moment.  Hell, it wasn't even the FIRST time the two fandoms crossed. 

The first time Aliens vs Predator appeared in a story was a four parter in a comic book that started nearly a year before Predator 2 came out.  The Aliens vs Predator movie wasn't made until 14 years AFTER the Predator 2 movie, between then we had games, novels, toylines, more comics, and various other Aliens vs Predator stuff. 

I don't get off where you're coming from saying it should never have been made either.  Who put you in charge of what movies deserve to be made and which ones don't?  I certainly didn't.  Even if you don't like the two movies, thinking that NOBODY could EVER make a movie of it that was an good is horribly shortsighted. 

[Robocop]

True, Chainsaw midget. However the whole concept of AVP should have never been translated to film in the first place, and P2 being the shocking piece of crap it is lead the way by supplying a sneak preview. So with the public demand from fans, unfortunately the film had to be made which it did and its no surprise the result is worse then mediocre.

You're adding 2 and 2 together and getting "cat".  Stop for a second.  Think. 

Predator 2 wasn't a sneak preview.  I don't see how that it makes sense in anybody's mind that it was.  That was little more than a blink and you'll miss it moment.  Hell, it wasn't even the FIRST time the two fandoms crossed. 

The first time Aliens vs Predator appeared in a story was a four parter in a comic book that started nearly a year before Predator 2 came out.  The Aliens vs Predator movie wasn't made until 14 years AFTER the Predator 2 movie, between then we had games, novels, toylines, more comics, and various other Aliens vs Predator stuff. 

I don't get off where you're coming from saying it should never have been made either.  Who put you in charge of what movies deserve to be made and which ones don't?  I certainly didn't.  Even if you don't like the two movies, thinking that NOBODY could EVER make a movie of it that was an good is horribly shortsighted. 

Wrong. Predator 2 knew very well what it was getting into by showing an Alien skull displayed on the trophy case on the Predator ship. It set the trend of what was to come, hence why its a preview or teaser for lack of better word for the birth of AVP becoming a "film reality."

I know the 'versus' concept between the two creatures had been explored in other multi-medias before & after P2. i.e comic books, graphic novels, video games, action figures, fan made content etc, but none of which hinted at the actual idea becoming a candidate for film that is until P2 nudged at it. The fact that it was 14 years between drinks is irrelevant, the film was eventually made, it was always going to happen it was just a matter of when.

It shouldn't of even been considered because it was doomed to be a failure from the beginning, and the true fans know it. Opinions are divided and that's fair enough, but my point is that Predator 2 however way you wanna look at it was the first indication of AVP entering the film world. It should have only remained a fantasy dream match-up in the form of the outlets I mentioned earlier, but because of P2 that was virtually impossible due to outraged fans demanding otherwise.  P2 is to blame.         

[Chainsawmidget]

Wrong. Predator 2 knew very well what it was getting into by showing an Alien skull displayed on the trophy case on the Predator ship. It set the trend of what was to come, hence why its a preview or teaser for lack of better word for the birth of AVP becoming a "film reality."

I know the 'versus' concept between the two creatures had been explored in other multi-medias before & after P2. i.e comic books, graphic novels, video games, action figures, fan made content etc, but none of which hinted at the actual idea becoming a candidate for film that is until P2 nudged at it. The fact that it was 14 years between drinks is irrelevant, the film was eventually made, it was always going to happen it was just a matter of when.

Yes.  Because NOTHING has ever been adapted from other media before.  Movies only get their ideas from other movies.   Nobody EVER gets ideas from comics, novels, videogames, or toylines.   

It shouldn't of even been considered because it was doomed to be a failure from the beginning, and the true fans know it.

I don't have any patience for any pathetic nutjob that goes around calling themselves a "true fan" of something.  I don't care how much you like something, that doesn't make your opinion on it mater anymore than other people that might like it so get off your high horse. 

It also strikes me that extremely egotistical of you to think that just because YOU don't think an idea can work that NOBODY could EVER make a good movie out of the idea. 

It should have only remained a fantasy dream match-up in the form of the outlets I mentioned earlier,

So basically none of the AWARD WINNING videogames or novels mattered as compared to a brief scene that could easily be missed if you weren't paying attention. 

You obviously don't have any points to make other than "movies count and nothing else does" so I'm done with you here. 

[dean]

I have my own opinions on the AVP franchise in terms of the movie, but I will say that the plot of the games, or at least some of them, is freakin' awesome and the 'higher ups' have yet to truly explore where the real fun of the franchise comes into it's own: The Marines.

Sure you could have Aliens and Predators duking it out with us poor humans stuck in the middle, that could have been cool but in the movies it really wasn't that special, but add a healthy dose of Space Marines and you've got one hell of a movie and for the life of me I don't understand why it hasn't happened yet.

Stories are stories, doesn't matter whether it's game, book, comic or film.  It stands to reason if the story in one of the mediums is good enough it will be adapted into one of the others eventually, and not all of them are going to be home runs.  I will gripe about the failings of the bad adaptations plenty, but in the end I don't begrudge them trying, even if I think their ideas are idiotic [ie AVP 1 and 2 the films].

[Robocop]

Yes.  Because NOTHING has ever been adapted from other media before.  Movies only get their ideas from other movies.   Nobody EVER gets ideas from comics, novels, videogames, or toylines.

I never said anything about films not adapting other source materials or screenplays. The point I'm trying to make is that up until the Alien skull trophy in P2, there was no intention to advance the idea into a full-length production. The 'tease' set the path resulting in the birth of what eventuated into a spin-off series.   

I don't have any patience for any pathetic nutjob that goes around calling themselves a "true fan" of something.  I don't care how much you like something, that doesn't make your opinion on it mater anymore than other people that might like it so get off your high horse.

What I meant by "true fans" are the hardcore groups of Alien and Predator. Also when did I say my opinion is any more valid then the everyday neutral supporter? That's right I didn't, because what I actually said was that "opinions are divided and that's fine."

Just a tip: dishing insults is not only childish but a sign of weakness 

It also strikes me that extremely egotistical of you to think that just because YOU don't think an idea can work that NOBODY could EVER make a good movie out of the idea.

This is just my opinion, obviously I can't state it as fact because that would be impossible no matter how dead certain I may or may not be.

[Chainsawmidget]

I never said anything about films not adapting other source materials or screenplays. The point I'm trying to make is that up until the Alien skull trophy in P2, there was no intention to advance the idea into a full-length production. The 'tease' set the path resulting in the birth of what eventuated into a spin-off series.  

How did it set the path?  It was a brief blink and you'll miss it moment, a small easter egg, as opposed to the entire four issue comic series that preceded it.    How is it what sets the path, when something else comes first and many many other things come between it and a completley unconnected movie?  There wasn't even any talk of an Aliens vs Predator movie for years and years, all the while they continued to make games, novels, toys, etc etc.  

What I meant by "true fans" are the hardcore groups of Alien and Predator.

I dislike the term true fans.  It's a hollow meaningless phrase used only to make one group feel like they're more important than another.  Really, what is a "true fan"?  How is it different than a regualr fan?  Does that mean there are false fans?  It's just so pretentious.  

Just a tip: dishing insults is not only childish but a sign of weakness

Which is why you just did it, right?  
"You should stop calling people a jerk.  It makes you look like a jerk."  See where that gets us?  Nowhere.  

This is just my opinion, obviously I can't state it as fact because that would be impossible no matter how dead certain I may or may not be.

You said it shouldn't have been made because it was doomed to failure.  Now you're trying to back out of what you said, claiming it's "just your opinion" all the sudden.  

Either say what you mean or don't say anything at all.  

You come out of nowhere blasting a movie that's only vaguely connected to another movie that you don't like and is little more than a footnote in the series as a whole as being the cause of a movie that you dislike.  Why don't you just blame the movie that you don't like for being a bad movie instead of the movie that's hardly connected to it at all and even then only in the most vague a way as possible. 


...


Better idea.  Why don't we just get back to talking about the movie that this topic is named after anyway? 

[Mofo Rising]

This thread got kind of mean.

I love the first Predator movie. In fact, I think it is the perfect action movie. I love it, because it is so pure.

Anyway, comics were really the fertile ground for aliens and predators after the first movie came out. There was a mini-series released after the movie which was pretty much the same plot as Predator 2. It was set in a heat-wave in Los Angeles. The only real difference was that the main character was Dutch's brother, but all the major plot points were accounted for.

I think the comic succeeds where the movie fails. Then again, a lot of what I thought didn't work in Predator 2 was the casting of Danny Glover. He really seemed "too old for this s**t."

There were a lot of Aliens vs. Predator comics made, and they were made before Predator 2. I didn't think any of them were very good. Just like when they finally made those AvP movies, those weren't very good either.

I will say this, the idea of Aliens vs. Predators is a great idea. A great idea! If done right, it would have been non-stop fun. Unfortunately, it has not ever been executed successfully in movie form. (It could have been cool...)

It wasn't the brief glimpse of the alien skull in Predator 2 that set it all off, the idea had always been present. The skull in Predator 2 was a fun goof, a presentation of an idea any sci-fi would have dreamed about in their own time.

If you're saying that the AvP idea was solely a result of a brief scene in Predator 2, you're wrong, because the scenario had already played itself in comic form. If you're lamenting the fact that it hasn't been done well, I'm right there with you, because it hasn't.

I still think a good Aliens vs. Predator movie would be amazing.

Also, there have been a good amount of video games based on the concept which I hear are very good. I haven't played them, but I hear good things.