Predator 2 (1990) Retrospective/Review 

Easily one of the most underrated and underappreciated sequels of all time. I never understood the hate for this film.

This aged way better than any of the recent Predator movies that's for sure.

(19:36) I always loved the transition from the Jamaican guy meeting the Predator and drawing his cane sword to the closeup of his severed head as the Predator walks away with it while the sound of his scream fades away. 😎

The only Predator sequel in my book. Love it.

I personally think Predator 2 is one of the best sequels made, it's really entertaining, retains the original formula without being the same thing, and expands on the universe/lore of the characters a lot. Taking it to a city setting was a great idea.

This has always been a criminally underrated movie

Still THE second-best Predator film and VERY underrated!

This honestly is my favorite Predator movie for many reasons. The style is just insanely badass, the cast is phenomenal, the story is perfect, it's just all around spectacular to revisit again and again to this day. Also we need another jab at the concrete jungle along the lines of the video game. As fine as Prey and Predators were, they did feel like carbon copies of the original in many ways.

This sequel is absolutely unhinged. I love it.

God Damn Alan Silvestri not only expanded on the original themes, he (like Speed vs Speed 2) also improved on the original! Making the sequel instantly fit the universe simply from the score alone ;)

"Want some candy?" lol that is 1 of my favorite parts. I remember watching this movie with my family and all of us have a good time laughing, especially when the predator had the nerve to repeat mimicking, "Want some candy while slashing and bashing people on the Subway train scene. Even my mother laughing her head off.

Easily the best Predator sequel theres no contest

I wonder if anyone else felt that the setting for Predator 2 was a bit more relatable. I lived in cities all my life and understand how a city going through a heat wave can feel. The oppressive humidity, the smell of garbage that makes the whole place seem far dirtier than it actually is, and the feeling that everyone is on the edge and a violent crime wave is about to happen. The idea of a Predator stalking the rooftops is scarier than one hopping around in the trees of the amazon. Anyone?

Ahhh, the future of 1997.....it will never get old

Completely underrated sequel that doesn’t get its due for not just doing another movie set in the jungle, and also expanding on the lore. It’s a shame they couldn’t get McTierman back to direct, because his work in Predator was so ahead of its time. The original Predator holds up so well today mostly because of his direction. That being said, I think Glover and the supporting cast do really good work here, and it’s a very good sequel.

So SO good. A massively underrated film, perfectly reviewed by Oliver.

Love this movie... brilliant entertainment and added to the lore of the predator, which is always welcomed

Predator 2 is awesome, Stephen Hopkins did a damn good job.

It has suuuuch a comic book feel. So good.

I love how the late great Bill Paxton has the unique distinction of being killed by the scifi action movie villain trifecta, Alien, Predator and Terminator 🙌🏼

The thing about Predator 2 is the world building and the casting of the characters of the police unit is so spot on I could happily have seen a sequel set in the same city with no Predators.

"You can't see the eyes of the demon, until him come calling. This is dread man, truly dread." King Willie. Los Angeles. July 1997.

22:12, such a badass score by Alan Silvestri and performed by the Skywalker Symphony orchestra!

I really want to see the Unrated Director's Cut that we should have gotten, but it was cancelled in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Very underappreciated movie. Mike Harrigan is just a great character, and what I love is that he's just a human trying to understand what the hell is going on. It's much easier for me to relate to him then Dutch or Naru, or any of the over the top main characters, because he feels like your average guy you'll see down the street. his character reminds me a lot of Ripley from Alien, in that he needs to take charge of a situation he wasn't trained to deal with, and half the problem is just surviving. he needs to use his brain, plan ahead, fight his own fears, and overcome the obstacles thrown at him by everybody else. I love it very much, even as much as I do the Original.

One of the best sequels. Just happens to be in the same universe of another, Aliens .

No other movie in Hollywood history has made the line "Want some candy?" sound so danged creepy 😬

Predator 2 is massively underrated and I like it better than any of the others.

Way better than Prey (2022).

My favorite Predator sequel until PREY. I like how Bill Paxton ties with Lance Henderson for being taken down by an ALIEN, a PREDATOR, & a TERMINATOR.

17:10, a lot of gorier bloodier footage, over 20 minutes, was cut because of the NC 17 rating.

20:02, I heard that there was unfinished VFX shots that shows the Predator (City Hunter) jumping from rooftop to rooftop as Harrigan continues chasing the alien.

This is my most favorite sequel, hands down! More people should watch it.

one of my favorite films. Thanks! R.I.P Bill Paxton

Hands down my favorite predator movie

Great movie. Your editing is top notch by the way, that opening you made gave me goosebumps. Keep up the great work!

As a kid I enjoyed this badass flick just as much as the first film. Never wondered why Arnold wasnt in it. Plenty of action, higher body count, new toys for the Predator to play with, rasta drug lords, the xenomorph cameo which created "alien vs. Predator" comics videogames and toys when i was a kid, small but fun part from Robert Davi, bill Paxton being hilarious, Gary Busey being Gary Busey, Maria Conchita Alonso kicking ass along the boys AND alongside Linda Hamilton and Sigourney Weavor, and leading the pack is Danny Glover hot off of Lethal Weapon 2, and he IS NOT too old for this shit. I got to see Predator 1 and 2 as a double feature at the Alamo Drafthouse a few years ago and it was one of the best theatrical experiences of my life.

Speaking of Bill Paxton, it suddenly struck me that I don't think I have ever seen you cover Near Dark. It would be pretty awesome if you covered it sometime.

the most underrated sequal ever

Was just watching your Deep Rising retrospective.

My friends and I used to joke that half the cast of "Lethal Weapon" were cast in this movie, probably due to being friends with Danny Glover. also, my new viewing order is "Predator", "Prey", then "Predator 2"

The novelization is great read for stuff from the Predator's point of view (he's basically a teen on his first hunt). Best bit is the ending where they toss Hartigan the old pistol can be seen in two ways: Is it a show of respect by sharing the trophy taken from a worthy foe? Or is it the Predators telling humanity, "you see this archaic weapon? This is what you are to us. Remember that."

The king Willy Predator sequence is my favorite as well! I love the score during that sequence and the effects really are a home run. I play that track loads of times when I’m doing my photography lol. Great review once again Ollie!

BEST PREDATOR SEQUEL EVER!!

Another retrospective trophy for Oliver Harper.

I recall watching this move when it came out and...loved it. Imagine my surprise then, when it was panned by so many. To this day, I never understood that. I honestly think it is a great film.

This was my favourite of the Predator franchise.

(11:16) I remember this. The backwards swastika was a dead giveaway that it was fake. Like, he totally drew it on his own face in a mirror! Doh! 🤪😜

Danny Glover vs. The Predator in an ultra-violent, comic book-like L.A.? Absolutely underrated sequel, and that bombastic soundtrack still goes hard. I saw this movie wayyyyyy too young, haha!

Still my favorite predator movie. It just bleeds awesome from start to finish

Such a wonderful 90’s gem.

My favourite Predator sequel after the original. I love this film. I love how different it dared to be, and it’s over the top stuff. Besides it features my favourite Predator creature, the City Hunter!

A worthy sequel. I'm always happy to watch this film and the performances by many of the cast are terrific. RIP Bill Paxton.

One of the most underrated sequel and entry of the Predator series and One of my Guilty Pleasure with Commando, TMNT (1990), Batman Returns, Willow (1988) and Rocky 4

Always loved Predator 2. Saw it in the theatre during a road trip. My favorite scene is when the Predator is in the bath room crunching up materials to patch up his wounds. Just cracks me up when he screams and terrifies the old lady!

Predator 2 is definitely one of my favorite action films of all time, and one of my all time favorite films in general. I enjoy it in many ways MORE than the original, and really wish that someday there will be a directors cut released. I can tell some moments that were cut and edited, and despite it just being cuts here and there that were seen by Hopkins as "no big deal" im sure there are plenty of fans, including me, that would easily pay for a new 4k director's cut as it IS a big deal to us.

I really like how predator 2 came in 1990... the cusp, the split between 80s and 90s. It has the most awesome early 90s vibe and still caries with it the 80s vibe. Saw it in the theater. To me it remains one of the best action/sci-fi movie since it involves an alien. The first predator was ahead of it's time. The sequel did not disappoint me, because of it being an urban story there was a lot of opportunity to play with with the story in ways that can't be done in the jungle. I did miss a follow up on what happened with Dutch and the girl. In that regard it felt weird to just see the same story with an entirely different cast. But they did a great job and all had screen magic amongst them. Specially Glover and Busy.

I absolutely LOVE the scene towards the end, after Harrigan has gone through this absolute gauntlet that he has just barely survived by a handhold, only to be surrounded by a whole squad of them, and all he can say is, "OK. Who's next?". Danny Glover's delivery of that line, his body language, the sound of his voice, it's all just amazing. I didn't think too much of it when I first saw it, but repeated viewings have definitely changed my opinion to it being underrated by most people, including myself. If you really give it a chance, there's a lot to like about this one.

Yeah, an updated retrospective Predator 2 review! 🤙🏻🔥

I don't regret a single little thing about the Predator 2 that we got. I feel it was the best possible sequel to the first. I'm very thankful for all the circumstances that lead up to Predator 2 turning out exactly as it did. It is a film with alot of spirit, and in every way deserves to be held in the same high regards as the first film.

I loved Danny Glover, Bill Paxton, Maria Alonso and Ruben Blades in Predator 2

fantastic, I hope you do more redux retrospectives! Hearing you go into greater depth about films is always such a joy.

I enjoyed this movie tremendously when it came out. I don't think it aged as well as the original but it will always be a fun watch. I still remember seeing the Alien skull and people here and there in the audience pointing and going 'ooooooh'

THAT MUSIC MAN. best soundtrack expansion ever (not only the reedition, but also how it builds on the original)

One of my favorite youtuber reviewing an underrated classic!!! Thank you!

This is one of my favorite movies to have on in the background on a Sunday

6:33 the videogame "Predator: Concrete Jungle" is not an adaptation of the first "Predator" miniseries (which was rechristened "Concrete Jungle" only in reprints), it's an original story that only shares its subtitle with the comic book. 13:39 a "cinematographer" (or "director of photography" - DP for short) is NOT a "lighting director". People talking\writing about movies online are especially keen on using those terms interchangeably, but that's not the case. "Lighting director" is strictly a theatre and TV-industry term and indicates the person in charge of lighting the stage or a TV studio set on game shows, talk shows, variety shows, and so on. A "cinematographer" on the other hand is responsible for most of the creative choices about the visuals of a movie\commercial\music video and his\her area of influence includes (but is not limited to) choosing the camera kit, the lenses, the lighting kit (all stuff that usually involves testing) as well as directly interfacing with other departments such as wardrobe\costumes and production design to make sure the chosen look and color palette of the project is consistent.

Great as always. Believe it or not, and I don't remember if I ever brought this up in other reviews for this movie, but this was actually the first "Predator" movie I've ever seen as a kid. It wouldn't be until later I watched "Predator" on recorded VHS. I also remember renting this movie a bunch (I think) from my local video store. I haven't watched this movie in years, aside from bits on TV, and now I have this, the first "Predator", and "Predators" on DVD. Seriously should marathon these movies at some point.

Danny Glover is fantastic as Lieutenant Mike Harrigan. 😀👍

I rewatched this move the most out of the predator films. Prey was a solid prequel and one of my favorites.

Awesome piece. This film may be the last of its kind has a very special place in my heart. BTW, actor Kent McCord is also know for playing a cop in the old Jack Webb TV show "Adam-12" which makes his casting as Danny Glover's superior more fun. Your research is superb.

I'm not joking, literally 1-2 weeks ago I went over your old catalogue again and I was like damn this P2 is only a 10 min video, I wonder if he will make a new one in same format as the Alien quadrilogy stuff! Amazing

A perfect sequel

Fantastic Oliver! I really enjoyed this! Great job. Like you I have come to appreciate this film more over time.

This movie is awesome. It is so over the top and action packed straight out of the gate and never lets up. They don't make them like this any more.

The more shit that keeps coming out today the more I go back and rewatch older more badass movies like this one. I miss the era of big budget R rated action movies the whole family can enjoy.

Wonderful sequel and retrospective. As always, time is often the true tester of success, and this film's passed with flying colours 🙂😉

Predator 2 is definitely an underrated sequel but hey I love it. We get to see more of the Predator and its awesome weapons. It's a sequel very worth watching.

Thanks so much for posting this. The first time I saw this movie was on ITV. My memory may be off, but I think it was when they did their Diet Coke movie nights and the news would split the movie in half at ten. I know I got Die Hard 2 on VHS this way because I remember there was always a few seconds of random news in the middle of my recording. I can’t wait to watch this tonight. I love all your amazing work Oliver. You are a phenomenal chap and great reviewer. I can’t wait for your in depth take and research. Finally, on the subject of ITV, I swear this movie felt like it was on every few months back then to the point I saw it more than the original!

LOVE Effing love your Reto's bro... I love this movie brings back my childhood ( 90's kid ) Lol Seriously tho im in your first 1000 subs .. And this is what got me as such a huge fan of your channel its mind blowing what you have done the podcast the moves etc etc amazing but THESE Retro's are my Fav thanks again oliver

nice review to watch before bed

I really like this movie. The idea of a then near future LA being the setting because of a rise in violence and temperature is a really cool, light way to add to the sci-fi lore of the world.

Such a proper sequel!

So good. Loved it at 15yrs old in '90 - Love it still.

Was 15 when Predator came out and was blown away and I watch it every now and again as for part 2 watched it once and never again

Thank you for yet another great retrospective

It's actually a perfect sequel for me. Keeps enough of the original to feel connected, but changes up enough o keep it fresh too. Amazing film

This was my favorite predator movie because during the 90s that's all they would show for some reason they never really show the first one

I was 17 when this came out and I really loved it. Before the internet you couldn't really find out what other people were thinking about it so I only had my friends that had seen it to collaborate with me. I remember liking the fact that it was set just around the corner in the future. I mean they didn't really try to change very much and I liked even back in 1990 that what they did was change fashion a little bit because that seemed like a clever and easy way to show the future without trying to show future technology.

Great film with many legendary lines, good cast and the action scenes deliver.

Outstanding review, sir!! I love your channel!!! Keep up the brilliant work!

Great review, Oliver. Thank you for this content. Garry Busey Rocks. The first two Predator movies are the Best. 🤘🏻🎅🏻🎸

I always adored the cool sequence of the pred walking towards Willy. There was always this niggling feeling that 1 shot would prove iconic.

I think many of us that grew up in the '90s Saw many movies that were attended for adults. And I loved every moment of it.

The effect of the Predator walking in the water is brilliant. No sign of linings or wobbly opticals and with the music by Alan Silvestri and the shot's angle ... it's a perfect moment that reminds you why we invest our time as a society into filmmaking, and that's because it can be so rewarding to be entertained on that level of technique.

I always loved P2 . . 30 years ago i thort i was the only one.

A difficult retrospective to watch, considering we still miss Bill Paxton.

Still the best Predator movie since the original

I also remember watching this movie on VHS at a friend's house when I was far too young. It took a good while before a second watch as I felt like it was too gruesome and scary for me.

I remember thinking predator 2 wasn’t that good back in the day but rewatched it again a few years back. Completely changed my opinion, it’s a good solid follow up. Holds up well. Tried to do something a little different and I think it worked. Much better than any of the other sequels