For many fans, the original Predator from 1987 starring Arnold Schwarzenegger is still the best of the Predator franchise. This is completely understandable: it was action, horror, sci-fi, and a war movie all merged into one. Over the years, there have been several sequels and spin-offs.
The Predator from 2018 is an infamous disaster of a sequel but both Predator 2 and Predators have become cult classics. So which ones act as the superior sequel? Is it the hyper-violent metropolitan thriller or the mysterious trek through an alien planet? Both these sequels bring a lot of good to the franchise.
Predator 2: The City Hunter Has More Personality
The City Hunter seen in Predator 2 is not the same Hunter from the first film. With a drastically different mask, array of weapons, and even a different ugly mug: the City Hunter is unique. The City Hunter even featured different nuances and personality traits from the Jungle Hunter.
However, the City Hunter has one thing in common with the first movie: he's played by the same actor., Kevin Peter Hall. The way the City Hunter operates seems more serial killer-esque rather than a sport hunter. The City Hunter toys with the main hero, trying to get him worked up.
Predators: Familiar But Fresh
While Predator 2 took the sequel in a very different direction, it kept many familiar elements. With Predators, it does the same by tricking the audience into thinking it's the same setup as the first movie. That idea is thrown out the window when it turns out the characters are on an alien planet.
The game preserve, the other hunted aliens, and the new breed of Yautja changed things up. Even the ensemble of characters was different since they did not know each other and were the greatest killers of Earth. The ultimate hunt for the Super Predators.
Predator 2: The Greyback Elder
After Harrigan finally kills the City Hunter after so much pain and struggle, it turns out the City Hunter is not alone. A whole pack of hunters emerges on the Yautja ship including one that stands out; the Greyback Elder, who respects Harrigan for surviving the hunt and becoming the hunter.
He gives Harrigan an old flintlock from the days of high-sea piracy while saying the words: "Take it." This was meant to show that the Yautja are practically immortals and have been hunting here for a long time. The Elder made such an impact that he returned at the very end of the first Alien VS. Predator movie.
Predators: Expanded Lore
While the Greyback Elder and the Xenomorph skull in Predator 2 were cool, it still didn't show much of their lore. Predators 2 goes a little deeper into the Yautja world by introducing bigger, less honor-bound hunters who seem to be at war with the classic Yautja hunters.
It's even compared to the difference between dogs and wolves in the film. However, rather than bogging the movie down with a ton of lore: they only explain enough to make the fans interested but still leaving some things open. The blood feud between Yautja breeds even gets a full-on fight between a Super Predator and a classic Predator.
Predator 2: The Hyper Violence
Predator 2 was made post-RoboCop success and it shows via its similar setting. It's a not-so-distant future version of a metropolitan city being torn apart by constant gang wars. The gangs are all colorful and over the top to the point of cartoonish at times.
The comparison to RoboCop can also be made through the giant increase in gore and violence. The City Hunter does not hold back in this one: he kills with pure brutality. The new arsenal the City Hunter is equipped with makes for some of the most iconic kills in the franchise.
Predators: Looks And Feels Closer To The First One
It is irable that Predator 2 tried something different with its setting and tone. However, it did warrant a mixed reaction from fans originally. Predators on the other hand return to their roots by having it set in the jungle. It's clear that Robert Rodriguez and director Nimród Antal really love the original film.
Everything from the visuals, the characters, and even the music is straight out of the original. Predators even borrows some of Alan Silvestri's score from the original. What makes it even better is that there are enough unique additions that Predators never feels like a clone.
Predator 2: Memorable ing Cast
While Danny Glover's Mike Harrigan is a great character, the ing cast steals the show. Of course, with the late Bill Paxton and Gary Busey in a movie, they are going to be amazing in every way. Paxton plays a cop similar to his character of Hudson from Aliens but he's different enough to make him memorable.
Mike's partner Danny is likable, Leona Cantrell makes for an awesome cop, and even the drug lord King Willie is astonishingly unique. Of course, the one who really steals the whole movie is Gary Busey and all of his delightful insanity. Every line he says as Agent Keyes is pure gold.
Predators: The Scariest Predators
A typical trope for movie monsters in sequels is to just make them bigger and it usually never works. However, with the new Super Predators, they aren't just bigger. They are deadlier, smarter, more ruthless, and each providing new threats to the team of humans.
They actually earn the title of Super Predators, unlike the 2018 movie's Ultimate Predator. The only problem with the Super Predators is that some don't get nearly enough screentime. In many ways, they are scarier than the City Hunter since they are without honor.
Predator 2: Realistic Hero
Mike Harrigan in Predator 2 is not some muscle-bound soldier or an international hitman. He's a regular man who happens to be a great cop. This makes his encounters and dynamic with the Yautja hunter different. It's like the City Hunter is trying to turn Harrigan into a more worthy prey.
Harrigan's hatred for the City Hunter makes for a brilliant final act. Whenever Harrigan finally lands a blow on the Hunter, it feels more impactful. It also helps that Danny Glover perfectly delivers on being the good cop, especially after playing in the Lethal Weapon movies.
Predators: Hunted Become Hunters
The cast of characters in Predators is mysterious, even to each other. In a way, that makes them even more intriguing. The main character, Royce, doesn't even reveal his name until the third act. It leads to a dynamic where nobody knows who they can trust; this comes into play when they meet Laurence Fishburne's Noland.
So their dynamic not only about them getting to know each slowly: it's the skills they bring. Their weapons and talents combined when dealing with the Yautja threat make for some brilliant action sequences. There even some twists and turns with characters that are surprising.
