"Predator 2 Is the Most Enjoyable Predator Movie, Period"

[HuDaFuK]

The characters even for the short time they were on screen were so well fleshed out.

This is the single biggest issue I have with the vast majority of modern action movies. Somewhere along the way the ability to make supporting characters you actually care about using only limited screentime and dialogue got lost. Look at Predator, look at Aliens - all those guys who buy it right at the start are still awesome, memorable characters. You just don't get that any more, the cannon fodder has become faceless.

...yea decided to read the article first and the guy that wrote it doesn't even agree it's better than the first. So what was the point of claiming P2 was the most enjoyable and then calling the movie 80's cheese.

Quality and enjoyment aren't necessarily the same thing. Just because he doesn't think it's as "good" as the first, doesn't mean he can't enjoy it more regardless.

Case in point - one of my all-time favourite movies is a film called Deep Rising. I'd never claim it's one of the best ever made, because it's a trashy b-movie, but I love it.

[whiterabbit]

Hey Deep Rising is pretty good. However that guy claimed P2 was the most enjoyable predator movie, period. Which flat out is stretching it a lot for an opinion piece.

[426Buddy]

I like Deep Rising too! cheesy, gory, fun, and lots and lots of entertainment value.

I wish B movies like this still came out, instead sharknado.

[HuDaFuK]

Pleased to meet some more fans, most people I know have never even heard of Deep Rising!

But I stand by my point. It's not a good film, but it is an immensely entertaining one. "Now what?"

[Vermillion]

The mustard coloured shirt on Harrigan bugs me to this day

[overthere]

Pleased to meet some more fans, most people I know have never even heard of Deep Rising!

But I stand by my point. It's not a good film, but it is an immensely entertaining one. "Now what?"

Holy hell, I once caught some scenes on TV when I was little and I loved it but didn't know what the movie was called and forgot about it. After all these years I finally have a name. I should give it a go.

[Predator_Spirit]

Deep Rising is immensely enjoyable but the monster was crappy.Wich makes P2 not a B flick.
The fx and the predator fx of P2 are grade A stuffs which stood the test of time.

[whiterabbit]

Pleased to meet some more fans, most people I know have never even heard of Deep Rising!

But I stand by my point. It's not a good film, but it is an immensely entertaining one. "Now what?"

If I recall correctly Deep Rising and Sphere came out the same year. I remember mistaking Deep Rising for Sphere at first. Thought the sphere was a giant egg that the giant octopus monster hatched from. Only later did I realize it was an entirely separate movie.

The cgi is extremely dated as is the acting but it was fun and had some great horror. The monster was still better than the relic from a year before. Only reason I bring that up was because some one claimed it beat the Alien. Although now that I think about it, it wasn't that bad of a monster either...

Now what? I'm still of the opinion that P2 is not as enjoyable as P1 and it not just because it's a better film, a classic, an Arnold masterpiece but because me, myself and I find it more enjoyable. No "period" needed.

[OpenMaw]

Predator is definitely a better structured film. I think Predator 2 comes off as a bit messy by comparison. It's going for the stock sequel trope of bigger and more, which is not necessarily a bad thing, and certainly all of the Predator stuff in Predator 2 is good. Though I think A. they blow their load way too early in terms of revealing the Predator. It doesn't have any weight to it because the Predator is revealed to a character we haven't really been following and have no relationship to/with. Compared to say the taunting "flash" given to Mac in Predator, where there's this really strong sense of antagonism and we understand Mac's emotional state and what's going through his head, I don't know. It does feel a little cheaper in terms of the strength of the content. It's more about the carnage and gore, and that's fine... But it's not as well executed as the first Predator. There's an extra layer of polish to the first Predator. Some of it has to do with editing. There's a couple of notable scenes they cut from the first film that, if they had been left in, would have reduced the quality of the film. Predator 2 just needed a little more editing time to tighten itself up I think.

[mn2movies]

i think the original was the best one but i have a great love for predator 2, i have even had to buy the dvd a second time after 1 was swiped from me

[Valaquen]

It's great fun but is not meticulously pieced together like the original. By P2's hour mark we're already rushing into the third act at the slaughterhouse. Pretty messy but all of the ideas are, well, actually pretty great. I watched it not long ago and really had a great time, but I wish there were more meat on the bones for the supporting characters who just sort of flit in and out of the movie. And there's nary any suspense, bar maybe the underground sequence on the train. And I love Danny Glover.

[Mpavlic]

When I was a kid I liked Predator 2.  Over the years when I go back to watch it I like it less and less while I continue to like P1 more and more.  In P1, the characters have personalities, you're interested in them.  In P2 I honestly didn't give two shits about Ruben Blades or Maria Conchita.  I did for Bill Paxton, but some of that was probably tied to me liking the actor rather than caring about the character.

Also, it always bothers me how the Predator in P2 just randomly goes around killing people.  He attacks the drug gang in he building, then in the apartment.  Why? Why does he kill King Willie or Danny?  He's not hunting he's just killing to show blood and gore on the screen and make the fan boys happy.  It doesn't offend me, it's just bad writing.  The subway chase?  It makes no sense and is there just to look cool rather than make sense from a story perspective.   Everything in P1 made sense to me at least.

The idea of trying to catch the Predator is cool but I honestly feel like everything else that happens is there just to give fans violence and cool predator moments.  Which isn't the worst thing ever, but to me it doesn't hold up.  The first movie comes across as tense and real at least as far as this kind of movie can.  P2 just comes across as violence for the sake of violence with some undeveloped characters thrown in to give the predator stuff to kill.

I will say this though, it had one of my favorite tag lines ever.  I still remember walking by the video store window when I was a kid (do any of you even know what a video store is lol) and seeing it...."he's in town...with a few days to kill."  Classic.

Also.  I saw Deep Rising in the movies with maybe 5 other people in the theater.  I think that was the first time I saw Famke Jansen and thinking god damn!

[whiterabbit]

I will say this though, it had one of my favorite tag lines ever.  I still remember walking by the video store window when I was a kid (do any of you even know what a video store is lol) and seeing it...."he's in town...with a few days to kill."  Classic.

Yea I totally remember that one. I even remember when "totally" was a rad phrase.

[HuDaFuK]

Why does he kill King Willie or Danny?

The novel makes it clear he's marked Harrigan as a worthy target, and he goes around knocking off the people he associates with to aggravate him and make the final confrontation all the sweeter. Which I think is a neat idea. Sadly it didn't translate to the film (mostly because you can't really get the Pred's inner thoughts across on-screen).

[Mpavlic]

Why does he kill King Willie or Danny?

The novel makes it clear he's marked Harrigan as a worthy target, and he goes around knocking off the people he associates with to aggravate him and make the final confrontation all the sweeter. Which I think is a neat idea. Sadly it didn't translate to the film (mostly because you can't really get the Pred's inner thoughts across on-screen).

Ah, that's interesting.  I have the Dark Horse movie adaptation but I don't think the comics go into that.  I haven't read them in 20 years so I don't remember for sure though.  Did ADF write the novel for P2?