The ’90s R-Rated Sci-Fi Horror Sequel Fans Finally Fell In Love With After Years Of Mixed Reviews, Stream On Disney+ Now
When Predator 2 first arrived on the scene in 1990, audiences didn’t know what to make of the bizarre sequel. The franchise had abandoned the jungle backdrop from the first film and replaced it with an urban jungle of bustling traffic and gang activity.
Ever since then, the Predator franchise has continued to veer into a number of bold new directions, with as many critical success stories as there are failures. With the current state of the franchise, fans have come to love the 1990 sequel, more than 30 years after the film’s release.
Predator 2 On Disney+ And Hulu
Predator 2 is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu with a Disney+ add-on. The film was written by the same writing duo as the first Predator movie. Those were siblings Jim and John Thomas, who eventually went on to pen 1999’s Wild Wild West and 2001’s Behind Enemy Lines.
A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child‘s Stephen Hopkins directed the film, with a starring cast consisting of Danny Glover, Gary Busey, Kevin Peter Hall, Rubén Blades, Maria Conchita Alonso, and Apollo 13‘s Bill Paxton.
Expand On The Predator Story
While the first Predator film offered little explanation of the Yautja creature’s origins, Predator 2 expands upon the mythology significantly.
The creature’s arrival on Earth is clarified in the film as that of a big game hunter, searching for worthy human opponents to stalk and kill for sport.
Furthermore, the film illustrates that Yautja have been coming to the Earth for this purpose for centuries, an idea that would serve as the basis for nearly every following installment in the franchise.
Predator In Los Angeles
Predator 2 centers on Lieutenant Mike Harrigan, an LAPD officer in the throes of a violent gang war between Colombian and Jamaican drug cartels.
As the dystopian hellscape of Los Angeles experiences an extreme heat wave, the LAPD battles to keep the gangs from wreaking havoc on the civilian population. The Predator arrives in the city as the police engage in a shootout with one of the gangs, killing several cartel henchmen along the way.
An Urban War Ensues
As Predator 2 continues, the Yautja stealthily hunts down and slaughters other gang members, prompting the police to investigate the otherworldly presence.
After Harrigan’s partner is killed by one of the Predator’s spear tips, the war heats up, causing rival cartels, the police, and the deep-space visitor to converge in a massive blood bath.
Furthermore, a government agency dedicated to tracking and discovering the Predator’s arrival is hell-bent on capturing the alien for examination and questioning.
Poor Reviews At First
Predator 2 received poor reviews upon its release, despite its promising returns at the box office. Today, the film holds a paltry 30 percent critic score on Rotten Tomatoes, with many film critics claiming it fails to live up to the excitement and scope of the first film.
However, in the decades since Predator 2‘s release, the film has managed to find a cult audience, who have specifically praised Danny Glover’s leading performance, and the dystopian Los Angeles world building on display in the film.
Stream Predator 2
For those interested in watching Predator 2, the sequel is available to stream on Disney+. Just be sure to put the kids to sleep first, as the film contains a truly staggering amount of F-bombs, sex scenes, and images containing extremely graphic violence.
