History YMMV / Predator2

** When Harrigan comments to himself "Don't worry asshole, you'll get another chance." at the end of the film, does Harrigan mean a chance to catch a Predator, or another chance to [[SuicidalOverconfidence get himself killed]] in a hopeless fight?

** When Harrigan comments to himself "Don't worry asshole, you'll get another chance.", does Harrigan mean a chance to catch another space hunter, or another chance to [[SuicidalOverconfidence get himself killed]] in a hopeless fight?

* BadassDecay: Dutch, a tough-as-nails career soldier built like a brick house, was outmatched in a straight fight and had to outwit the Predator to beat it, but the one in this film is soundly defeated in combat by -- badass though he is -- a paunchy LA cop who's pushing fifty. Arguably justified, though, in that Dutch had to go hand-to-hand, while Harrigan gets hold of the Predator's razor-sharp disc to use against it, and Harrigan's opponent had suffered multiple shotgun rounds at point-blank range shortly before.
** WordOfGod confirms that the sequel's "City Hunter" is the Predator equivalent of a teenager going through their rite of passage/graduation, while the first film's "Jungle Hunter" was a seasoned adult veteran. This is why the City Hunter is shorter and leaner than the Jungle Hunter as well.

* CommonKnowledge: A lot of people will cite the Easter Egg of an Alien skull on the City Hunter's trophy rack as the start of the ''Aliens vs. Predator'' franchise, but in fact the ''ComicBook/AliensVsPredator'' comic miniseries by Dark Horse was released before the film, and the Xenomorph skull is just as likely a shout-out to that comic. Still, it is commonly stated that the appearance of the Xenomorph skull in this film "started" the [=AvP=] franchise, which it did not. . . though it is likely a lot more people saw the skull here than read the comic, so the film did ''popularize'' the idea of the crossover.

** [[[[CowboyCop Jerry Lambert]]]] is one of the film's most popular character's thanks to his plucky attitude being backed up by some credible action skills. This makes his last stand against the Predator all the more saddening as a result.

* TooCoolToLive: [[spoiler:[[MagicalNegro King]] [[EvilIsCool Willie]], [[CowboyCop Jerry Lambert]], and [[TheMenInBlack Peter Keyes]]]].

* CriticalResearchFailure: The Jamaican gangsters are all worshippers and practitioners of Voodoo. But it is ''Haiti'', not Jamaica, that is famously associated with Voodoo. Jamaicans are instead associated with Rastafarianism. WordOfGod states that the Jamaicans were originally written to be Rastafarian, but the producers insisted they be rewritten as voodoo, assuming that [[ViewersAreMorons audiences wouldn't know what Rastafarianism is]]. This is evident from the final product, as aside from the heart-ripping ritual with the Colombian drug lord, the Jamaicans are walking Rastafarian stereotypes in every way.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: The movie was made in the background of the rising crime rate between 80's and 90's, which the real-life trend going downwards years after the film's release.

* FranchiseOriginalSin: Later sequels would be criticized for the MonsterThreatExpiration faced by the Predators. This got its start here: Harrigan, an average cop who's not in particularly great shape, manages to defeat a Predator in combat; while in the previous movie, Dutch, an elite mercenary with a bodybuilder's physique, only manages to kill the Predator hunting him by using {{booby trap}}s. However, it was more forgivable in this movie because the City Hunter is characterized as more reckless and careless than the Jungle Hunter (with WordOfGod confirming that it is also significantly younger and less experienced), it still manages to showcase itself as a legitimate threat by slaughtering many cops and gangsters, and Harrigan wins largely because he's able to use one of his opponent's own weapons against it.

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** The movie's novelization openly notes how [[spoiler: one Predator tossing Harrigan a 17th-century pistol]] can be seen in two ways: Is it [[spoiler: a sign of respect by sharing the trophy of a worthy foe? Or is it a message that this archaic weapon represents how far advanced the Predators are compared to Earth and humans are completely out of their league? Maybe it's a combination of both, like the hunter saying "Nice fight, but you might want to sit it out next time," warning him that more experienced hunters won't be a pushover.]]
** The City Hunter encountering Danny. Was he going to kill him from the start and dragged him into the ceiling to do it easier? Or did he save Danny from a potentially lethal fall, and only kill him once Danny proved capable of fighting back?
** Also, when the City Hunter left Danny's necklace at the cemetery for Harrigan to find, was the Predator mocking him, or was it a sign of respect?
** Keyes giving Harrigan the InfoDump for everyone who'd missed the first movie. Did he just want someone to gloat to, and was going eliminate Harrigan as soon as he'd dealt with the Predator? Or was he thinking of ''recruiting'' Harrigan, since this city cop with near-zero resources was only a few steps behind Keyes and all the resources of the US Government in tracking the City Hunter?
* BadassDecay: Dutch, a tough-as-nails career soldier built like a brick house, was outmatched in a straight fight and had to outwit the Predator to beat it, but the one in this film is soundly defeated in combat by -- badass though he is -- a paunchy LA cop who's pushing fifty. Arguably justified, though, in that Dutch had to go hand-to-hand while Harrigan gets hold of the Predator's razor-sharp disc to use against it, and Harrigan's opponent had suffered multiple shotgun rounds at point blank range shortly before.
** WordOfGod confirms that the sequel's "City Hunter" is the Predator equivalent of a teenager going through their rite of passage/graduation, while the first film's "Jungle Hunter" was a seasoned adult veteran. This is why the City Hunter is shorter and leaner than the Jungle Hunter, as well.

* CriticalResearchFailure: The Jamaican gangsters are all worshippers and practitioners of Voodoo. But it is ''Haiti'', not Jamaica, that is famously associated with Voodoo. Jamaicans are instead associated with Rastafarianism. WordOfGod states that the Jamaicans were originally written to be Rastafarian, but the producers insisted they be rewritten as voodoo, assuming that [[ViewersAreMorons audiences wouldn't know what Rastafarianism is]].
* CultClassic: Torn apart critically, but has a sizeable amount of fans for doing something different from the first and providing solid backstory for the Predator that inspired countless spin-off works. Even many who hate this movie's guts will praise elements such as Music/AlanSilvestri's score and the cast.

** The Predator tribe for opening endless speculation in regards to the Predators' behavior and history, in addition to the variety of designs the individual members have. This has led to each member of the tribe getting collectible figures over the years, no small feat for what are essentially background characters with limited screen time.
** The Predator's new weapons (The Smart Disc, Net Gun, Spear Gun and Combi-Stick) are an object specific case with the Smart Disc and Net Gun in particular standing out for the utterly awesome kills they provide. This resulted in the spear and disc becoming staples of future Predator's arsenals in the films, video games and expanded universe materials alike. It helps that most of them had origins in the early drafts of the first movie.
** [[PluckyComicRelief Jerry Lambert]] is by far the most popular character of the movie, primarily for being genuinely funny and one of the only truly likeable characters. It doesn't hurt that the character he [[{{Expy}} ripped off]] (Hudson from ''Film/{{Aliens}}'', also played by Creator/BillPaxton) was an EnsembleDarkhorse there as well.
** In another object specific case, the Xenomorph skull, which led to increased interest in the ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'' materials to the point two films and a tsunami of video games were made.
* FranchiseOriginalSin: Later sequels would be criticized for the MonsterThreatExpiration faced by the Predators. This got its start here: Harrigan, an average cop who's not in particularly great shape, managed to defeat a Predator in combat; while in the previous movie, Dutch, an elite mercenary with a bodybuilder's physique, only managed to kill the Predator hunting him by using {{booby trap}}s. However, it was more forgivable in this movie because the City Hunter was characterized as more reckless and careless than the Jungle Hunter (with WordOfGod confirming that it was also significantly younger and less experienced), it still managed to showcase itself as a legitimate threat by slaughtering many cops and gangsters, and Harrigan won largely because he was able to use one of his opponent's own weapons against him.
* HamAndCheese: Most of the cast seems to be having fun with their roles with little regard as to what they're doing. This is particularly evident with Creator/GaryBusey, Creator/DannyGlover and the Jamaicans.

** The film opens with a group of criminals who are heavily armed with automatic weapons managing to pin the police down for some time. [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Hollywood_shootout In the year of 1997]].
** Jerry Lambert is said to have transferred over from the Rampart Division in order to see some action, and is generally regarded as a safer, less gritty assignment compared to what Mike and his fellow offers deal with when fighting gangs on the streets. A few years later, the real-life Rampart Division's C.R.A.S.H anti-gang unit became the focus of an investigation into what may easily be the most serious incident of widespread [[DirtyCop police corruption]] in America's history, exposing the involvement of nearly a hundred officers in various crimes ranging from robbery to drug dealing to homicide and was largely blamed on the unit's CowboyCop mentality. For double the irony, the Rampart Scandal was also exposed [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rampart_scandal in 1997]].
** The City Hunter carelessly leaving behind pieces of technology and its severed arm, as ''VideoGame/PredatorHuntingGrounds'' reveals that the OWLF program picked up the City Hunter's evidence. This led them to have a better grasp on killing Predators and possibly led to the events of [[Film/ThePredator fourth film,]] where a clan of Predators planned to take over the Earth and caused havoc in a Project Stargazer facility. In turn, this led to Stargazer being shut down and becoming a terrorist group selling black market Predator tech and destabilizing regions in hopes of attracting Predators. If the City Hunter and its clan hadn't been so careless with its lost equipment, an untold amount of pain for both species would have been avoided.
*** The video game ''VideoGame/PredatorConcreteJungle'' has the main character, Scarface, exiled for leaving some of his technology behind on a hunt, and is only given the chance to redeem himself some 300 years later by being dropped into the city his carelessness built to clean up his mess. . . facing humans who have adapted Predator tech to serve them. If the City Hunter had survived his encounter with Harrigan, he might have faced a similar fate for leaving behind so much stuff (his damaged plasmacaster and wrist gauntlet, bio-helmet, and spear).
** The Los Angeles heat wave presented in the film, unfortunately became a recurring issue in Southern California, with recurring incidents that included water droughts.

* MagnificentBastard: "[[NobleDemon The City Hunter]]" is the Predator currently terrorizing Los Angeles, brutally targeting and picking off dangerous gangs throughout the city as part of his hunt. Using brute force and stealthy attacks both to wipe out armed goons, the City Hunter takes out even cops in his pursuit, but [[EvenEvilHasStandards holds a strict code]] to never harm an unarmed woman or child, sparing even a police officer trying to stop him when the City Hunter realizes [[WouldNotHurtAChild she is pregnant]]. Even when federal agents devise a scheme to trap the rogue Predator, the City Hunter quickly adapts and kills them all. Gaining a genuine respect for Lieutenant Harrigan's skill, the City Hunter gives the man a honorable duel in the end, and [[FaceDeathWithDignity faces his death with dignity]] after suffering serious wounds.

* PresumedFlop: Deemed a box office disappointment for earning half of what ''Predator'' did, it still managed to at least cover the studio's expenses with $57 million worldwide on a $20-30 million budget.
* RootingForTheEmpire: There's quite a few points where the audience is on the Predator's side. Not so much when the Predator's fighting Harrigan and the police, but definitely when the Predator's targeting gang-members.
* SignatureScene: The appearance of the Predator tribe at the end of the film, along with the sight of the Xenomorph skull on the trophy rack, which served as a launching point for the [[Franchise/AlienVsPredator crossover]] and expanded universe materials exploring the Predators in other time periods. Even detractors of the film praise this moment for being fantastic world building.

** [[spoiler: Keyes' death.]] To break it down, the Predator's Smart Disc is very obviously integrated into the shot. It then makes a choppy skip as he is sawed in half. To add insult to injury, the top half of his body doesn't fall down with his legs, which can be seen in another shot where only his legs are on the ground.
** The Predator tribe at the end of the film is clearly green-screened into the scene when they are decloaking.
* SoBadItsGood: For some, the film is quite enjoyable due to the over the top acting, ridiculous characters such as the Jamaican Voodoo gang and awful dialogue being ridiculous to the point of being entertaining, not unlike the campier action films of the 80's. The presence of Creator/GaryBusey may help this argument, given the actor's reputation for being bizarre, plus all of the actors in general put in memorable performances and really help the film stand out. In other words, it has a BMovie charm with A-movie material.

** [[spoiler: Danny's death. Mike is devastated by the loss of his friend of 15 years and is determined to him down whomever or whatever killed him.]]
** [[spoiler: Harrigan visiting Danny's grave and paying his respects by placing his photo of him and Danny together and Danny's police badge alongside the gravestone before leaving]].
* TooCoolToLive: [[spoiler:[[MagicalNegro King]] [[EvilIsCool Willie]], [[CowboyCop Jerry Lambert]] and [[TheMenInBlack Peter Keyes]]]].

** Creator/GaryBusey immersed himself in the franchise's lore - one of the best bonus features on the DVD is him in character giving a run-down on the backstory of the Predators and his character's motivations.
* VindicatedByHistory: Trashed by critics at release. While the film still has a good share of haters, many people warmed up to it after the divisive ''Franchise/AlienVsPredator'' films and highly controversial [[Film/ThePredator fourth film]], with more and more admitting it to be a worthy sequel.
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The suit worn for the Predator looks rather impressive, perhaps even moreso than the first film, owing to a full production schedule allowing for more time to work on the creature as opposed to the hectic last minute replacement nature of the first film's design. Special mention goes to the Predator tribe at the end of the film including nine individual men in unique suits, which made it the most expensive scene in the whole film.

** The movie's novelization openly notes how [[spoiler: one Predator tossing Harrigan a 17th-century pistol]] can be seen in two ways: Is it [[spoiler: a sign of respect by sharing the trophy of a worthy foe? Or is it a message that this archaic weapon represents how far advanced the Predators are compared to Earth and are humans completely out of their league? Maybe it's a combination of both, like the hunter saying "Nice fight, but you might want to sit it out next time," warning him that more experienced hunters won't be a pushover.]]

** The movie's novelization openly notes how [[spoiler: one Predator tossing Harrigan a 17th-century pistol]] can be seen in two ways: Is it [[spoiler: a sign of respect by sharing the trophy of a worthy foe? Or is it a message that this archaic weapon represents how far advanced the Predators are compared to Earth and humans completely out of their league? Maybe it's a combination of both, like the hunter saying "Nice fight, but you might want to sit it out next time." warning him that more experienced hunters won't be a pushover.]]

** The Columbian drug lord and his mistress having steamy sex before being attacked and held captive by the Jamaican gang.

* ContestedSequel: Probably the most out of all the ''Predator'' films. While it's accepted that the original film is better, there are a number of opinions on this entry. Detractors tend to criticize this film for its inconsistent and angry tone that lacks the claustrophobic feel of the original. On the other hand, there are plenty of fans who like it for the new city setting, expanded world-building on the Predator, the more recognizable and entertaining cast members such as Creator/GaryBusey and Creator/BillPaxton, and the [[SoBadItsGood bizarre nature]] of the film, to the point that there is a vocal minority that finds it better than the first. This divide has continued to grow over the years as [[Film/{{Predators}} two]] [[Film/ThePredator more]] sequels to the series and the ''Film/AlienVsPredator'' films were released and provided more options.

* TookTheBadFilmSeriously: A lot of otherwise negative reviews praised Creator/DannyGlover's performance.

* CriticalResearchFailure: The Jamaican gangsters are all worshippers and practitioners of Voodoo. But it is ''Haiti'', not Jamaica, that is famously associated with Voodoo. Jamaicans are instead associated with Rastafarianism.
** WordOfGod states that the Jamaicans were originally written to be Rastafarian, but the producers insisted they be rewritten as voodoo, assuming that [[ViewersAreMorons audiences wouldn't know what Rastafarianism is]].

* SoBadItsGood: For some, the film is quite enjoyable due to the over the top acting, ridiculous characters such as the Jamaican Voodoo gang and awful dialogue being ridiculous to the point of being entertaining, not unlike the campier action films of the 80's. The presence of Creator/GaryBusey may help this argument, given the actor's reputation for being bizarre, plus all of the actors in general put in memorable performances and really help the film stand out.

* SoBadItsGood: For some, the film is quite enjoyable due to the over the top acting, ridiculous characters such as the Jamaican Voodoo gang and awful dialogue being ridiculous to the point of being entertaining, not unlike the campier action films of the 80's. The presence of Creator/GaryBusey may help this argument, given the actor's reputation for being bizarre.

** The movie's novelization openly notes how [[spoiler: one Predator tossing Harrigan a 17th-century pistol]] can be seen in two ways: Is it [[spoiler: a sign of respect by sharing the trophy of a worthy foe? Or is it a message that this archaic weapon represents how far advanced the Predators are compared to Earth and humans completely out of their league?]]