Predator 2saw the “City Hunter” swap the actual jungle for the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, which was every bit a war zone itself. It’s strange to think that after this 1990 sequel, thePredatormovie franchiselay dormant for 14 years. The sequel was still a success, butthe film grossed significantly less than the original, withArnold Schwarzenegger’s refusal to return forPredator 2being cited as a problem. Despite a tepid critical response at the time, the sequel is considered an action gem now.
The sequel also expanded on the lore of the titular hunters, giving more of an insight into their culture and honor system;Predator 2’sAlieneaster eggalso set the course for the eventualAlien vs Predatorcrossover movie in 2004. The follow-up’s main villain is dubbed the City Hunter, who finds plenty of targets in the “future” year of 1997, with Danny Glover’s tough cop Harrigan being the trophy he’s seeking. The heatwave the city is experiencing helps the hunter out too.
LA’s Abnormal Heat Wave Became The Perfect Environment For The City Hunter In Predator 2
The City Hunter takes a summer vacation in Predator
The originalPredatorestablishes that the titular alien comes in particularly hot seasons to hunt.Since L.A. is experiencing a heat wave whenPredator 2opens, that makes conditions ideal for a little skull collectingand general mayhem. Since the Jungle Hunter was defeated in combat a decade prior, according to the movie’s timeline, the clan may have decided it was time to test out another environment filled with heat and violence.
Cities are likely something the hunters avoid, so their visits to Earth go undetected. Since the Los Angeles ofPredator 2is a blazing inferno of bloodshed, they may have decided that the sheer brutality of the gang warfare was ideal to mask their activities. There is no exposition that lays that out, but it’s a logical deduction based on how smart the creatures appear in other entries. In short,the City Hunter came for L.A.’s heat and stayed for the various hunting opportunities it provided.
The Gang Violence In LA Was Seen As A Challenge For Predator 2’s City Hunter
Despite the setting, the basic structure ofPredator 2isn’t very different from the first installment. Both involve the leader of an elite squad (Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Dutch in the original and Danny Glover’s Harrigan in the sequel) chasing down the invisible hunter and when their team gets wiped out, it’s up to them to take on the creature alone.In taking part in L.A.’s gang warfare, the City Hunter is challenging itself against opponents with powerful weaponswhile also seeking prey worthy of its skills.
Just like the Jungle Hunter found Dutch, the City Hunter sees Harrigan in action. InPredator 2’sopening, the alien watches from afar as the fearless detective drives a car right into the middle of a raging shootout and kills multiple attackers by himself. From that point on,Harrigan is marked as a prize by the killer, who goads and plays mind games on the detective- such as killing his partner and leaving the man’s destroyed necklace in his graveyard - before the two face off in the finale.
… a key reason Arnie turned down Predator 2 was because he didn’t like the city setting.
It’s interesting how violent and reckless the City Hunter becomes, too. In the beginning, it’s tactical about the prey it chooses to fight, but later in the story, it attacks a subway car full of armed passengers.The hunter seems to become addicted to the violence inherent in this version of Los Angelesand always chooses to runtowarda fight instead of stalking his enemies. This same recklessness later allows Harrigan to slice off the hunter’s arm, before killing it in a one-on-one battle.
Reportedly, a key reason Arnie turned downPredator 2was because he didn’t like the city setting, and critics would later point to this as another reason the sequel underperformed. I think it was a natural progression for the series, and the concrete jungle gave the film a distinct feeling from the original.
Predator 2
Cast
Predator 2 is a science fiction action film released in 1990. Set in the chaotic streets of Los Angeles, it follows a police chief who uncovers an alien creature targeting the city’s residents. As the hunt intensifies, he realizes that he himself has become the creature’s next target.
Predator
Predator is an action sci-fi franchise created by Jim and John Thomas, beginning with the original film released in 1987. The franchise follows a warrior alien race known as the Yautja who travel the far reaches of space looking for worthy prey to hunt, constantly bringing them to Earth due to the sheer amount of conflict harbored on it. The series has spun off into comic books and animated features and has even enjoyed several crossover events via film and video games with the Aliens franchise.
