Predator 2- Many sequels, even good sequels like Rocky II, Terminator 2, Evil Dead II, are essentially remakes with a bigger budget. Predator 2 isn’t. It actually does something genuinely different. That said, that doesn’t mean it does it well. Like it’s predecessor, the characters are pretty thinly written (though Bill Paxton, remains ever lovable), and they don’t have the iconic cast to carry them or as many memorable lines. The main problem though is director Stephen Hopkins, who has none of John McTiernan’s skill at crafting suspense. Predator 2 thus instead comes across as an excercise in excess. Sometimes fun excess, admittedly, but with little of the taut tension or atmosphere of the first film. There are nonetheless a few fairly impressive set pieces, and the bigger budget means that the FX teams of R/Greenberg and Stan Winston have a lot more room to flex their muscles and create cool stuff, like the Predator’s new arsenal. That’s not really enough to make it a very good movie, but it is enough give it a few interesting elements that make it worth watching.