Let’s face it… it’s hard to find a nice Predator 2 helmet out there lately, and even when you do one, there are casting issues, or the paint job isn’t too hot, or there’s no lasers/LEDs, or it’s simply overpriced. I know HCG is coming out with one that is way too expensive, but seeing as they’re a bunch of unprofessional asshats, their products won’t be getting any face-time on here either way. Well folks, today I want to introduce to you a GOREOUS Predator 2 helmet that has it all at a price you won’t believe!

My friend and fellow board member Art Gonzales (aka Nucking Futs on the Lair) recently sent me a sample of the Predator 2 helmet he makes and I have to admit, it’s probably the best P2 I have ever seen, the paint job on it is absolutely AMAZING! The helmet weighs in at around 4 lbs and measures 21″ in height and 14″ in width and seems to be a nice thick and solid casting. There are no thin or warped areas at all, and I love how both the outside as well as the inside of the helmet is fully painted and weathered. One thing that I found unique to this bio is the battle damaged effect to the side details of the helmet, it looks AWESOME! So in terms of sculpt, the added lip and the battle damage effects make for a gorgeous bio and the casting seems to be very high quality.

I honestly believe that out of all the movie based helmet designs, the P2 helmet is easily the most difficult paint job to re-create properly as most tend to slap on a single copper color with some black weathering and leave it at that. It looks good, but the aged and weathered look of the P2 seems lost so I was extremely pleased with the finish Art had applied on this helmet! You’ve got copper, browns, gold and everything in between all applied in a gorgeous texture that looks absolutely perfect. The helmet is then finished with strategically placed bits of “copper oxide”, that greenish-blue color that seems so hard to re-create on these pieces. And believe me, I know it’s hard to pull off, I’ve tried! So in terms of the paint job, this helmet gets full marks in every way… gorgeous coloration and paint textures both inside and outside the helmet.

On to the next bit of awesomeness that makes up this helmet… LASERS! Yep, this baby sports 3 real lasers lined up in a perfect tight triangular targeting reticle that looks good even pointed at houses across the street. The laser trigger system is also quite unique, with the use of a cable push trigger rather than a switch located inside the helmet, which makes this perfect for display or costume purposes. The lasers are contained in the laser shroud housing on the helmet as well as the battery pack, which is located in the snout area. Here comes the neat part… then battery pack is then wired to phono jack receptacle right where the hoses connect to the bio in the movie. (PS – 2 AAA Batteries not included) Next, you are provided with a separate cable that looks like one of the hoses and on the end of it is a red trigger you push to activate the lasers! How cool is that?! So if you are using this as a costume, you can actually fish the wire down your sleeve and in to your hand so you can activate the lasers without having to touch your helmet or have someone turn it on for you. If you’re using this for display like I am, then you just roll the cable up and keep it inside the bio and use the trigger in the off-chance that you want to show it off to a fellow pred-nut. Overall, I think the entire way the lasers are rigged is really cool and especially costume builder friendly.

The helmets are made and shipped direct from the USA by Art himself, and you are going to LOVE the price! You get the FULLY FINISHED helmet, including painted, mesh screen lense, REAL LASERS and trigger for $250 plus shipping! That is easily the best price I have ever seen for a fully painted helmet that also has lasers, and based on this piece I have here in hand, I would NOT hesitate to grab one of these for your collection, that price is a STEAL!

Want to order one for yourself or contact Art about this piece? You can email him by clicking here, he can take your order directly.

I had a lot of fun photographing this piece and I lit the office in a way that would really make the colors and textures pop out and look rich and detailed… to the naked eye, the helmet doesn’t look quite so colorful, but I think the paint job really deserved to be shown off so you could see just how detailed it really was. Click the icon below and enjoy the photos!

In addition to the photos, I also had a little fun and put together a video review in HD for your viewing pleasure, which you can check out by clicking the YouTube icon below:

In the video I discuss the qualities of the helmet and show the laser wiring and trigger system used to activate the tri-laser reticle and just show it off in general. I JUST uploaded it though, so if you click and it’s saying the video isn’t available yet, try again in an hour or so… it’s probably not fully converted yet.

That’s it for this review gang, thanks again and I hope you enjoyed it! Remember to click the comment button below and share your thoughts!

Take care,
Dan