Hi all!

Today I am ranking the entire Predator franchise. It will inevitably overlap with my Alien ranking, which you can check out here. This adventure/sci-fi/horror series, focuses on extraterrestrial beings, that use high-tech equipment to hunt and track their prey. They are extremely intelligent and extraordinarily deadly. There is a lot to cover, so let’s get into it!

Spoiler’s Ahead!

1.) Predator (1987)

In first place, we have the one that started it all: Predator. Starring the iconic Arnold Schwarzenegger, the story follows soldier of fortune, Dutch, hired by the U.S. government to secretly rescue a group of politicians trapped in Guatemala. However, once his team land in Central America, something feels gravely wrong. After finding a string of dead bodies, the crew discovers they are being hunted by a brutal creature, with superhuman strength and the ability to disappear into its surroundings. For its time, this horror film was shocking and bloody. The skinned corpses and brutal deaths will ruin your appetite. Arnie absolutely steals the show with iconic lines: “get to the choppa,” “you’re one ugly motherf@#ker”, and “if it bleeds, we can kill it.” I love how resourceful Dutch was in his quest to defeat the monster. For some it may be dated, but it was successful enough to add six more movies in the franchise.

2.) Prey (2002) 

Prey did not disappoint. It follows skilled Comanche warrior, Naru, who protects her tribe from a highly-evolved alien predator, that hunts humans for sport. Against all odds, she fights against the wilderness, dangerous colonisers and the mysterious creature, just to keep her people safe. This was the first ever movie shot in both English and Comanche. Both versions are available on Disney +. It also featured a diverse cast of Indigenous actors, including Amber Midthunder, who played Naru. The cultures and its peoples were thoroughly researched and respectfully adapted to screen. My husband and I were blown away. It was beautifully filmed and so well-paced. There was plenty of action, heartfelt moments and epic battles. Not to mention, a strong female lead, underestimated by the boys. Even the Predator was impressed! You don’t need to be a lover of the franchise to watch Prey. Go check it out!

3.) Predators (2010)

Coming in third, we have Predators, starring Adrien Brody and Laurence Fishburne. The story follows a group of notorious mercenaries and murderers, who find themselves transported to an alien game, set on a preserved jungle planet. There, they must learn to work together, in order to fight off a band of Super Predators, as well as other creatures stalking them. If you like The Hunger Games, you’ll enjoy this instalment in the franchise. It’s exciting, fresh and full of action. As expected, characters are picked off one by one, until we are left with an epic showdown of man vs. beast. It’s a whole lot of fun.

4.) Alien Vs. Predator (2004)

I’m surprised by how much I enjoyed Alien Vs. Predator. It helped having watched both the Predator and Alien movies beforehand. In fact, I would recommend everybody else do the same. In 2004, a satellite detects a mysterious heat bloom beneath an island off the coast of Antarctica. Wealthy industrialist, Charles Bishop Weyland, discovers through thermal imaging, a pyramid buried 2,000 ft beneath the ice. He attempts to claim it for his multinational communications company (Weyland Industries), assembling a team of experts to investigate. As a Predator ship reaches Earth’s orbit, it fires an energy beam, aimed at the pyramid site. When the team arrives at the abandoned whaling station, they find a tunnel running directly beneath the ice, toward the pyramid. The exploration team soon find evidence of a prehistoric civilization and what appears to be a sacrificial chamber, filled with human skeletons. Meanwhile, three Predators – Scar, Celtic and Chopper – arrive, killing the remaining team members on the surface. They make their way down to the pyramid, arriving just as the team unwittingly activates the structure, trapping themselves within it. The Alien Queen awakes from cryogenic stasis and begins producing eggs. When the eggs hatch, several Facehuggers attach themselves to humans trapped in the sacrificial chamber. Chestbursters emerge from the humans, quickly growing into adult Xenomorphs. Conflict erupts between the Predators, Xenomorphs, and humans, resulting in several deaths. The movie ends with an epic battle between the Xenomorph Queen and Scar. A Predator ship arrives to retrieve the fallen body of their comrade. However, as they fly away, a Chestburster with Predator and Alien traits, breaks out of Scar’s chest, leading to the events of Alien Vs. Predator Requiem. The pyramid setting was really cool. I loved the moving rooms and traps. It had some serious Tomb Raider/Indiana Jones vibes. Plus, it was cool seeing two fearsome creatures fight one another.

5.) The Predator (2018)

In fifth place, we have The Predator. Following the crash of a Predator spaceship on Earth, U.S. Army Ranger, Quinn McKenna, plus a team of PTSD-afflicted soldiers, band together to take down a pair of Predators, including a new, genetically enhanced Predator, to prevent an invasion of the planet. I honestly could have done without this one. It was not overly memorable. There were some decent action scenes, but I didn’t care for any of the characters. I wouldn’t re-watch it.

6.) Predator 2 (1990)

In second last place, we have Predator 2. In my opinion, the sequel really bombed. In the record-hot summer of 1997, a different Predator arrives in Los Angeles, hunting violent gang members. This draws the attention of the local police force, specifically Lieutenant Harrigan (Danny Glover). He pursues the creature, as it rampages throughout the city. Little does he know, the creature is also being hunted by the secretive government task-force, OWLF, led by CIA agent Peter Keyes, who wishes to capture it for study. The best part of the movie was the ending. The rest was terrible. It was all over the place, cheesy and underwhelming.

7.) Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)

In last place, we have Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem. What a fail. It’s such a shame, because I really enjoyed the first Alien Vs. Predator film. It received an abysmal 12% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Following the events of the previous instalment, a Predator ship leaves Earth, carrying Facehuggers and the dead body of Scar (who helped Lex defeat the Xenomorph Queen in Alien Vs. Predator). A Chestburster, with traits of both species, erupts from Scar’s body, resulting in an adult Predalien. The only good thing about this movie was the hybrid Predator/Alien creation. It lands on Earth, murdering every human it comes across. We meet various characters that wind up working together, to defeat this extraterrestrial creature. The film ends with Wolf’s plasma-blaster being handed over to Ms. Yutani. The Yutani Corporation are a Japanese cybernetics company, eventually bought by Weyland Industries, forming the Weyland-Yutani Corporation. They are an evil agency, dedicated to capturing Xenomorphs; creating weapons out of their biology, to ensure humanity remains the elite species in the universe. Firstly, this movie was really dark. I don’t mean morbid. I mean devoid of light. I could barely see what was happening on screen! Secondly, it tries to do too much. It introduces different stories that go nowhere; attempting character development without any success. So many questions are left unanswered, the plot was all over the place and by the end, I was bored to tears.

Thank you so much for reading! How would you rank the franchise?

Peace & Love xoxo