When the original Predator movie first hit movie screens in 1987, fans and critics alike enjoyed the fast-paced action combined with old-school slasher horror. The formula worked so well it spawned a whole franchise that includes video games, television shows, short films, and various types of merch, never mind several more feature films. FX is planning a series based on the lore in 2021, and there’s yet another movie on the horizon.
So far, there have been six full-length feature films in the Predator franchise. According to Rotten Tomatoes, all of them have been popular with the fan base to varying degrees, and none have reached the heights of the original film. Some of the movies are famous for the wrong reasons. Before someone gets all hyped up to see that new series or the latest movie is released, here’s a summary of all the films so far along with their rankings and ratings.
6 Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007) – 12%
It is difficult to understand what the writers were thinking with Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem. The film is a tired rehash of other Predator and Alien films, plus it stars a bunch of teenagers for some reason. Audiences gave it a rating of 30% and the Tomatometer is at a weak 12%.
Even the hardcore fans didn’t like it. No soldiers, no professional fighters, just a bunch of screaming kids that get caught between the Predator and his prey. The movie is also badly edited, poorly lit, and contains a lot of hyperbolic, over-the-top gore that’s completely pointless. It has all the hallmarks of a B horror film, and it was so bad it almost sank the whole franchise.
5 Alien vs. Predator (2004) – 21%
The first movie that brought two of Hollywood’s most fearsome alien races together was hotly anticipated, but after all the hype it turned out to be a devastating letdown. The Tomatometer only gives it 21% and the audience rating is only slightly higher at 39%. It’s no wonder Predator fans were totally alienated by this, pun intended.
The story takes place in Antarctica, which is weird to start with, and instead of soldiers, there is a rich eccentric who funds an archeological expedition to an ancient pyramid that happens to be infested with Aliens. Then the Predators turn up to kill the Aliens and the humans get caught in the crossfire. The characters are shallow, the action is formulaic, and it’s generally a boring movie.
4 Predator 2 (1990) – 31%
The first direct sequel to Predator, this movie was also a darling of late 20th-century action movies, starting with a cast that included Danny Glover and Gary Busey. It isn’t as popular as the iconic film that preceded it, with a Tomatometer rating of only 31% and a slightly better audience rating of 44%.
Although it had a decent script and premise along with some high-profile stars, fans didn’t respond well to the Predator in a concrete jungle. The shift to a cityscape wasn’t really what anyone asked for and the plot moved too slowly. There was also some disappointment that fan-favorite character and lone survivor Dutch from the first movie didn’t even make a cameo and is only briefly mentioned.
3 The Predator (2018) – 33%
The latest movie from the franchise, which might have been a reboot, a remake, or a sequel depending on who is asked, isn’t exactly well-loved but it’s not the worst either. It’s tied at 33% on both the Tomatometer and the audience score. Part of the negative reaction to this film was the confusion over how it fits into the franchise, along with the convoluted plot and formulaic action sequences.
The script, which has some funny moments and recalls the classic quips of vintage action films, is a bright spot in this latest and fairly average Predator offering. It also brings back the military angle along with some interesting ideas about the Predator’s technology, so it’s not a total loss.
2 Predators (2010) – 66%
Predators is a fan favorite, even if critics were divided. It seems to fall into the “guilty pleasure” category and has a decent following. Predators has a 65% Tomatometer rating and an audience rating of 52%, so not phenomenal but far from lackluster. That makes it the second highest-rated film in the whole franchise. It seems Predators was made with that in mind, as it was intended to bring back the same visceral action of the first movie. It redeemed the series after the disasters of the two previous Alien and Predator crossovers.
The interesting twist in Predators is that the human prey has been transported to another planet, delving more into the sci-fi angle of the franchise, with a landscape that recalls the steamy jungle of the original film, where they must kill or be killed. This movie did a lot to redeem the series after the disappointment of two previous films.
1 Predator (1987) – 81%
The original Predator movie is still the best of the lot, according to an impressive Tomatometer score of 81% and an audience score of 87%. No other film in the franchise has even come close. The cast, to start with, is a veritable “who’s who” of 1980s action heroes, with names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers, and Jesse Ventura.
The script includes iconic lines that still ring in the annals of action hero legend, like the infamous “I ain’t got time to bleed” quip. The characters are funny, realistic, and relatable. The plot moves along quickly, combining a tense military operation in a confined jungle with all the suspense of a horror film. It’s the movie that has everything and then adds even more, and the legacy lives on.
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