Starting in 1987, the Predator franchise has spanned six major films and has brought in more than 400 million dollars total. Some would consider the first film to hold the star-making roles for both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers.
The franchise has had a lot of ups and downs in its run. With a new film coming out soon, there's never been a better time to look back at the franchise with a critical eye.
Updated: August 2022: To keep this article fresh and relevant by adding more information and entries, this article has been updated by Stephen Rosenberg.
7 Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
While the spectacle and scope were higher than the 2004 Alien Vs. Predator, this film felt clunkier and uninspired. Like the first - this seems like a "knock it out of the park" idea, but it gets lost in its own mythology too often to count for anything. There are some pretty great action sequences to be found, just not enough to carry the film from the bottom of this list.
Set immediately after the events of the first film, Alien Vs. Predator: Requiem was by the tandem called The Brothers Strause, who were new to the world of Hollywood, with this being their first major film. While there may not be a bevy of compliments to be found for this film, there can be something to be said of the practical effects that were used. Quoted in an article by AWN, co-director Colin Strause had this to say about the effects, "Other than the exterior spaceship shots, there are no pure CG shots... The lighters and the modelers had something real in every shot that they could actually reference. It was kind of a big thing for keeping the whole movie grounded."
Regardless of the outcome, the practical effects do stand out.
6 Alien vs. Predator (2004)
Alien Vs. Predator, by all accounts, was a pretty huge hit. It only had a budget of $60 million, but managed to bring in $177 million at the box office. However, it was not met as well by critics, getting almost universally panned across the board. That didn't seem to matter to audiences though, as this film has found a small cult following, years after its release.
The truth is, much like its critically-maligned sequel, this movie just doesn't work. The idea is there - but the execution is not. It was directed by Paul W. S. Anderson, who is known for making critically-panned audience pleaser movies, like the Resident Evil franchise. This film, much like his others, is sloppy, but ultimately entertaining if one doesn't think about things too hard. In the end, audiences got to see two iconic monsters duke it out. What else is there to ask for?
5 The Predator (2018)
The world of modern cinema revolves heavily around reboots of popular older franchises. You can see it with movies like Halloween, The Batman, and Mortal Kombat. The simple truth was that the Predator franchise needed rescuing. There hadn't been a critically well-received movie in the franchise since 2010's Predators, and none had been able to totally capture the magic that the first film was able to.
The studio brought in director Shane Black, who had a long, prolific screenwriting history and had recently directed several hits. He co-wrote the script with Fred Dekker, who had a pretty respectable resume as well. All signs pointed to The Predator being the one that could restore the franchise as a power-hitting, critically well-received action series. In short - it didn't work. The film fell into the trappings of other movies in the franchise, as it lost what made the first movie fun, and instead tried to focus on the human characters. It is a pretty competent movie, but will be remembered as a let-down for fans and a bore for critics.
4 Predator 2 (1990)
It's extremely difficult to follow up a cult classic. Time and time again, you see films fail to deliver on a promise made in the original film. This is, for the most part, true of Predator 2 as well. Taking the Predator out of the jungle and moving it to Los Angeles was not the best move. It felt awkward and out of place.
Thankfully, Danny Glover is pretty great in it. He had a great point of view for his character, according to an interview with Douglass-Riverview News: "Then in Predator 2, it was like ‘who’s the baddest cat in your space, and the baddest cat says ‘I’m gonna challenge you.’ Mano y mano. I was the baddest guy in his space."
It did feature a cut music video that had dancing predators. Take that for what you will.
3 Predators (2010)
As the only other film besides the first to be critically well-received, Predators had a lot going up against it before it was released. Fans were needing a win after years of middling projects, and the studio needed to prove that this IP was still a moneymaker for them. There was also the question of if Adrien Brody could be seen as an action star lead for a movie like this.
Luckily, all of those worries would be washed away as the film was a hit among audiences and critics alike. It boosted a pretty respectable $127 million dollar box office yield on a smaller budget, and brought the franchise back to its roots. The action is exciting, and it is very reminiscent of the first film. It helped that acclaimed director Robert Rodriguez was brought on to produce after having written a treatment for a Predator film in the '90s. The film works on nearly every level, and after years of mediocrity, it was a very welcome addition to the franchise.
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Prey (2022)
The newest entry into the Predator franchise, Prey takes place more than 200 years before the first film's events, in the 1700s Great Plains. The film follows Naru, a Comanche woman who joins her brother's hunting party in hopes of becoming the skilled and recognized hunter she's been training for. While on the hunt, Naru finds that a new type of predator is lurking in the area, and she must defeat it in hopes of becoming her tribe's strongest warrior. Prey was directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) and sets itself well above the rest of the sequels in the franchise. Not only is the film beautiful, showcasing incredible environmental shots and slick camera work, but it also has the best hand-to-hand battle scenes in the entire series. Amber Midthunder stars as Naru, and delivers a performance on par with many other action franchise heroes, including Arnold Schwarzenegger. Prey was released straight to Hulu, and even has a Comanche dub available.
1 Predator (1987)
What is there to say about this film that hasn't been said? It's a revolutionary classic that not only helped create one of the best action stars of the '80s and '90s, but wholly stands the test of time and still looks great today. The blend of horror and action worked effectively, and the special effects are incredible.
This film is solely responsible for the Predator franchise being what it is. Comic books, video games, novels, and even pinball machines are all around because of the success of the first film. Other than Predators, the fans of the franchise haven't really had a big win since the first came out. The fact that people still stick around and are still excited about the future of the franchise speaks volumes about the staying power and the legacy of the first film. It built the foundation of something great - and fans are still waiting for that vision to be continued. Hopefully, with Prey coming out soon, they won't have long to wait.