Like many people who saw the HULU movie exclusive Prey, I feel the need to rank all of the Predator movies.
For purposes here, the mostly forgettable Alien vs. Predator and most definitely forgettable Alien vs. Predator: Requiem, are left off my list.
Predator
And still number one—the 1987 sci-fi/thriller still kicks ass. Along with the Terminator franchise, it’s probably the film that Arnold Schwarzenegger is second-most known for.
At the time of its release, some cynics saw it as somewhat derivative of the Alien movies (1979, 1986) because of its man versus hostile alien invader/survival thriller theme, but it is undeniably its own classic film.
Prey
This year’s Prey movie on Hulu is fire 🔥. I love it. It takes some of the best parts of Predators and Predator. All are set deep in tropical rain forests, and both have very strong heroines of Amerindian and/or Latina background—which one doesn’t often see in this genre.
But what I really love about the film is that it opens up so many possibilities for the franchise. Why not show the Predator in ancient Egypt or fighting against Celtic warriors during medieval times? I’m stoked for what else the franchise has in store.
Predators
This 2010 flick tries its best to be like the G.O.A.T. 🐐 version from 1987. Although I dig it, I can see why it had a mixed reception when it was released nearly 10 years ago.
For one, the idea of a game reserve for Predators to sharpen their skills by abducting aliens and humanoids from across the galaxy seems a bit of a stretch. The other thing, and although he’s a fine actor, Adrien Brody as the badass lead just didn’t fly with many viewers I spoke to.
Predator 2
I like this movie and the fact that it moves the Predator hunting ground from the tropical jungle to the urban jungle—nice setting update. However, it suffers a bit from the same predicament as Predators. Its lead actor Danny Glover is an excellent performer but, like Brody, feels miscast.
Blame it on the large shadow that Arnold Schwarzenegger casts on the franchise—which is not a bad thing!
The Predator
Last, and by far the least, it’s The Predator. Nothing else needs to be said.
