He’s tall, muscular, has great hair, and uses thermal imaging to track his prey. We didn’t say his name, but you thought of him: Predator. The humanoid alien who hit the big screen in the ‘80s has evolved into a beloved movie monster, and a pretty terrifying one, at that. As far as villainous aliens with a knack for hunting and killing humans for fun go, Predator absolutely owns.
The Predator movies are some of the most well-known sci-fi action movies, but science fiction has long been a popular genre across media platforms. Films, television series, literature, comic books, and video games have all cashed in on the sci-fi jackpot that attracts colonies of futuristic and intergalactic fanatics. Not that we’re complaining; where would society be without cult classics like Blade Runner, or devoted Trekkies, who basically invented an entirely new culture? Sci-fi lovers are a passionate lot, so it’s only natural that the movie Predator developed over three decades into a film franchise full of action, drama, and wondering what kind of workout plan an extraterrestrial is on to look like he should be competing in a strongman competition. The dude is an absolute unit.
After an eight year hiatus, our favorite, most dangerous alien friend will come out of retirement in the series’ latest depiction, set to release next month. The Predator will star a gaggle of celebrities, including Olivia Munn, Sterling K. Brown, and Jacob Tremblay, who will inevitably scream and run from the newly evolved homicidal species hell-bent on killing them. But we miss the old Predator; straight from the go Predator; chop up the soul Predator. So before we dawn our limited-edition, collectors item Predator helmets and pray to a higher power that Moviepass will still be viable on Sept. 14, let’s remember all the films that got us this far. Here’s our ranking of all the Predator movies.
5. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (2007)
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Director: Greg Strause & Colin Strause
Starring: Reiko Aylesworth, Steven Pasquale, Johnny Lewis
This second installment of the AVP crossover specials has its pros and cons. Pro: The Predalien is badass and ushered in a new era of horrifyingly powerful movie monsters. Con: This movie is about as cheesy as sci-fi movies come. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is the follow-up to Alien vs. Predator, and fell pretty flat with audiences and critics alike. The film follows another Predator who travels to earth to contain the breeding of the hybrid Predator/Alien species. Though a disappointment to fans, it feels like a natural progression for the tangled AVP web being spun within the entire Predator franchise, and requires minimal brain power or knowledge of its predecessors. More AVP, IMO.
4. Predator 2 (1990)
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Director: Stephen Hopkins
Starring: Danny Glover, Kevin Peter Hall, Gary Busey & Bill Paxton
A more modern take on the original film, Predator 2 brings the action of Predator out of the jungle and into the booming metropolis of Los Angeles. Danny Glover stars as the LAPD officer who takes on the Predator as it kills the people closest to him, before choosing Glover as his ultimate target. The typical cop vs. bad guy plot is made only slightly more interesting by the Predator’s merciless hunting skills, but the relatively peaceful ending shows Glover killing the Predator before its comrades carry it onto their spaceship, honoring the death. Depicting the nobler side of the monster isn’t quite the sequel that fans were expecting, but its wistful ‘90s camp made it nothing short of a cult classic.
3. Alien vs. Predator (2004)
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Director: Paul W. S. Anderson
Starring: Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, Ian Whyte & Tom Woodruff Jr.
Whoever called Avengers: Infinity War “the most ambitious crossover event in history” never saw Alien vs. Predator. The 2004 installment of the Predator series takes place in Antarctica, where a group of researchers are caught in the crossfire of a predator hunting ritual that involves killing—you guessed it—Xenomorphs from the equally infamous sci-fi film franchise, Alien. While not quite as popular as the 1989 comic book that inspired it, AVP (as the kids would call it) depicted one of the most well-known and truly iconic species rivalries in the entire sci-fi genre. It’s one thing to see each extraterrestrial species take on humans, but watching the no-holds-barred Predator hunt something more advanced than a trained militia expert is truly a spectacle.
2. Predators (2010)
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Director: Nimród Antal
Starring: Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace & Danny Trejo
Here’s some SAT prep for all you teens: Predators is to Predator as Aliens is to Alien—that is, the sequel that franchise lovers deserved. . Starring Adrien Brody and Alice Braga, Predators follows a group of miscellaneous killers who have been dropped in the middle of a game preserve on an unknown planet where they’re hunted by different variations of the Predator species. It took “The Most Dangerous Game” to a whole new level and brought the franchise back to its mysterious, sci-fi monster roots, introducing even more ruthless and advanced predators to torment the protagonists. A bonus in this film was Topher Grace’s shockingly good performance, but this episode of Predator puts an enjoyable, original spin on the series’ original premise.
1. Predator (1987)
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Director: John McTiernan
Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Shane Black, Carl Weathers, Kevin Peter Hall & Bill Duke
“Here’s looking at you kid,” may have been romantic, but no movie line will ever be as simple and eloquent as Arnold Schwarzenegger yelling, “GET TO THE CHOPPA!” There’s no denying that the film that started it all is the best in the series. Schwarzenegger, smack dab in the middle of his prime, leads a paramilitary team on a hostage rescue mission through the jungles of Central America, only to encounter our blood-thirsty honoree, Predator. Critical reception of the film during its release was less than positive, but a few years of rewatching and realizing just how fun the film really is made it worthy of an honorable legacy. Now regarded as one of the best action movies of all time, Predator continues to be a cinematic treasure to all us nostalgia hungry movie-lovers.
