Ranking The Aliens and Predators Movies

To this day there is a ton of lore regarding the Aliens and Predator franchises. What many people didn’t realize until Predator 2 is that these two franchises were bound to be intertwined in a very intimate way, and in the history of each story have existed alongside each other for much longer than humanity realizes. But how effective are each of the movies at conveying the story? It’s fair to say that a couple of them have gone wide of the mark, and that a few movies out of the bunch are, well, less than useful. Ranking the Aliens and Predator movies is open for much debate, but here’s my attempt at it.

Aliens

Some might put the original 1979 introduction to the xenomorph in this slot and they’d be right to do so. But Aliens is one of the few sequels out there that managed to match and then surpass the original movie, as it kept the suspense and terror but dialed it up another few notches and gave the people a new look at the badass female protagonist from the first installment.

Alien

It’s a very close second to the sequel since this movie was so insanely terrifying that it still stands out today as one of those films that sends a chill down your spine. After watching the sequel people get a feel of just how dangerous the xenomorphs are, since just one of them could run riot on a group of people with at least a little bit of intelligence.

Predator

Where Alien pit a deadly monster up against a commercial shipping crew, Predator put a skilled, alien hunter up against a trained and seasoned group that knew how to survive. There were a few moments that stood out as being ridiculous, but all in all, the first Predator movie set a standard that has unfortunately not been upheld through several movies.

Alien: Romulus

Despite being the newest installment in the franchise this movie thankfully kept to the initial feel of the terror felt in 1979. Yes, there are still plenty of dumb decisions being made, and yes, it contributed to the overall feel of the movie. But best of all, it was a return to the overall feel and look of the original movie that was very appreciated.

Predators

Many people think this movie wasn’t worth much for some reason, citing either the CGI or the plot. But the truth is that the plot was simple, to the point, and not hard to follow. Plus, it was interesting to see people from several different backgrounds take on the advanced technology of the yautja and their unique hunting methods.

Predator 2

Danny Glover and even Bill Paxton helped make this movie memorable. Taking the Predator from the real jungle to the concrete jungle was an interesting choice, and it did offer a lot of challenges for everyone involved. The ending was a bit ‘meh’, but it was also interesting since it left room for the story to continue.

AVP

This is another movie in the franchise that people rip apart quite often. It’s true, much of the acting does come off as corny and hokey, but it does introduce a few key points that are kind of interesting. The character of Bishop gave Lance Henriksen a chance to keep showing up, for all the good he did since his character was actively dying right up until the moment when an irritated yautja skewered him.

Alien 3

Whatever people say, Alien 3 did have more character than it’s given credit for. It started out with tragedy, as the losses of Newt, Hicks, and even Bishop were hard to take. But Charles S. Dutton managed to give this movie a little more life, along with Sigourney Weaver, when he faced down the xenomorph and told the thing in no uncertain terms what he thought.

Prey

Many people are praising this movie for being awesome and innovative and yeah, blah, sure. But while it was kind of entertaining, and there’s nothing saying that a young woman couldn’t take on the Predator and survive, there’s plenty to say that she should have been terminated quickly and without hesitation. This yautja could take on a brown bear and lift it overhead. Plot armor was her only saving grace.

Alien: Covenant

The two prequels that came along tried and missed the mark without fail. While Covenant at least showed the Engineers and how David was their ultimate downfall, it also left a big question mark at the end that one can hopefully connect to Alien: Romulus. Otherwise, it’s just another loose thread in the franchise.

The Predator

A super Predator. Mull that over for a moment, since this new yautja was bio-engineered to be tougher and more resilient. It was tough enough to kill the yautja before, but creating something even tougher almost felt like the writer’s attempt to go super saiyan on the franchise. Plus, the ending went nowhere, though it could have been very Guyver-like had it continued.

Prometheus

Did anyone really care about this movie after all the buildup to it? There were a few bright spots, but the rest of the movie felt like one long wait to see Charlize Theron’s character crushed beneath a falling ship, and to see the Engineers. Even that feels like it was a huge letdown, especially after all the hype.

AVP: Requiem

The best thing this movie had going for it, initially, was what a xenomorph/yautja hybrid would look like. Well, we saw it, and many people were not impressed. Plus, it felt like the creature was more competent than either species, at least in some ways. But the image of a human mother giving ‘birth’ to multiple xenomorphs, now that’s nightmare fuel.

Alien: Resurrection

There was only one spot to save for this movie, right at the bottom. The desire to like this movie was strong, but the ability to raise it any higher was too difficult. For one, it felt like it could have been a cartoon and had the same effect. Secondly, it turned Ripley from a strong-willed survivor into a deadly, sarcastic individual who had a ‘been there, done that’ attitude the entire movie.