Every Predator and Alien Universe Movie Ranked

 

   When it comes to iconic Sci-Fi monster movie franchises, both Predator and Alien are at the peak of the totem pole. They’re both franchises that seem to equally increase and decrease between varying sequels and continuations, but no matter how strong or mediocre their films turn out, I’m always game for another exciting hunt or chase with either of these awesome creatures. 

I was introduced to both Predator and Alien in my early Middle school years, and have always considered them to play a big part in my transition years from kid to teenager. So, I felt I was long overdue for a ranking list of each film in both the Predator and Alien universes. Just a fair warning, these films are not ranked by either objective quality or iconic status, but simply by my feelings on them, and how each has left an impression on me.   

 

#13 Alien 3 (1992) 

While I wouldn’t call this the objectively worst made film in either franchise, it is the one that personally upset me the most, and is the one I mainly avoid ever re-watching all together. I was certainly all for more Alien movies following after 1986’s “Aliens”, but I also wanted them to focus on different characters, as I felt the characters of the previous film, including Ripely, had perfect closure. 

“Alien 3” however spoils the triumphant ending of “Aliens” by immediately killing off the majority of that film’s survivors, all of whom I cared for, and the movie never once gives me anything special on its own terms to justify undoing the perfect ending of the previous instalment. It instead repeats the formula of the first movie again, focusing on a single alien in a tight spaced location, as opposed to several in an open area, but it lacks the same tense atmosphere, or excitement of the original, and instead is a bleak, depressing, disjointed, predictable, and honestly boring experience. The supporting characters are also completely expendable, with no-one apart from Ripely that I care for. I know some fans have a soft spot for this film, which is fine … but for me personally, “Alien 3” is honestly one of my least favorite movies sequels I’ve ever seen.   

 

#12 Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007) 

When a Predator spaceship crashes on Earth near a small Colorado town, it unleashes a swarm of captive Alien Xenomorphs on the population, along with a menacing new Alien/Predator hybrid. A lone Predator then takes it upon himself to hunt down and destroy them, all while a group of humans try to flee the overrun town. While the set-up is very exciting, the execution of its premise is about as frustrating as it gets. While “Aliens vs Predator: Requiem” features some mildly entertaining monster brawls, and a terrific leading Predator to boot, it’s still without question the worst made movie of both franchises. It’s so poorly lit that you can’t really see anything, the characters are all disposable teen horror stereotypes, the overall filmmaking is choppy, there’s hardly any fresh ideas, and its efforts to return to R ratted material only result in too much aggressively distasteful content … even by the standards of both franchises. 

 

#11 Alien Resurrection (1997) 

It’s the fourth and final installment of the original classic “Alien” continuity, and depending on what mood you’re in, “Alien Resurrection” could either be one of the most entertaining, or one of the worst instalments of the whole franchise.

Set 200 years into the future, Ripley is cloned, along with the Alien Queen, and now their genes are all mixed-up. As usual, everything escalates into an exciting chase through a spaceship, with swarms of alien Xenomorphs battling armed humans, but this time, the tone and presentation is completely different. Without question, this entry was more fun to watch then the joyless and drab “Alien 3”, but unfortunately, the bloated story, and shameful re-interpretation of my favorite character Ripley, makes this another misfire for the series. Basically, this film deals with one too many oddball details, sacrificing the simplicity of the early films. This time we have clones, alien’s spliced with human genes, and all presented with a goofy slapstick overtone, making it feel very distant from its predecessors. With that said, “Alien Resurrection” can at least hold its head above water as enjoyable guilty-pleasure entertainment.

 

#10 The Predator (2018) 

It’s Halloween night, and after a boy receives a mysterious package from his dad, he believes he found the perfect costume for Trick r’ Treat. What he doesn’t realize is that his costume is looted Predator technology, which in turn attracts two different factions of space hunters to a small town. Things then escalate into a long Halloween night, full of monster hunts, giant alien dogs, and action galore.

The idea of an all-night Halloween adventure with Predators is certainly an appealing one … I just wish it picked a better tone, and gave me characters to root for. I’m convinced, this movie is to the "Predator" franchise what “Alien Resurrection” was for the “Alien” franchise. In both cases, they drop all sense of horror and tension in favor of outlandish comedy, heavy CGI action spectacles, and is clearly aiming for trashy entertainment. In this regard, 2018’s “The Predator” is a completely disposable sequel without question, has nothing on the first … but it certainly isn’t boring. There’s enough energy, action, visual appeal, and fun highlights that it can pass as an enjoyable … “In one ear, and out the other” experience. Certainly not a good movie, but I’ve definitely seen worse, and in the end, I’m just glad I at least had some disposable fun with this admittedly lesser installment.  

 

#9 Prometheus (2012) 

After over three decades, Ridley Scott, director of the original “Alien”, finally returned to the franchise to direct the 2012 Sc-Fi spin-off “Prometheus”. This film is set in the same established universe, focusing on another alien race hinted at in the first film, but has no direct continuity with any of the previous movies, and even the more famous Alien Xenomorph is only seen in a brief cameo.

The plot takes an ambitious approach, focusing on a team of scientists exploring a mysterious planet, which may or may not hold the secrets of creation and life in general through the galaxy … and then a lot of really weird things happen to them along the way. Personally, I feel this film would have been stronger, and arguably even more thought provoking, as a stand-alone Sci-Fi thriller, with no ties to the established “Alien” franchise. It’s unfortunate, because there was some real potential for the film to be something original, but instead is just an odd and even random anomaly in the franchise. It’s by no means a bad film, as Ridley Scotts direction and atmospheric visual approach is all top-tier genera material. The film also boasts a strong cast, namely Michael Fassbender, who shines as the villainess android called David 8.

 

#8 Predator 2 (1991) 

When it comes to mediocre sequels that come directly after a great classic, “Predator 2” is a fascinating case study of a film that somehow gets both better and worse every time I watch it. 

Set 10 years after the events of the first "Predator" film, and in the concrete jungles of LA, Danny Glover plays an angry cop who’s trying to stop a drug war on the streets, but soon finds himself following a string of mysterious killings. Turns out our favorite space hunter is declaring open season during all this cause, and while I’m all for this change of setting … the execution just isn’t as sharp as it could be. The opening kicks things off with some strong action, and the third act delivers some solid, quality Predator material ... including an awesome little indication that the "Alien" franchise is part of the same universe. The middle act of the movie is unfortunately very boring, and it takes a while to feel like the film has any momentum going for it.

There’s also an overuse of unnecessary human related violence, cult sacrifices, and foul language. As such, it’s always been a very mixed sequel, with a number of high moments to satisfy fans of the franchise, and a memorable cast to boot, but also a lot of negatives that keep the film just short of greatness.  

 

#7 Alien Covenant (2017) 

Following after 2012’s “Prometheus” came a direct sequel in 2017 titled "Alien Covenant" … and yes, as the title would suggest, the Alien Xenomorphs are back in the staring roles … sort of. When a distress call gets the attention of a space craft, a team land on what appears to be a near perfect planet to colonize on. 

Unfortunately, the whole thing was a trap, set-up by the evil android David 8 from the movie “Prometheus”, and played again by Michael Fassbender. Apparently, he’s been using humans in experiments to create his own unique alien race, and assume the mantel of “God” in his own twisted way. While the film has a lot of quality material, it also has a rather mixed identity, as it’s trying to combine the two completely different movie styles of “Alien” and “Prometheus” together. It is undeniably one of the best-looking films in the franchise, and is honestly more entertaining to watch then the majority of films in the series. However, despite having Ridley Scott back in the director’s chair, the film never achieves the same level of class as the original classic. In the end, “Alien Covenant” is at least a perfectly entertaining watch for any Sci-Fi fan, and is superior to its immediate predecessors … even if it doesn’t have the same staying power as the early films.

 

#6 Alien vs Predator (2004) 

When a pyramid is discovered in the arctic, a team of scientist’s band together to investigate, only to discover that it’s a breeding ground for the Alien Xenomorphs, along with their monstrous Queen, who’s been frozen in ice. Once their all released from the icy prison, it begins a rite of passage for a group of young Predators to hunt them down in the ruins, all while the humans are caught amidst the fighting. 

Speaking personally, while I had previously seen the first two Predator movies, the 2004 crossover “Alien vs Predator” was in fact the film that introduced me to the "Alien" series for the first time. As such, despite its negative reputation, I can’t help but have a special, nostalgic connection to this film. While the PG-13 ratting holds it back a little, I do still find the battles to be generally fun to watch, with just enough slimy carnage on display. There is still a novelty to seeing my two favorite killer aliens battling, some of the leading characters are okay, and I think the setting of the pyramid is the best at creating a tense and claustrophobic atmosphere sense the first “Alien” classic. Even though this crossover isn’t exactly high art, it’s still held-up for me as a perfectly entertaining monster movie.

 

#5 Predators (2010) 

After two mixed crossover movies with Alien, the Predator finally returned back to its self-contained franchise … and this time he’s bringing friends. When a group of unrelated mercenaries awaken in a mysterious jungle, they gradually discover they’re on another planet all together, and worse … it’s a game preserve lorded over by a band of Predators, who are hunting them down in their deadly sport.

While the film threatens to buckle under its familiar elements of soldiers being hunted in a jungle, I feel there’s just enough new material to level out the enjoyment of the experience. It took five movies for a new Predator adventure to take place on another planet, and for it’s first venture into space, it thankfully executed its transition in a subtle way that didn’t feel too outlandish for the franchise. While this film is often written off as average and forgettable, I personally think it’s a rock-solid Predator offering, and a generally underrated sequel. This film also introduced us to different breads of Predators within their own species, which is awesome, and the title has a double meaning, as it’s also referring to the human characters, who can be perceived as the Predators of our world. The action scenes are great spectacles, with awesome monster brawls, and the setting is a fine mix of both the familiar, and something new.

 

#4 Alien (1979) 

The 1979 motion picture “Alien” is often labeled as one of the absolute best in either the Sci-Fi or Horror genera … and rightfully so, as it is one of the greats of both … although I personally wouldn’t call this one of my absolute favorites of the genera either. When a lone spaceship picks-up an unwanted, and lethal alien passenger from a mysterious planet, it becomes a tense and atmospheric game of cat and mouse, with one particular crew-member named Ripley being put to the test of outsmarting the frighting intruder.

In general, “Alien” is a movie that I respect and admire more then I enjoy re-watching, but with that said, there’s no denying the ground this movie broke for its time. For a product from the late 70’s, it’s still a marvel to look at, with one of the most original creature designs ever put to film, and it’s still effectively chilling all these years later. More then anything, this movie is a great example of presenting and accomplishing so much with a story that’s very simple and easy to summarize. I still have more fondness for other monster movie classics in the vein of “Jurassic Park”, “Jaws”, “Predator”, “The Fly” and even the 1986 sequel “Aliens” … but never the less, the original 1979 “Alien” has earned its place in the Sci-Fi and Horror hall of fame … and if you’re a fan of either genera, don’t miss this one.   

 

#3 Prey (2022) 

After several sequels tried to go big with its iconic Predator creature, the 2022 prequel “Prey” wisely scaled things back to basics, and delivered one of the sharpest instalments of the whole dang franchise. Set on Earth in the early 1700’s, a young female Comanche Indian is eager to prove herself a capable warrior who can provide for her tribe.  

Her hunt however turns into a deadly game of hunted, as she finds herself battling one of the very first Predators to land on Earth, and a thrilling battle for survival ensues. Just like with the original 1979 “Alien” movie, the strengths of the film comes from its straight forward simplicity, which makes the most with very little. While some of the effects are admittedly weak by its franchise standards, it’s still a beautifully shot picture, with gorgeous landscape, and memorable set-pieces. The action ranks among the grittiest and most white knuckled of any Predator movie to date, and actress Amber Midthunder absolutely shines in one of the franchises best leading roles. It’s all around a rock-solid entry for the series, and a refreshing change-up to go back in time, with primitive weapons on display … and it some-how just works.  

 

#2 Predator (1987) 

When I first saw the classic 1987 action monster movie “Predator”, I was thirteen years old, fresh in my middle school years, and it was one of my earliest R ratted movies. More then anything, it’s the experience that launched my fondness for both the Predator and Alien franchises. 

It also marked my introduction to Arnold Schwarzenegger, and I equally became a fan of his many action films after I saw this. Arnold plays a solder named Dutch, who leads a team on a rescue mission in the jungles of Central America, but are soon the targets for a mysterious alien hunter, which leads into thrilling battles, and a stand-off match against one of the most iconic looking movie monsters of all time. While the concept of a small group of people being stocked and killed by a hostile alien creature had been done before in films like “The Thing from Another World”, I feel the formula was perfected in “Predator”. It’s one of the great classic Sci-Fi/ action/ horror hybrid movies of all time, with an all-star cast, and like I said, one of my all-time favorite movie monsters. It’s intense, exciting, thrilling, and has stood the test of time as a classic product from the 80’s golden age of hit action movies.

 

#1 Aliens (1986) 

Picking-up fifty-seven years after the events of the first film, lone survivor Ripley has awoken from cryo-sleep, only to discover that her former life is gone, and she has to start a-new. First order of business, join a team of space-marines on a mission to rescue a colony of humans from the very planet that birthed the very same alien creature that whipped out her crew in the first movie. This time around, it’s an all-out war, with hordes of Aliens, under the command of a newly revealed Alien Queen. 

Caught in the middle is Ripley, who’s now taken on the role of mother to an orphaned girl, and the two complete the losses in both their lives. While I’d describe the first “Alien” as a classic staple in Sci-Fi, I’d describe it’s 1986 sequel “Aliens” as one of my personal, all-time favorite movies. It takes the basic formula of a B monster movie, and turns it into an A+ masterpiece! The story is bigger, involving space marines going into battle against armies of aliens as opposed to just one, and the Queen ranks high as one of the greatest movie monsters ever. The action sequences are thrilling, the weapons and vehicles are awesome, the sets and visuals are brought up on a grander scale, and the characters are downright spectacular. This is when the character of Ripley became one of my absolute favorite movie heroes, and it’s worth noting that Sigourney Weaver’s performance in this film received a Best Actress nomination at the Academy Awards. The supporting characters are likewise my favorite of any of these films, with the little girl Newt being at the heart of the story, the android Bishop being an effective wild card, and the space Marines could have had their own movie all too themselves, they were so engaging. 

All around, “Aliens” is a movie that made me care for its characters, scared me with its creatures, thrilled me with its action, and to this day stands as one of the absolute greats of the genera. “Aliens” in my view is a flawless sequel, it gets better with age, and to label it as my favorite film of both these franchises just wouldn’t be doing it justice … it really is one of my personal favorite movies! 

Thanks for reading my countdown … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!