So, after I did my ranking of the Alien movies when Romulus came out last year, I’ve seen a lot of people rank those movies combined with the Predator franchise. After all, with two distinct franchises that crossed over for two films, I guess it’s only natural for people to compare and contrast the two sides with distinct rankings. Because of that, why not join in and rank the Alien movies alongside the Predator movies.
I’m still gonna keep the same points I had with all the Alien movies in that rankings but I will take out Alien: Isolation because I just wanting to be ranking the movies themselves side-by-side for this list. Now that Predator: Badlands is out in theaters, let’s continue on with this ranking! Here we go!
16.) Alien vs Predator: Requiem
The second Alien vs Predator showdown is not only the worst thing that ever been related to the now Disney-owned IPs, it’s one of the worst franchise entries in the 21st century thus far. What should be a fun and simple premise of taking two well known monsters and just have them punch one another for an hour and a half is bogged by some of the worst lighting and editing choices ever put in a theatrical released film. It also doesn’t help that it has writing, acting, and directing that wouldn’t even be passable for a Patron funded fan film. Alien vs Predator: Requiem is not only just as bad as franchise movies can get, it’s just as lazy as they come. It literally brings a new definition of unwatchable because well…….you literally can’t watch it because you can’t even see what’s happening on screen. It’s not strictly a film that is infamous for certain story choices it makes or contradicting previously established lore in any way but because of how objectively poor the filmmaking is on display. That in of itself makes this more than worthy of being the worst film that has anything to do with Aliens or Predators! (Planet 51, eat your heart out!)
15.) The Predator
I can’t recall a big franchise film that left me more disappointed in recent memory than 2018’s The Predator. Bringing in Shane Black, the godfather of action comedies and buddy cop flicks (while starting in the original Predator himself), to helm a Predator film seems like a perfect recipe to return the franchise back to it’s traditional roots. Unfortunately, about all of that potential is squandering throughout the entire runtime of The Predator. The plot is a disjointed mess, so many characters and subplots are introduced that go absolutely nowhere, the pacing is too breakneck and non-existent that it can’t make up it’s mind how fast or slow it wants to go, the editing is some of the worst put to any major studio released film in the past decade, and the dialogue and banter, which Mr. Black has constantly nailed in the past, fall flat in every sense of the word here. I don’t know if it’s Shane Black having to deal with studio meddling or him just not being a right fit for the franchise but The Predator is a perfect example of how everything can go wrong for a major blockbuster that’s part of a major franchise. And don’t get me started on the unconvincing gore and the god AWFUL action scenes where you can’t see jacks*it! What an absolute dumpster fire!
14.) Alien: Covenant
After the divisive response that 2012’s Prometheus had on critics and audiences, Ridley Scott decided to take things back to basic for the Alien franchise with Alien: Covenant. Unfortunately, in so doing so, he manages to undermine the ambiguity and intrigue of the beloved Xenomorph while doubling down on all of the main problems that plagued it’s predecessor. The alien action and set pieces are uninspired, most of the characters aren’t interesting and are about as dumb as movie characters can get, the effects for all the monsters look shockingly poor, and finding out that David was the one responsible for the creation of the Xenomorph is about the most out of no where and unneeded explanation for a franchise’s lore since Mini-chlorins. Not even Michael Fassbender’s captivating screen presence and a couple of fun moments sprinkling in can save this mess. Alien: Covenant may not quite be the worst film in the franchise but it was definitely the sign that the franchise had lost his staying power and how the guy who made the marvelous original Alien had lost his touch. When looking at is as a proper Alien movie and a sequel to Prometheus, Covenant just doesn’t work on any level.
13.) Alien vs Predator
On paper, an Alien vs Predator movie should amount for the perfect amount of shlock blockbuster popcorn entertainment anyone would expect. And the moments that it does just that, it makes for a pretty good time that gives you exactly what you want and expect out of this fun premise. Just a shame that way too much time is spent focusing on human characters that become a footnote the moment the two titled monsters jump on the screen and it tries to set up lore and world building that it has little to no interest in actually exploring. Still, the effects and production design is top notch and when the alien and predator actually show up and start fighting, it’s entertaining enough. Back in the day, you would have to slug through Alien vs Predator to get to the good stuff, similar to how folks had to slug through The Phantom Menace to get to anything involving a lightsaber, but because we have the internet now, you can just look up the fight scenes for this movie on YouTube and be satisfied all the same.
12.) Predator 2
Predator 2 has seen it’s fair share of reappraisal over the years and it’s easy to see why. Danny Glover makes for a fine action star that helps carry the picture along with the rest of the cast, it’s got a campy and weirdness vibe to it that’s easy to get into, and it’s able to end on a strong note that makes the bumpy ride worth trip. However, problems lie in the tone being completely all over the map, the new setting not carrying that same weight as the jungle, and the backdrop of the LA heat wave/drug wars being completely unexplained. This is a sequel that seems to want to have it’s cake and eat it too with hitting the same beats as the original while also trying to do it’s own thing at the same time. I can commend the effort but the end results could certainly be much stronger.
11.) Prometheus
Easily the most polarizing entry in the entire franchise, Prometheus sees Ridley Scott returning to the franchise decades later with a distinct prequel, back before any of the aliens were actually a thing. This easily contains some of the strongest visuals and ideas in the entire series, questioning how human being can co-exist against technology and artificial intelligence. You also have a cast, such as Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, and Idris Elba, that absolutely give it their all and is able to add the right amount of weight to the material they are giving. Just too bad it gets bogged down by having characters making completely illogical decisions the whole way through, those interesting ideas being barley explored upon, and so many questions that gets handwaved in the hopes that a potential sequel would be able to follow through with it (SPOILER ALERT: IT DOESN’T!). It’s hard to know how Prometheus would be judged in hindsight if Ridley Scott got to continue along with this distinct direction but without it, this is easily among the most frustrating and downright disappointing installments out of any of these films. It’s certainly not lacking in ambition but it does certainly lack in reaching it’s true potential.
10.) Alien: Resurrection
Alien: Resurrection acts as perhaps the oddball of the series. It’s not so much a continuation of it’s controversial predecessor but more acts like a “Elseworlds” addition to the Alien franchise. This is basically when the series began abandoning its thought-provoking themes and immersive storytelling in favor of acting as traditional schlocky B movies. Sigourney Weaver is back once again but she’s not actually the Ellen Ripley from the first three movies and is actually a clone of Ellen Ripley this time around. That in of itself makes the emotional investment non-existent and hard to care about. Still, the shlock-ness that is presented in of itself is just so hard for me to not dig, even if it’s as goofy and over-the-top as it comes. The action is fun, Sigourney Weaver is clearly having fun in playing a clone version of her iconic character, and the effects and ideas of the Xenomorphs is so bizarre that it’s actually amusing to see before your very eyes. When viewing it on the merits of being a silly, wacky sci-fi click, Resurrection works well enough. When viewing it on the merits of the previous Alien films that felt more ambitious and impactful, Resurrection falls quite flat. Even so, it’s still bittersweet watching this now knowing it was Sigourney’s final time playing Ripley on the big screen.
9.) Predators
Predators is a sequel that is clearly trying to recapture the same spark as the original. You have a jungle setting, the mystery of the predators, and the characters who have no motivation other than desperate need for survival. What makes things stand out different here is that the main characters themselves are treated just as antagonistic as the predators they are fighting and have become prey for these hunters. It may not deliver on the bizarre premise of playing the hunting game but on an alien planet but it does have a right sense of tension and dread throughout with it’s own stand out action sequences and intense atmosphere. For as thin as the script and characters can get, the actors are clearly having a good time here and make them standout through their performances, even if the writing can’t match up to the level of their acting. Still no where near up to par with the original but 2010’s Predators does have enough entertainment value to warrant a watch if you are a fan of the franchise.
8.) Alien 3
The most despised standalone Alien movie in the series isn’t nearly as bad as it’s detractors would be. This is the directorial debut for the well-known David Fincher, at least not the parts which Fox didn’t meddled with the third installment. Alien 3 is most infamous in it’s bold narrative choices, such as killing off the supporting cast of the last movie onscreen, along with not being on par with the previous two masterpieces. However, when looking at it’s own term, there’s plenty of interesting ideas and set pieces throughout Alien 3 that work well here, along with having such a bleak and distinct feel to it that you very rarely get in movies nowadays. Not to mention, in a franchise which sees so many people get kill and slaughter by alien monsters left and right, it’s not really a series which I see the main characters have happy and uplifting endings. It’s definitely not as good as Alien or Aliens and it might have reached it’s truest potential if David Fincher was given full control but Alien 3 is definitely better than it’s overall reputation would suggest. If you watch the assembly cut, which adds an extra half an hour where it fleshes out all the new characters, you just get a good notion as to what Fincher was going for and a hint to where his style would go many years down the road. This may have not been the ending that Ripley deserved but it’s perhaps the one she and all of us needed.
7.) Predator: Killer of Killers
After successfully reviving the Predator IP in 2022 with Prey, director Dan Trachtenberg is able to make lighting strike twice in the form of animation with Predator: Killer of Killers! We see three new characters with their unique stories of their own, forced to come together and take on the monstrous predator as swiftly as they can! Each of the three stories carries wonder of their own, the animation is creative and stunning, the action is fast paced and fun, and who knew after so many installments, we are still able to find new and exciting ways to see human characters kill a bunch of predators! Perhaps if the resolution had not been a tad rushed with obvious sequel set up bait and the narrative didn’t at times come off as three episodes of a mini series, this might’ve been even higher! Killer of Killers proves that not only Predator still works in live-action but it can even work in animation too!
6.) Alien: Romulus
After going down a very inconsistent road, Romulus sees Fede Álvarez returning this franchise back to basic. This is able to hit all the beats that you would expect from an Alien film while also providing it’s own unique voice and plenty of memorable scares and thrills of it’s own. It’s able to use fan service in a very organic way (save for one or two corny ass callback lines), feeling like it belongs properly in the world of Alien. The new cast of characters are likable and compelling in their own right, the action, gore, and set pieces are among the very best in the franchise, this is easily the scariest film in the series since the original Alien, and the third act is so bonkers and so out of left field that I can’t help but love it. It’s even able to take plot elements from polarizing installments like Prometheus and have it work rather well here. It does suffer from some imperfections such as a rather slow start, a callback or two that doesn’t really work (You’ll especially know one when you see it), and a reemergence of a certain character that didn’t feel necessary. Even so, this is easily the most consistently good Alien film since Aliens and perhaps the most pure fun installment in the Alien franchise thus far. While it’s far from the most thought provoking and groundbreaking film in the franchise, Alien: Romulus is able to deliver where it counts the most with this franchise in providing it’s own scares, thrills, and tension throughout.
5.) Predator: Badlands
I don’t know how the man keeps doing it but Dan Trachtenberg is now 3 or 3 when it comes to making Predator movies! On paper, Predator: Badlands sounds like the dumbest thing ever and exactly what you would expect with a Predator movie giving the Mickey Mouse treatment! An installment which puts the focus on the Predator as the main character but goes on an adventure where he teams up with a quirky cyborg sidekick and cutesy animals, has to resolve daddy issues, and learn the power of friendship along the way! And yet somehow, someway…..none of that is a negative for the film! In fact, it’s an absolute positive! With a perfectly balanced tone, well crafted action, clever expansion of the Predator lore, and a shockingly well done emotional core throughout, Dan Trachtenberg is able to take the ideas that have bogged down previous Predator installments but manages to makes it work here! I could’ve done with less quips and a few more surprises to the story but there’s nothing big that breaks this movie down! Please go see this one in theaters if you are a fan of the series so we can see a continuation of this story!
4.) Prey
After a handful of inconsistent installments, the Predator franchise was at long last able to find a return true to form with Prey, the first Predator film released under the Disney/Fox umbrella. This is a sequel that understands the appeal of Predator and what made the original stand out for as long as it has. It’s not the contrived lore to the predators themselves nor the need to makes us all feel sympathetic for these monsters (even if Dan Trachtenberg was able to make that all *surprisingly* work three years later). It’s the action, it’s the tension, it’s the suspense, it’s the subversive genre, it’s the haunting atmosphere, and it’s just the plain badassery from the main characters that are likable, fun to watch, and easy to care about. Amber Midthunder is a revelation as Naru and the whole “back-to-basics” approach is exactly what the franchise needed after a handful of sequels that couldn’t quite reach the mark as well as this did. Prey is exactly what you wan out of a Predator movie and was able breath new life into the franchise. My only regret is that this could not get a wide release in theaters.
3.) Predator
For as awesome and badass as Amber Midthunder was in Prey, nothing can top the pure awesome and badassery as Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Predator itself. This is yet another classic that was able to get it right on it’s first try and able to use it’s simplistic yet effective premise to it’s fullest effect. This is a film about survival, performing break-neck maneuvers at the most crucial time, and the difference between those who thrive on the battleground and those who die. Most important of all, it’s about one of the most famous monsters in cinema history and our main characters during everything in there power to stop it. There might be elements that don’t hold up to modern day standards, but no doubt, for it’s time and even now, no other Predator was able to capture that special lightning in a bottle the way the original with Arnold did. It may not be the best film on this list but it’s no doubt the best Predator film ever made and likely will be for the immediate future.
2.) Alien
The one that started it all remains one of the greatest achievements in both the sci-fi genre and cinematic history in general. Ridley Scott got it perfectly right on his very first try back in 1978. Operating flawlessly as a slow-burn, smaller scaled sci-fi horror flick, Alien is the proper film to be taught in film school on how to build tension and suspense properly. The Xenomorph, chest burster, and face huggers remains some of the most unique and terrifying monsters every put to film, the atmosphere could not be any more somber and claustrophobic if it tried, the production and sound design is some of the very best every put to film, every single important plot element is remembered and gets a satisfying payoff, and nearly every single cast member gets their own moment to shine. Also, best movie cat ever! While I’m sure the film might be way too slow for the likes of Gen Z and Alpha to watch nowadays, Alien is a film that more than awards your patience by finding the proper payoff to every single thing that it builds off of. Even if it’s not quite #1 for me, I don’t think there has been a more important sci-fi film, give or take Star Wars, in cinematic history than Alien. It’s impact is still felt to this very day and it is more than easy to see why.
1.) Aliens
While the original Alien acts as one of the greatest sci-fi movies ever made, Aliens is one of the best sequels ever made. Much like Terminator 2: Judgement Day, it not only takes every time that worked about it’s near perfect original and made them better but it’s able to stand on it’s own two feet by changing the pace into a relatively smart action flick. From the superb lighting to the stellar production design to the convincing make-up effects to the properly raised stakes to the fantastic action to the perfection that is Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, Aliens is about as perfect as a film of any kind can get. There’s not a single line of dialogue that isn’t memorable, not a single character that feels wasted, and not a single action or dramatic beat that doesn’t work here. This is one of the rare times that a film series was able to properly translate from a smaller scaled indie flick to an action blockbuster that does not diminish or water down the franchise in any way. Also, this film confirms that Ellen Ripley is hands down the most badass action heroine in the history of cinema. That is not opinion, that is FACT. There’s no person the planet that could deliver the line, “GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BITCH!” better than Sigourney Weaver could. Aliens remains the pitch perfect example on how to do a sequel, sci-fi flick, and a big blockbuster film of any kind. This remains one of the very best films that has ever been made.
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