Every 'Alien' and 'Predator' movie, ranked

If there’s one "Alien" or "Predator" film that should have never been made, it’s this one. Instead of falling in to the same or a similar category as the other installments, this 2007 movie is half sci-fi action film and half teen-slasher horror-comedy. In other words, it was a big mess. The plot, script and acting were all unacceptably and laughably subpar, but not so bad that it was good. In the other installments, we found ourselves often rooting for the humans (even though the Aliens and Predators are so freakin' cool), but in this one, we were hoping the monsters would leave no survivors.

"Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem" stars Steven Pasquale, Reiko Aylesworth, John Ortiz, Johnny Lewis and Sam Trammell, with Ian Whyte as the Predator and veteran Tom Woodruff Jr. portraying the Aliens. It was written by Shane Salerno and directed by brothers Greg and Colin Strause. “AVP 2” was nominated for two Razzies: Worst Excuse for a Horror Movie and Worst Prequel or Sequel.

After eight years of waiting and anticipation following 2010's "Predators," we were finally treated to another installment in 2018. Unfortunately, it was a huge letdown. It had all the right ingredients — violence, action, and a bit of comedy — but the film struggled to find its focus and faltered as a result. Of course, the signs were there before the film even premiered: the movie was significantly delayed twice for re-shoots and re-editing after test audiences were not impressed with an early cut.

"The Predator" saw the return of Shane Black, who played Rick Hawkins (RIP) in the very first Predator film but wrote and directed this one after building a successful career with movies like "Lethal Weapon," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," and "Iron Man 3." It starred Boyd Holbrook, Trevante Rhodes, Jacob Tremblay, Keegan-Michael Key, Olivia Munn, Thomas Jane, Alfie Allen, and Sterling K. Brown.

As far as sequels go, 1990’s “Predator 2” could have been a lot worse. Then again, it also could have been a lot better. The sci-fi action film plucked the Predator out of the jungle and placed him square in the middle of a heat wave and gang-stricken Los Angeles, where he was pitted against both the criminals and the cops. Although it boasted a star-studded cast, nonstop violence and a high body count, it was also too corny, exaggerated and all over the place. The original "Predator" film did a lot more with much less.

“Predator 2” featured a solid performance by Danny Glover (even if it seemed like he was playing his “Lethal Weapon” character at times) and a supporting cast that included Gary Busey, Bill Paxton, Rubén Blades, Maria Conchita Alonso, Lilyan Chauvin and Kevin Peter Hall as the Predator. It was written by Jim and John Thomas and directed by Stephen Hopkins. 

1997’s “Alien: Resurrection” could have gone in a fresh new direction after the death of Sigourney Weaver’s character at the end of “Alien 3,” but instead, Ripley (or, more accurately, a semi-annoying knockoff clone) was brought back once again in order to make an Alien clone for scientific study. Of course, the Aliens end up escaping and begin hunting the humans, who have to outwit the creatures in order to survive. Except for Ripley, that is, who was anticlimactically recognized by one of the Aliens as its mother during this somewhat bumbling attempt at a sequel. We obviously don’t mind the "Alien" franchise getting resurrected from time to time, but “Alien: Resurrection” was not the answer — although the final scene was righteously gnarly.

“Alien: Resurrection” stars Sigourney Weaver, Winona Ryder, Ron Perlman and Tom Woodruff Jr. It was written by “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Firefly” creator Joss Whedon and was directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Whedon has since decried most of the film, saying in his biography that the studio “did everything wrong that they could possibly do,” which included the casting, the design and the score.

2010’s “Predators” was the hardest film to rank on this list. On one hand, it was a solid film with a strong cast, a decent script and some entertaining special effects. On the other hand, it was a bit too much like the original, with the big difference being that the humans aren’t necessarily on the same side, and neither are the Predators. Still, it lacks imagination for a sequel that was about 20 years in the making, but it sure as heck was better than “Predator 2.”

“Predators” stars Adrien Brody, Alice Braga, Topher Grace, Walton Goggins, Mahershala Ali and Danny Trejo. Alex Litvak and Michael Finch wrote the screenplay, Robert Rodriguez was a producer and the film was directed by Nimród Antal.

2004’s “AVP: Alien vs. Predator” was critically panned and had no shot of winning any notable awards (except for a Razzie nomination for Worst Prequel or Sequel), but being geeky "Predator" and "Alien" fans, we were positively entertained throughout all the action and fight scenes in this spinoff film. Additionally, the plot proposed a unique explanation for both of the species’ existences on Earth and acted as both a prequel for Charles Bishop Weyland and the Aliens, and a sequel for the Predator that also further explained its backstory. However, let’s not delve too deep in to the details and merit of this flick, and appreciate it for what it is: a fun combination of two fantastic franchises.

The cast of “AVP: Alien vs. Predator” includes Sanaa Lathan, Lance Henriksen, Raoul Bova, Ian Whyte and Tom Woodruff Jr. It was written and directed by Paul W.S. Anderson, the man behind “Event Horizon” and the “Resident Evil” film franchises.

2012’s “Prometheus” is an interesting and sometimes fascinating film, but if we weren’t aware it was an “Alien” prequel before seeing it, we might not have even made it through the entire movie. That’s because the actual Aliens and action scenes are few and far between, and most of the film instead focuses on existential questions and the connection between beings from a distant planet and the humans of Earth. Still, it was a beautiful film that benefited from a stellar cast and the return of Ridley Scott at the helm. Although the ending didn’t fully make up for the slow start, it definitely got us excited for another "Alien" installment.

“Prometheus” features stars Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, Guy Pearce and Logan Marshall-Green. The screenplay was penned by Jon Spaihts and Damon Lindelof (co-creator and showrunner of “Lost”), and was directed by Ridley Scott. It generally received favorable reviews but failed to receive any major awards or accolades.

We’ll likely catch some heat for ranking 1992’s “Alien 3” this high on the list, but as fans, we actually found the film’s action and suspense to be sometimes superior to its predecessor. Killing off the characters of Bishop, Newt and Hicks in the first scene understandably earned some immediate backlash, but with all the random directions the franchise has since taken, it no longer seems like such a drastic departure. Instead, take the film for what it is: an exciting and gory sci-fi horror flick that puts an army of Aliens inside a prison and foundry with a group of dangerous and violent inmates.

“Alien 3” stars Sigourney Weaver, Charles S. Dutton, Charles Dance, Brian Glover, Ralph Brown and Pete Postlethwaite. It was written by David Giler, Walter Hill and Larry Ferguson, and directed by David Fincher, who later disowned the film, blaming studio interference and deadlines. The nine-disc “Alien Quadrilogy” DVD (released in 2003) features an extended edition of “Alien 3” that includes more than 37 minutes of additional and alternate footage, and it received a warmer reception from fans and critics alike.

Critics were kinder to "Prometheus," but we enjoyed 2017's "Alien: Covenant" a bit more because as fans of the "Alien" franchise, we actually like to see aliens. Sure, "Prometheus" had a couple, but it took its own unique story path, as opposed to its sequel, "Alien: Covenant," which resembles the previous installments much more. Packed with action, suspense, gore and some seriously disturbing sequences, "Covenant" might lack the depth of its predecessor, but watching multiple aliens dominate a group of helpless humans reminded us how fun the franchise can be.

"Alien: Covenant" saw the return of Michael Fassbender as well as Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Demián Bichir, Danny McBride and James Franco in something of a barely noticeable cameo role. It earned general critical praise, $240 million at the domestic box office, more than $400 million worldwide and a Saturn Award nomination for Best Sci-Fi Film.

The first four films of the "Predator" franchise were all set in the present day or future, but what if Predator's ship landed on Earth in an earlier time? What is the foes he had to face were not armed with modern or futurist weapons? That is the premise of 2022's "Prey," which is set in the Great Plains in the early 1700's and sees him facing off against members of the Camanche tribe. We had low expectations given the poor performance of 2018's "The Predator," but this film delivered. A fresh take that's packed with strong performances and guaranteed to make your pulse pound, "Prey" is not just one of the best Predator movies, but one of the best films in either franchise.

While many fans would consider 1986’s “Aliens” to be the best film of the franchise, we found its more traditional action-film tone and jump-scares to be not quite as thrilling, interesting or awe-inspiring as its predecessor. However, there’s no denying that “Aliens” was a more than worthy follow-up and the second-best in the franchise, thanks to a strong cast, strong acting performances and a lot more appearances by the Aliens (and without relying on CGI, like “Alien 3”), which culminated in an epic final showdown between Ripley and the queen. Game over, man!

“Aliens” features Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Lance Henriksen, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser and Bill Paxton, and it was written and directed by James Cameron. It received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress (Weaver) and Best Original Score (James Horner), but only won two: Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects. It also earned a BAFTA, eight Saturn Awards and was named by "Entertainment Weekly" as the second-best action film of all time, behind “Die Hard.”

You’d think upon repeat viewings that 1987’s “Predator” wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining, as the jungle romp spends most of the time setting up the titular creature’s big reveal, but it nevertheless ends up being a captivating action adventure each time. “Predator” is an exciting, fun and sometimes funny film that features plenty of violence and a lot of familiar faces, while introducing audiences to the universe’s best hunter.

“Predator” stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl Weathers (our second-favorite film in which he somehow loses his right hand), Jesse Ventura, Bill Duke and Elpidia Carrillo. Jean-Claude Van Damme was originally cast in the title role, but he left the film after constantly complaining the Predator costume was too hot and that his face wouldn’t appear in the film. The part went to Kevin Peter Hall instead. “Predator” was written by brothers Jim and John Thomas, and it was directed by John McTiernan.

There’s simply no beating the original “Alien.” This 1979 film took the wonder and dream of interplanetary space travel and turned it into a living nightmare. Although the sci-fi thriller had a bit of a slow burn, the tension nevertheless steadily built throughout and left audiences engrossed in their viewing experience, beginning from the moment the first Alien attached itself to Kane’s face and eventually ripped through his chest in the movie’s now-iconic scene. The critical reception was initially mixed, but many of those opinions eventually changed in later years. “Alien” has since found itself at the top of countless “best of” lists.

“Alien,” of course, stars Sigourney Weaver as Ellen Ripley, with Tom Skerritt, Veronica Cartwright, Harry Dean Stanton, John Hurt, Yaphet Kotto and Ian Holm in supporting roles. It was directed by Ridley Scott, written by Dan O’Bannon, and the visual effects were designed by Ron Cobb, Chris Foss and H.R. Giger. “Alien” won the 1979 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.