Over the last week I rewatched all three Predator films, not including the AvP movies; I feel like the AvP films are distinctly their own thing, which is mostly for the best for the sake of both franchises. I am a huge fan of the AvP universe and lore, but part of that does not include the films. I will probably rewatch these again soon, but for now I just wanted to watch the Predator films since the new one is part of that franchise. With that out of the way, here are my reviews of each Predator movie.
Predator (1987): This movie is truly a sci-fi and a 80s action movie icon. It is definitely the most memorable Predator film in terms of what happens, the establishment of the predator creature, and its cast which most of all includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, the king of 80s action. The movie does a good job of building suspense, however this movie is a victim of the predator creature being well known at this point. What I mean by this is back when this movie came out the predator didn't exist so no one knew what the hell was going on as this group of elite badasses were hunted one by one after the movie establishes very well how ridiculous these guys are. During the famous mud scene, you finally get a glimpse of the predator creature and you are filled with intrigue as to who or what the predator is. And then finally, you get to see the predator unmasked at the end and it is so freakin cool. When I first saw this movie back when I was probably 6 I didn't know who the predator was or what it looked like, so my reaction was probably the same as people who saw the Predator when it first came out. However, now it does not have that suspense or mystery too it. Even for someone who has never seen this movie, the predator creature is now a staple of cinema and is probably very aware of what it is. Because of this, the once suspenseful pacing becomes more slow and the mystery is all but gone. Don't get me wrong, this is still a great movie, but its bare bones action movie plot, 2D tough guy characters, and the aforementioned issue don't cut the mustard like they used to.
[7/10]Predator 2 (1990): I've always been a really big fan of Predator 2 and when I was a kid it was my favorite. It has an interesting setting and story; the gang and violence infested LA setting combined with top secret government ops makes for a really interesting backdrop for the rest of the movie. And while Danny Glover and the supporting cast of characters do not have the same presence that Arnold and the cast of the first movie had, they are more fleshed out and interesting. And when speaking about the cast, I have to mention Gary Busey who is as ridiculous as ever, mostly. The Predator shows off how freakin badass he is in this film as well, but unlike the first film he also is more fleshed out and is given more gadgets, more tech, a ship, a clan of fellow predators, and that freakin trophy wall scene fascinates me every time I watch this movie, even to this day. I feel like we can thank Predator 2 for inspiring the expanded universe of Predator and the AvP series more than any other. It is an excellent film imo, and while not perfect I still enjoy this one over the original. I know this is blasphemy, but I guess everyone has their different opinions on these films.
[8/10]Predators (2010): I feel like this movie gets too much flack for being too derivative of the first movie, but other than the ending, I have to disagree. Like Predator 2 it builds a lot of the lore and expanded universe of Predator and sets up a very interesting setting that's more than "just another jungle." It introduced rival predator factions, establishes that they don't just go to other planets to hunt, shows that they use a lot of different methods for hunting, and that they will essentially hunt anything that they deem worthy. I also like how this move keeps you guessing and wondering about various things throughout the entire movie as well. The characters are definitely the weakest of the three movies, but the story and plot makes up for that imo. This is definitely the best looking predator film in regards to special fx, character design, action, and gore. It's also the first time we see Predator on Predator action which was pretty damn cool despite being a little underwhelming. If you thought me liking Predator 2 more than the original Predator was blasphemy, most would probably burn me alive for saying that thus far this is my favorite Predator film, just barely edging out Predator 2. It's definitely the strongest in terms of story and plot, and the fact that it keeps a very good pace throughout makes it highly entertaining.
[8/10]So there you have it, my opinion of the first three Predator films. After seeing the trailers and watching a few reviews for The Predator, I am cautiously excited for it; the trailers honestly make this movie look lame and generic, and about half the reviews seem to confirm this. The other half say this movie is a pretty good time, yet almost all the reviews including the more positive ones seem to criticize the ending. Whatever the case is, I will be seeing The Predator on Thursday and am looking forward to it.
