All 7 Predator movies, ranked from worst to best

6. The Predator (2018)

The Predator largely revolved around a crew of military misfits fighting against a coverup in their own government as well as a genetically altered super Predator. The movie was directed by Shane Black, who was one of the stars in the original 1987 Predator films…and honestly, if you want a perfect microcosm of The Predator’s issues, the fact that the guy whose character made all the p****y jokes in the first film put this one together is a pretty good one.

Calling the plot of The Predator hair-brained is almost too kind. It tried to retcon in a more complicated reason for Predators taking skulls (they’re not trophies, they’re genetic research!), focused on a goose chase on Earth, and lacked all the tension of the better films in the franchise. There’s no sense of characters being stalked by the galaxy’s deadliest hunter, no examination of the relationship between predator and prey. Really, the only thing from the original movie that The Predator felt like it understood was the military bro banter, but it dials it up so far that it’s often cringeworthy and feels gross for the film’s few female characters to be subjected to.

That said, there is a certain brainlessly entertaining charm to the thing. There’s one set piece near the end where a group of characters try to stop a Predator ship from taking off, which is unique enough that it’s worth watching the movie at least once to see it. Just don’t go in expecting this to be in the same league as the franchise’s better films. The final fight against the enormous genetically altered Predator is the most underwhelming climactic showdown in the entire franchise.

The Predator’s issues are even stranger considering the great cast: Olivia Munn, Boyd Holbrook, Thomas Jane, Yvonne Strahovski, Keegan Michael-Key, Trevante Rhodes, Alfie Allen, Jake Busey, and Sterling K. Brown all had substantial roles in the movie. Yet despite that, The Predator just doesn’t work.