Since its release in 1987, the Predator franchise has been a staple of the science fiction and action genres. It sparked a multimedia franchise with tie-in books, toys, and even a popular crossover with Alien that has a life of its own at this point. But for most, the original Predator and the sequels it spawned have held a place of high esteem across its genres, cemented further by the most recent entry on Hulu, Prey. With Predator: Badlands set for a release this fall from Prey director Dan Trachtenberg and another untitled sequel in the pipe, we thought it was a good time to look back at the top action scenes and set pieces that set the franchise apart from others. While there are a few honorable mentions to note, the top moments shouldn’t be up for discussion.
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The franchise has taken quite a few turns since it first landed in theaters. Starting with a very different look for the alien, played by Jean Claude Van Damme before he was replaced by the iconic mandible look portrayed by actor Kevin Peter Hall before his passing in 1991. The look, size, and sounds have all combined to create an imposing movie villain that gives the greatest action stars of the decade a run for their money.
Honorable mentions for the franchise include Adrien Brody’s final fight in 2010’s Predators where he beheads the Berserker Predator, plus the duel between Yakuza enforcer Hanzo and the Falconer Predator in a classic katana fight in the high grass from the same film. There also isn’t much good to say about Shane Black’s disastrous The Predator, but the introduction of the Upgrade Predator is cool, even if it is just a CGI mess by the end.
Those out of the way, scroll down to see the top action scenes from the Predator films, sans the crossover films like Aliens vs. Predator. That can be for another day.
Dutch’s Final Fight – Predator
This has to be the top action scene from the franchise. The threat of the Predator has been established at this point following the death of every commando but Dutch, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. After sliding down a rock face and ending up covered in river mud, Schwarzenegger realizes the mud hides his heat signature, making the beast blind to his presence.
Using this, he pulls out more “Boy Scout bulls—t” to lure the alien into a fight to trap and kill it. At this point, we’ve seen countless rounds and weapons barely scratch the monster. We’ve also seen Arnold do most of his trademark moves, forced to go back to square one. He barely gets the drop on the alien in the end, leading to the explosive climax that levels the jungle and secures the franchise for years to come.
Dillon’s Last Stand – Predator
Before Schwarzenegger slaps mud on his body and picks up a spear, he and the rest of his unit set a trap for the Predator and attempt to kill it before it finally kills them all. This doesn’t go well, with Mac (Bill Duke) running after the beast once it finally shows, leading to Dillon (Weathers) chasing after and hatching a plan to smoke the alien out.
This goes poorly as the soldiers never had the drop on the alien hunter. Mac takes a gnarly blast through the head, while Weathers is left without his arm after it is blasted. The firing gun falls to the ground, still clutched by the loose arm, while Weathers screams in shock and pain. The Predator takes off, charging at Dillion before he can successfully move his other gun to his good arm. It’s not enough.
Lt. Harrigan Enters the Meat Packing Plant – Predator 2
The sequel to Predator takes the action out of the jungle and into the chaos-ridden version of Los Angeles we expected to take hold in the late ’90s. The proximity to the Rodney King riots and the addition of star Danny Glover as Lt. Mike Harrigan helps paint the world through the film, to varying degrees of success.
But what can’t be denied is a lot of the alien action is fun throughout, and Glover is allowed to be a tough guy in a different way than Arnold in the original. While they both played a game of “cat-and-mouse” throughout the film, Harrigan’s entrance into the warehouse through to the film’s finale is an action showdown that bumps the film up the list. It’s literally a chase that starts at the subway, goes to the warehouse, and then makes its way across the city before ending at the alien ship. It’s far from perfect, especially in comparison to the first film, but it’s a fun watch.
[RELATED 5 Predator Crossovers That Proved Who Was the Best Hunter]
Penthouse Massacre – Predator 2
Another gem in Predator 2 is great because it shows off the wide array of tools the Predator has at its disposal. In the original film, the monster keeps it simple by only using invisibility, a plasma shoulder cannon, and its wrist contraption with the claw.
In this scene, we are shown the Predator during one of the massacres that happen off-screen elsewhere in the movie. A crew of Jamaican gang members busts into a Colombian gang leader’s penthouse, torturing and killing him during a voodoo ritual. This comes crashing to a halt when the Predator attacks, blasting one through the chest with the shoulder, killing another with a netgun that cuts him to bits, gutting another with the claw, and impaling another with its extending spear. It’s a systematic dismantling of the gang using all the little tricks we’d come to know and love.
The Trapper Camp Massacre – Prey
The latest entry in the Predator franchise, Prey, featured a slew of memorable moments and action scenes throughout. The Feral Predator is far more primitive than the version we’ve seen throughout other films. Where the Jamaican massacre showcases the tool kit a Predator hunter can use, the Prey version goes back to basics with a blade shield, spear gun and arm gauntlet.
The French trapper camp massacre gives a great glimpse of these tools and a few others. After capturing Naru and Sarii, the trappers are shown to be hunting the Feral Predator and hope to capture him. This goes poorly.
All of the trappers die, minus interpreter Raphael and his special death in the next scene, with the lead trapper surviving and ending up as bait Naru uses to defeat the Feral Predator. It’s all a bloody delight that grabs firm to the ideas that made prior entries so much fun.
All five Predator movies are now streaming on Hulu.
