Prey Is The Best-Reviewed Predator Movie, And It's Not Even Close
If you are anything like us, then you likely watched director Dan Trachtenberg's "Prey" this weekend and thought it rocked. Whether you watched the standard English release or its revolutionary Comanche dub, it's clear that the latest entry of the "Predator" franchise is a much-needed shot in the arm of a franchise that hasn't always had the best reception. Other than the usual misunderstandings or engagement bait about how Naru was unequipped to handle fighting a Yautja, it seems pretty universally liked among those who watched it.
However, what many casual viewers might not expect is the fact that "Prey" is currently the highest-rated "Predator" movie on Rotten Tomatoes by a significant margin. Sure, Rotten Tomatoes might not be the most accurate aggregate, but it does provide a general idea of what critics are saying about a particular movie. In the case of "Prey," the vast majority of critics think it's great, scoring a 92 percent Fresh rating.
How it fares against other Predator movies
This near-universal acclaim for "Prey" was something that the "Predator" franchise desperately needed. While Predators are still considered to be horror and action icons, the reception to their movies ranges from extremely mixed to extremely panned.
Don't believe us when we say it? Let's take a look at the other Rotten Tomatoes scores for the other films in the franchise. The 1987 original with The Arnold himself is still praised today, clocking in at 80 percent. The franchise wouldn't get a positive percentage by the aggregate until 2010's "Predators," which still holds a low 65 percent Fresh rating. That does it for the averagely-reviewed "Predator" movies, as 2018's "The Predator" brought in a staggering 33 percent Rotten rating to the platform. 1990's "Predator 2" is just one percent more Rotten at 32 percent, although it has the benefit of accumulating a cult following that sees the movie as a misunderstood gem.
This reevaluation is something that hasn't been completely given to the two least-well-reviewed movies in the "Predator" franchise, which are the two entries in the maligned "Alien vs. Predator" crossover. The first in this duology, 2004's "Alien vs. Predator," received a dismal 22 percent Rotten rating, and its 2007 follow-up, "Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem," fared even worse at 12 percent Rotten.
Yikes. So yeah, thank goodness that "Prey" seemingly reinvigorated interest and fanfare in this series. "Prey" is now streaming on Hulu.