{"id":45006,"date":"2022-08-14T10:56:56","date_gmt":"2022-08-14T10:56:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/why-the-predator-franchise-is-better-than-people-think\/"},"modified":"2022-08-14T10:56:56","modified_gmt":"2022-08-14T10:56:56","slug":"why-the-predator-franchise-is-better-than-people-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/why-the-predator-franchise-is-better-than-people-think\/","title":{"rendered":"Why the Predator Franchise Is Better Than People Think"},"content":{"rendered":"
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the success of Prey<\/em> — which Hulu recently revealed had the biggest premiere of any programming on its streaming service — has prompted a reevaluation of the Predator<\/em> franchise as a whole. It’s either the fifth or the seventh movie in the line (depending on how the two moribund Alien vs. Predator<\/em> movies are counted) and unanimously seen as a big step up from 2018’s disappointing The Predator<\/em>. Indeed, it’s been credited for elevating the franchise after decades of less-than-brilliant efforts since the classic original movie in 1987.<\/p>\n


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But in point of fact, the Predator<\/em> movies have often been much better than their reputations suggest. the AVP<\/em> entries haven’t helped, but taking them out of the equation reveals multiple creatively robust films that put the franchise in a much different light. Prey<\/em>‘s success has prompted a new look at them, and more than one holds up surprisingly well.<\/p>\n

RELATED: Prey’s Orange Flower and Its Medicinal Powers, Explained<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Predators <\/picture> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The franchise has admittedly moved forward in fits and starts. the AVP<\/em> movies came about as a reboot, 14 years after 1990’s Predator 2<\/em> grossed about half of the first film’s take. 2004’s Alien vs. Predator<\/em> turned into a hit despite scathing reviews and a PG-13 rating legitimately viewed as too timid for the material. That gave way to 2007’s Alien vs. Predator: Requiem<\/em> — an objectively terrible movie still respected as the franchise’s low point — which prompted another reboot. 2010’s Predators<\/em> found reasonable critical and box office success, but studio inaction left an eight-year gap before the follow-up — The Predator<\/em> — which tanked and seemingly took the franchise with it. Now, Prey<\/em> Has once again delivered a successful reboot\/update, though it remains to be seen whether the inevitable follow-ups will emulate its example or send the franchise back into a spin.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

All those ups and downs hide several movies that prove far more durable and entertaining than they seem. besides Prey<\/em> and the original, the easiest movie of the lot to defend is Predators<\/em>, under the direction of Nimr\u00f3d Antal, which found a slick way to reverse the first movie’s commandos in the jungle. This time, the humans are taken off-planet — dropped in an alien jungle on what amounts to a planet-wide game preserve — where they have to determine how to get back to Earth as well as stay alive. It also upended the tight-knit nature of the original team: its protagonists are pulled from all over the globe and have to find a way to work together despite little inclination to do so.<\/p>\n


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RELATED: Original Predator Star Praises Prey’s ‘Phenomenal’ Amber Midthunder<\/span><\/p>\n

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\"Predator <\/picture> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

The formula proved a winner: bringing A-list actors like Adrien Brody and Laurence Fishburne to play interesting characters instead of cardboard cut-outs and expanding on the Predator<\/em> universe while keeping the title species suitably mysterious. Like both Prey<\/em> and the original, it delivered a taut, engaging sci-fi thriller, punctuated by smartly assembled action scenes and even throwing a few surprises into the mix. And its R-rating meant it didn’t have to water down its title creature’s viciousness in the name of easier profits.<\/p>\n


\n <\/p>\n

Predator 2<\/em> is a harder sell, with a low standing among critics and an admittedly B-movie outlook to its mayhem. But it too has its share of adherents and carries some surprising assets in its corner. It escaped its predecessor’s shadow by bringing the monster to a near-future Los Angeles, which it used to tell its own story rather than just copying the first film’s primeval rain forest. Its action sequences, while a tad gimmicky, still carry enough pop to justify more than a few repeat viewings, and although its racist depiction of warring gangs is cringe-inducing, it finds an unexpected ringer in Maria Conchita Alonso’s smart, tough Latina cop. Star Danny Glover — best known for the Lethal Weapon<\/em> movies at the time — helps upend the era’s “lone-wolf policeman” clich\u00e9s just as the first movie took down the “unstoppable soldier” stereotypes of Rambo and his first. It even manages a little prescience: its city is saturated with guns, laboring under the scorching effects of climate change, and suffering from a bloodthirsty media troll played by real-life trash TV host Morton Downey Jr. (who served as a precursor to the Alex Joneses of the world).<\/p>\n


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That leaves four of the five “core” Predator<\/em> movies with either a strong critical standing or a devoted following, which is a long way from the dingy reputation the franchise is so often saddled with. It hasn’t taken the easy route, and its shortcomings are undeniable, but so too are the hard-won victories it’s notched along the way. Far from diminishing Prey’s<\/em> accomplishments, their quality actually further certifies its greatness: calling it the best of the lot means much more than it appears.<\/p>\n

Prey is currently streaming on Hulu.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

the success of Prey — which Hulu recently revealed had the biggest premiere of any programming on its streaming service — has prompted a reevaluation of the Predator franchise as a whole. It’s either the fifth or the seventh movie in the line (depending on how the two moribund Alien vs. Predator movies are counted) …<\/p>\n

Why the Predator Franchise Is Better Than People Think<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":45196,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/does-hulus-predator-prequel-have-a-post-credits-scene\/","url_meta":{"origin":45006,"position":0},"title":"Does Hulu’s Predator Prequel Have a Post-Credits Scene?","date":"August 14, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Prey was a unique and exciting entry to the Predator franchise. But does the film tease a continuation of the story that was set up? The following contains spoilers for Prey, now playing on Hulu. the Predator franchise has spent decades building its lore and expanding on the species and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":27246,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/will-poulter-teases-adam-warlock-in-guardians-of-the-galaxy-vol-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":45006,"position":1},"title":"Will Poulter Teases Adam Warlock in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3","date":"July 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Image: Mark Bagley\/Marvel ComicsDan Trachtenberg teases Prey's goopiness. Get a look at Jameela Jamil's Titania in She Hulk. Todd McFarlane promises that his long-in-the-making spawn movie won't turn into a long-in-the-making streaming show. Plus, a new look at Showtime's Let The Right One In adaptation. 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The film has spawned four sequels, including the new Hulu movie \u201cPrey,\u201d and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"Lazy loaded image","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/variety.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/08\/MBDPRED_FE001-e1660597106407.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":46662,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/producer-john-davis-recalls-how-cigars-smoked-salmon-toast-and-mayhem-created-a-mega-action-franchise\/","url_meta":{"origin":45006,"position":3},"title":"Producer John Davis Recalls How Cigars, Smoked Salmon Toast and Mayhem Created a Mega Action Franchise","date":"August 16, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1987, a hyper-advanced alien species known as the \u201cYautja\u201d descended upon an elite military squad in Guatemala. Thanks to its memorable performances, quotable dialogue and inventive action set pieces, \u201cPredator\u201d became an American action movie staple. The film has spawned four sequels, including the new Hulu movie \u201cPrey,\u201d and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":36456,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/why-is-prey-the-new-predator-movie-only-on-hulu\/","url_meta":{"origin":45006,"position":4},"title":"Why is Prey, the new Predator movie, only on Hulu?","date":"August 5, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"The Predator movie franchise might never have scaled the heights of the original 1987 movie \u2014 a suspenseful action classic, directed by John McTiernan and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger \u2014 but its three sequels to date have been reliably entertaining theatrical experiences, and reliably profitable at the box office . (The\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Entertainment"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":43936,"url":"https:\/\/harchi90.com\/prey-movie-forces-lefty-trends-into-a-centuries-old-setting\/","url_meta":{"origin":45006,"position":5},"title":"‘Prey’ Movie Forces Lefty Trends Into A Centuries-Old Setting","date":"August 13, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Few movie franchises have taken more of a beating than the \u201cPredator\u201d franchise. 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