It’s a Hollywood miracle that the Predator franchise has survived for so long. The first movie, released in 1987, is still regarded as a timeless classic, which could be reason enough to revisit the IP. However, for over two decades, every sequel failed to reach the same critical acclaim or commercial returns. Yes, the Predator brand grew strong in comic books and novels, but one would imagine that Hollywood would give up on making movies after so many disappointments. We are glad they didn’t. Ever since he took the helm of the franchise with 2022’s Prey, filmmaker Dan Trachtenberg has proved the Predator universe can be the setting of genuinely exciting stories. Predator: Badlands is the latest in a string of successes, ambitiously expanding the franchise like never before.
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Predator: Badlands revolves around Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young Yautja learning the brutal ways of his people in Yautja Prime, his species’ home world. As the runt of the litter, Dek represents a weakness his clan would prefer to erase, which eventually leads Dek to journey to Genna, a deadly planet even the mightiest warriors have learned to fear. Genna is home to a beast known as Kalisk, a deadly predator who slayed every single Yautja who dared to track it. Dek’s plan is simple: find the Kalisk, slay his prey, and return home in glory. While hunting the Kalisk would be an impossible task in itself, Dek ends up crossing paths with Weyland-Yutani Corporation, Alien‘s universe bio-weapons-obsessed enterprise, which sent synthetics to study the dangerous fauna and flora of Genna.
Trachtenberg is not the first filmmaker to take the Predator franchise off Earth — although some of us would prefer to forget 2010’s Predators. Still, Badlands underlines how he’s the first person to crack the code on how to make the Yautja relevant again. The original movie stood in a weird crossroads between horror, action, and sci-fi, all three defining the franchise DNA. However, by trying to juggle all these elements at once, previous films have done neither well enough. Trachtenberg is cleverly changing the tones of each project, with Prey leaning more towards horror while Predator: Killer of Killers is primarily action. Predator: Badlands is another fresh take on this universe, drawing inspiration from fantasy cinema to deliver one of the best movies of this year.
Rating: 4/5
| PROS | CONS |
| Strong direction from Dan Trachtenberg. | Predictable hero’s journey structure |
| Fresh fantasy-inspired take on the Predator formula. | Less gritty environments due to heavy CGI. |
| Rich world-building and a deeper look at Yautja culture. | |
| Inventive and varied action sequences. |
Predator: Badlands Is a Classic Fantasy Journey
While the new Predator movie takes place on a different planet, the story unfolding on the big screen has obvious similarities with classic fantasy. Dek is an underdog warrior answering the calling to slay a mighty creature. Of course, the path to the Kalisk is treacherous, and Dek must overcome lesser challenges to hone his skills before he can face his foe. Along the way, Dek will band together with a synthetic researcher, Thia (Elle Fanning), and local cute-critter Bud, forging unexpected alliances that change Dek’s perception of his mission. Trade the Kalisk for a dragon and synthetics for elves, and Predator: Badlands could become a great Dungeons & Dragons adventure. While that could puzzle fans of the horror focus on the franchise’s best movies, the fantasy tone of Badlands works in its favor.
By giving Dek a recognizable journey and leaning into the alien culture of the Yautja, Trachtenberg is showing everyone how Predator can have widespread appeal. The Yautja’s rites of passage, their obsession with the hunt, and their high-tech take on primitive gears make them a fascinating people, on par with some of Star Wars‘ fan-favorite subcultures, such as the Mandalorians. That’s an angle the franchise can explore while steering away from horror, increasing the franchise’s reach.
There is a downside to this strategy, as the story Predator: Badlands is somewhat predictable, as are the moral lessons Dek learns on Genna. Then again, there’s a reason why found families are a beloved cliche. What matters most is Trachtenberg’s execution of the familiar tale. In that regard, Predator: Badlands is incredibly entertaining, offering the breathtaking set pieces and the relentless action we want for theatrical events.
The PG-13 Action Doesn’t Harm Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands broke a tradition by scoring a PG-13 rating, raising concerns about it diluting the franchise’s brutality. Rest assured, despite the teen-friendly distribution, Trachtenberg’s new movie is bloody. Since humans are completely removed from the equation, replaced by synthetics and fantastic creatures, Badlands can be visceral without disrespecting arbitrary rules for violence. There are still beheadings and amputations, but since aliens don’t bleed red, it’s more acceptable for the Motion Picture Association.
With that out of the way, Predator: Badlands shows once again how Trachtenberg is nothing less than brilliant when it comes to action. Every conflict is interesting, and Trachtenberg, who also pens the script, keeps coming out with surprising ways for Dek to murder his way to the Kalisk. The outworldly background gives the filmmaker all the tools he needs to conjure new traps, tools, and weapons that show how clever the Yautja can be and how deadly the universe is. The movie is the definition of a thrill ride, giving you nonstop shots of adrenaline to keep your heart pumping.
The alien environment of Predator: Badlands, unfortunately, leads to the movie losing some of its predecessors’ texture. While digital effects have frequently been used for the Yautja, both the original movie and Prey take place in jungles that feel real. While Genna can be gorgeous, it’s obviously fake. Considering how exotic the wildlife of Genna is, Trachtenberg does a great job in this digital landscape — a quality he already proved with the energetic animation of Killer of Killers. Still, the difference is perceptible enough for us to miss the grit, which makes Predator: Badlands less impressive than Prey.
Predator: Badlands hits theaters on November 7th.
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