Predator: Badlands is a film that seeks to do something different than the past films in the series and is far more action driven than any other of its films in the franchise. It also trades in the blood for a PG-13 rating. The end result is a mixed one.
At a glance, it seems to attempt to change the 38-year formula of time period specific action hero archetypes meeting their grizzly end, to an alien hunter until one person remains, who eventually slays the alien hunter. The film now follows the hunter, rather than the prey.
This time we follow the Predator as our protagonist, a Yautja named Dek, played by Dimitrius Koloamatangi. The Predator goes to one of the most dangerous planets in the galaxy, Genna, to prove himself after a betrayal leaves him seeking revenge. Unlike previous predators, Dek seems to be more morally good compared to previous Yautja of the Predator franchise.
We are also followed by a secondary character that ties together the Alien franchise to the Predator franchise, Thia, played by Elle Fanning.
Thia serves many purposes in the film, first being that her character is a direct connection to Alien, she is a Wayland Yutani Synthetic that serves as the human point of view character for the viewers. The second purpose is for Dek, providing him the insight on the new dangerous planet he finds himself in as well as being a moral compass for Dek.
Unlike previous films in the series, we have three antagonists in this film, two of which were heavily promoted in clips and trailers. This adds a layer of storytelling to the action that many films in the series have lacked.
But in spite of these changes, the question remains- is Predator: Badlands good or bad? Does this film set out to change the 38 -ear formula of the predator films? Well, it’s Yes and No.
At a glance mind you the film does change the formula, although we have gotten Yautja-driven stories in games and comics, we never fully gotten a “good Yautja”. This film is able to do this concept but at the risk of the film leaning on modern day pop culture tropes doing something new for the franchise while also doing nothing new at the same time.
If this sounds like a combination of The Mandalorian, John Wick or any piece of pop culture of the 2020’s that’s because it is. Predator: Badlands is cliché done competently enough to be likeable. Genna the planet Dek is on doesn’t feel as much of a threat as it is made out to be as everything falls neatly in place for the main cast of characters and how the Kalisk is dealt with will have you as a viewer go really that’s it. But, there are things to note, its concept and well done action scenes carry the film greatly, and one who may have not watched a Predator or Alien film one may find it easy to like the less ruthless Yautja Dek or the human like Synthetic Thia.
Overall, at the end of the day it’s a film that falls back on the tropes of the 2020s that are still deeply rooted in 2025 and is a film that tries something new while doing nothing new at the same time.
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