PREDATOR: BADLANDS
Starring: Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Elle Fanning, and Michael Homick
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
NICK
With Prey, Dan Trachtenberg resurrected the Predator franchise. With Killer of Killers, he showed its potential. And with Badlands, he cements its future. Trachtenberg has crafted a film that subverts all expectations, stretching the PG-13 rating as far as he can and changing the trajectory of this IP. Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is a solid new addition to build around, while Thia, played by Elle Fanning (who won me over this year), fuels the film's buddy-cop stylings. It's the action, however, that really drives this thing. The success of the series’ overall direction is yet to be determined, but I had lots of fun with Badlands.
ROBERT
Does anyone in Hollywood have more surehandedness with a franchise than Dan Trachtenberg and Predator? At this point, he is three-for-three as Predator: Badlands emerges as a blast of a sci-fi action romp. Trachtenberg manages to enhance the scope of knowledge of the Yautja (Predator) species while also honing in on a singular story of self-discovery and identity. Beyond what standard expectations you might have for a Predator film, Badlands also surprises with some heart and humor that only minimally creates some tonal imbalances. The film only feels misguided when shoehorning in Alien lore, but otherwise, it’s a killer of killer films.
ADRIANO
I'm all in on Dan Trachtenberg continuing to explore the Predator universe. While not as gripping as Prey, Predator: Badlands takes the franchise in a new direction, and as a Predator fan, I was admittedly nervous about the idea of a Yautja protagonist, but it works. It gets a little too MCU-y towards the end, but between the incredible score and sick action, the whole film remains engaging, in part due to the world-building that all feels like it comes from someone who truly loves the Predator movies. So (and I rarely say this) let's keep these spinoffs coming.
PAIGE
Predator: Badlands is a unique and refreshing take on the franchise that puts the Yautja front and center as our protagonists. There are so many elements that shouldn’t work, but somehow, they do. Director Dan Trachtenberg not only delivers badass action sequences, but he infuses the film with heart and humor. At its core, this movie tells a found-family story that never shies away from the violence the franchise is known for. Elle Fanning’s enthusiastic synthetic and the runt Yautja make for an epic dynamic duo. Admittedly, the story is fairly straightforward and lacks complexity, but it’s still an absolute blast! Trachtenberg once again proves that the Predator franchise is in good hands.
BODE
I still haven’t seen Prey or the animated Killer of Killers, so I went into director Dan Trachtenberg’s latest entry in the Predator universe, Badlands, practically fresh-faced. While I get why people love this one, I’m not quite on that train myself. I thought some of the world-building was cool, the action is fun (if a little weightless), and I liked the dynamic between android Thia (a very charming Elle Fanning) and Yautja Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). It’s ultimately just a little too safe and artificial for it to leave a lasting impact. Regardless, for what it is, I had a decent enough time.
AMARÚ
The Yautja are all-time sci-fi antagonists because of their mysterious intrigue. Taking away that mystique might seem unwise, but Predator: Badlands has two ideal circumstances that prove otherwise: being a damn near 30-year-old franchise, and a director deeply steeped in the world. Dan Trachtenberg’s intimate understanding of this franchise (as proven with his two other uniquely amazing entries) allows us to accept sentiment in a quintessentially unemotional culture, and using sibling bonds as the catalyst to finally explore the Yautja made for a natural world-builder. Action, story, and tension provide top notch entertainment, but it was Badland’s unique approach to the Predators that surprised me most.
QUENTIN
Although it doesn’t come anywhere close to the highs of Prey or Killer of Killers, Badlands also isn’t near as tragic as 2010’s Predators or 2018’s The Predator. The biggest problem for me is the narrative shift to make this iconic villain the protagonist. I want this species to be a menacing and unrelenting force of unexplained nature like Michael Myers. By giving me backstory and social constructs to generate empathy, director Dan Trachtenberg has removed almost all the mystique surrounding the universe’s best hunter. That aside, everything else — from the story to the action beats — is fine but overly sanitized and extremely Disneyfied.
