Movie review: ‘Predator: Badlands’ another step in the right direction
“Predator: Badlands” is another fantastic entry in a franchise that suddenly feels revitalized despite its history of uneven output and identity crises.
I’ve never considered myself an avid “Predator” fan. I’ve enjoyed the movies well enough over the years, but I wasn’t the person clearing my calendar for a new installment. The franchise has always been something I’d watch eventually, not something I’d anticipate. Recently, the tide has begun to turn. Ever since director Dan Trachtenberg took over the franchise, it seems to have new life.
During the COVID era, studios flooded streaming platforms with new releases, but “Prey” stood out when it debuted on Hulu in 2022. It didn’t just refresh the franchise; it stripped it down to the essentials in the best way possible as a simple, grounded story paired with brutal action sequences. It proved that Predators use the big guns; sometimes a small knife works.
So when the first trailer for “Predator: Badlands” arrived, it looked like the polar opposite of “Prey”: bigger scale, and an expansion of the Predator mythology. I was worried they may have bitten of more than they could chew. Not only was I wrong, but it feels like Disney and 20th Century have something unexpectedly special. “Badlands” builds on the restraint and clarity of Prey, but channels that into an adventurous direction that feels, again, fresh.
“Predator: Badlands” might be doing everything the “Star Wars” franchise wishes it were doing right now: delivering extremely fun, self-contained stories that expand the universe without requiring a larger connected story. In other words, it’s not trying to create MCU 2.0, and it’s working.
The action in “Predator: Badlands” is so much fun, but what surprised me was the adventure. The film leans into exploration, atmosphere, and tension in a way that feels reminiscent of “The Mummy” or “Indiana Jones.” If “Prey” proved that the “Predator” franchise could be intimate, “Predator: Badlands” proves it can be adventurous. And together, they suggest something even more exciting, a new franchise to look forward to.
SCORE: “Predator: Badlands” 4/5
“Predator: Badlands” is rated PG-13 and is in theaters now! There are no post-credit scenes.
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