Many people were done with the Predator franchise before Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey proved that there were still interesting stories to tell in this world. Since then, Trachtenberg has also given us the animated installment Predator: Killer of Killers, as well as the newest movie, Predator: Badlands. While his streak is one of the better chapters of the series, it is time fans face the painful truth. None of these movies is going to live up to Prey. That being said, each of the titles living in its shadow has some bits and interesting ideas to keep modern audiences invested.
Predator: Badlands follows Yautja clan member Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi). He is the runt of his litter and is supposed to be killed. Through some violent family trauma, he is spared and sets off to complete a hunt and earn his place in the Yautja clan. Along the way, he finds a damaged robot named Thia (Elle Fanning). She has no legs, so Dek carries her as she proves herself a useful “tool”. The duo becomes a trio when they pick up a cute little critter they call Bud (Rohinal Nayaran). While Bud and Thia are ready to bond, Dek is still in warrior mode and wants no part of their friendship. This allows them to fall into the traditional story beats most of us expect from Disney movies.
We see these dynamics and instinctively know these three will be okay. We also know that Dek will learn that together is better than alone. This sadly lowers the stakes and makes this a Predator movie without teeth. While some people might want basic stories after the year we have had, I suspect most of us wanted this to go hard. We get some battles and the occasional moment of blood, but it feels like the need for a family-friendly Predator left the finished product a bit defanged. There are also not nearly enough memorable moments to warrant a rewatch.
One thing of note is that Fanning plays two androids at odds. Her lovable character, Thia, is counterbalanced by her evil turn as Tessa. While Thia thinks of them as sisters and wants to help her new friends, Tessa stays on mission and is willing to burn anything and anyone down to get her way. While the villainous android’s hands are tied by the rules of the world, there is a coldness in her that makes it hard not to lean in. That being said, the Tessa and Thia relationship does not help Predator: Badlands beat any Guardians of the Galaxy comparisons.
While it is interesting to see this world from the POV of an outcast Yautja, it also makes it harder to forget it’s in Prey’s shadow. Naru’s (Amber Midthunder) circumstances were admittedly different, but there are enough parallels to remind us this has been done better. Not only that, but it was done better in the same franchise just a few years ago. Which begs the question, why can’t kids just watch the former movie hanging out on Hulu and Disney? Maybe there is going to be an Avengers-level team-up of outcasts and misfits when Trachtenberg is done? Or maybe, the powers that be are rightfully trying to pivot from the franchise falling back into dudes fighting aliens that it has stumbled into a different rut. Whatever the case may be, Predator: Badlands is fine enough.
Predator: Badlands does not reinvent the wheel. Most people will probably have a good time with it. Especially people who dig low-stakes action, big CGI battles, and being immersed in futuristic sci-fi worlds. To give credit where it is due, the design team and actors put on a pretty fantastic show. However, others are going to see the Guardians of the Galaxy aura and wonder how we got here. No one expects a PG-13 movie to be subversive or complex. Yet, this predictable plot is frustratingly paint-by-the-numbers. On the bright side, we know Trachtenberg can do better, so we shouldn’t hold this against him.
