Predator: Badlands Review – It’s All Killer With Only Some Filler For This Exciting Yet Weightless Sequel

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The film benefits from and is ultimately limited by its ambitious scale. While director Dan Trachtenberg delivers a fast-paced and impressively staged action experience with his latest installment, it prioritizes momentum over substance. The movie smartly avoids relying too heavily on nostalgia or fan expectations, but it also doesn’t fully explore its more interesting ideas, leaving them underdeveloped.

Earlier Predator movies weren’t just about action and scares; they used the sci-fi and horror elements to explore important social and political issues. The original 1987 film, for example, seemed to comment on American arrogance and the way the US viewed conflicts during the Cold War, portraying South America as a hidden battleground. It also suggested that excessive masculinity can lead to poor decisions. The sequel used the Predator as a symbol for the widespread corruption found within Los Angeles’s government and legal system, offering a satirical look at the problem.

While those earlier films featured intense action, they also had a deeper meaning that has helped them endure. Badlands certainly isn’t lacking in substance, offering a thoughtful and surprisingly hopeful message about finding connection and support even when society casts you aside. The film cleverly incorporates elements from the Alien franchise, specifically the Weyland-Yutani company, and its motivations become clear in the final act – a critique of how the pursuit of technological progress by corporations often harms the environment. Though not a direct crossover, it draws heavily from that established universe.

Trachtenberg seems more interested in building upon the established history of the Predator universe, and that’s not a bad approach. His films, Prey and Killer of Killers, have dramatically changed how we view the Predators, moving beyond the idea of them as simply cold-blooded hunters. With Badlands, he’s giving us a much richer understanding of their culture – a society built on honor and a strict social hierarchy, much like the Klingons in Star Trek.

Badlands Favors Propulsive Action Over Depth — Which Is (Mostly) Okay

Trachtenberg is excellent at creating visually stunning action sequences, and the film delivers plenty of exciting and energetic moments. The opening scene, set on the alien world Yautja Prime, features a thrilling fight between Dek and his brother Kwei, using plasma swords in a beautifully designed cave. The film maintains this intense pace for about twenty minutes before the opening credits even roll. The final showdown is particularly impressive, with inventive camera angles and fun nods to previous films in the series.

Dek is smaller than most of his kind, and a broken fang serves as a reminder of when he rescued Kwei. Because of his size, his father, Reuben De Jong, considers him a weakling and wants to cast him out. To prove himself and earn the right to wear the invisibility cloak, Dek sets out to kill the legendary Kalisk on the planet Genna. However, the Kalisk is believed to be unkillable. Kwei warns him, “Even father fears it,” but Dek is determined to try anyway.

The moment Dek arrives on Genna, he realizes how dangerous it is. The plants and animals aren’t just wild – they’re actively weaponized, with things like grass that’s as sharp as a razor, explosive worms, and flowers that fire paralyzing darts. This incredible natural arsenal has attracted the Weyland-Yutani Company, who’ve sent a team of synthetic androids to harvest the planet’s resources. Dek encounters one of these androids, Thia (Elle Fanning), while she’s trapped by the deadly branches of a tree.

Dek first refuses Thia’s offer to help him find the Kalisk in return for safe passage through the Badlands, but he starts to see her value as an asset. Thia, who has no lower body, requires Dek to build a special frame of branches to carry her. As they face one dangerous situation after another, Dek begins to open up, and they both find solace in their shared feelings of being lost and damaged.

Honestly, I found the symbolism in the movie pretty shallow – it felt like things were just hinted at without ever really going anywhere. The connection between the two main characters was obvious, and the way they were often filmed with their backs to each other was a little on the nose, like they were supposed to be two sides of the same coin. It just didn’t quite feel deep enough for me. Also, it’s rated PG-13, which is a big change from the super-violent Predators movies. That’s not necessarily bad, but it does make this feel a little… sanitized, a little too sweet and corny for its own good, like Disney had a hand in it.

Fanning and Schuster-Koloamatangi truly make the story believable. Fanning plays Thia as a lively, chatty, and good-hearted character, reminiscent of Dory from Finding Nemo and Donkey from Shrek – someone our main character mostly tolerates. Fanning is fantastic in the role, and the film is often funnier than other, more serious installments in the series. As Tessa, Thia’s clone, Fanning convincingly portrays a cold and villainous character. Ultimately, Badlands is a showcase for Fanning’s talent; they are captivating to watch and skillfully play both roles.

Despite heavy makeup effects, Schuster-Koloamatangi faces the challenge of making his character’s appearance appealing. However, Trachtenberg often succeeds in showing us that even someone who enjoys killing can have a hidden vulnerability and capacity for change, largely through the expressiveness of his eyes.

Filmed in New Zealand by the cinematographer from Prey, Badlands is visually stunning, even with its abundance of alien slime. While some of the special effects aren’t perfect, likely due to budget constraints, the film is generally very effective and creates a strong atmosphere. It’s easy to get caught up in the exciting action and vibrant colors.

I know Badlands doesn’t have any humans in it, but it feels surprisingly human, maybe even more so than the other Predator movies. It’s a really interesting film because it almost tries to give a moral compass to the Yautja, looking at them through the eyes of one who’s been cast out. There’s something really beautiful about that, even if it does fall into a pretty cheesy “found family” trope that feels a little weird for this series.

The film is genuinely enjoyable and exciting, and if more Predator movies are made, director Trachtenberg seems like a great choice. The real message might not be that anything can become a victim, but that everyone has the potential for predatory behavior, even without anyone to target.

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2025-11-04 20:11