‘Predator: Badlands’s Prequel Fixes the New Movie’s Worst Scene

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The prequel to Predator: Badlands addresses a major weakness in the latest film. Badlands is the third installment directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who has quickly become a popular filmmaker within the Predator franchise thanks to his work on Prey and Predator: Killer of Killers. Trachtenberg is known for taking the series in new and surprising directions, building on what fans loved from the original 1987 Predator movie.

Reviews for Predator: Badlands have been mostly positive, though, like any big movie, there’s still some criticism. It has an 85% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a strong 95% audience score, with viewers praising its fun humor, the way it expands the Predator universe, and its thrilling action. The film significantly builds out the world of Predator, bringing details – like the term ‘Yautja’ – to the big screen that were previously found mostly in comics and video games.

‘Predator: Badlands’s Tie-in Prequel Comic Improves the Intro Sequence


20th Century Studios

The world of Predator: Badlands has been expanded with a new comic book released by Marvel Comics. Written by Ethan Sacks, who has worked on comics like Star Wars and stories featuring bounty hunters, the one-shot comic takes place before the events of the film. It follows Dek and Kwei on a mission to a distant planet, where Dek is tasked with recovering technology from a downed spacecraft.

Dek’s story in the comic book leading up to Predator: Badlands mirrors his beginning in the film. He doesn’t succeed in his initial mission and goes back to his home world, where his father criticizes his failure. This sets up Dek’s goals and emotional arc for the movie, but a key moment adds extra depth. After an explosion almost kills Dek at the crashed ship, Kwei rescues him. Dek responds by telling Kwei he shouldn’t have risked coming back, and Kwei replies, “You saved me before, brother.”

A key part of what makes Predator: Badlands interesting is how it delves into the culture of the Yautja, and how being cut off from others is actually their biggest flaw. The Yautja are known as powerful and skilled hunters, but the film shows they aren’t unbeatable, and that they’re more effective when they work with others – as Dek’s story demonstrates. Kwei saving Dek goes against everything the Yautja believe, which makes it a forbidden act. Kwei challenges his father’s teachings by helping his brother, and the movie doesn’t give a clear reason why this is so wrong, other than the fact that they are family.

Although Predator: Badlands gives the Yautja more human qualities, it’s important to remember they aren’t human. Their bodies, brains, and culture are all very different. Director Trachtenberg aimed to make the Yautja more understandable than before, but this also makes Kwei’s extreme choice even more puzzling. The story shows Kwei and Dek have a rare connection built on honor and sacrifice, going beyond just this single event, because Dek once saved Kwei’s life.

While Predator: Badlands is a good movie, the first fifteen minutes aren’t its strongest part. These opening scenes try to set up the main character’s goals, but the characters and their conversations feel predictable and unoriginal, which weakens the rest of the film. Even a short backstory or comic relief could have given these scenes more impact, creating a stronger emotional base and improving the movie overall.

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2025-11-13 03:32