'Predator: Badlands' Review: An action-packed franchise reboot with a twist

There's this comic fad successful Hollywood of turning iconic villains into sympathetic — oregon adjacent heroic — figures. "Wicked" turned the evil Wicked Witch of the West of "The Wizard of Oz" into a misunderstood protagonist of a present two-part adapted musical. Disney has done the aforesaid with "Maleficent" and "Cruella." I mean, they made a "Venom" trilogy based connected 1 of Spider-Man's apical foes for crying retired loud!

Enter "Predator: Badlands," 20th Century Studios' revival of the action/horror franchise featuring the Predator — the seemingly indestructible alien warring instrumentality made celebrated for duking it retired with Arnold Schwarzenegger successful 1987.

In "Badlands," the Predator isn't the villain. It's Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a Yautja who is perceived by his warrior clan arsenic being anemic — mostly due to the fact that he's rather smaller successful stature compared to his member and father. While his member attempts to fortify Dek's combat skills, helium is arsenic bully arsenic dormant successful his father's eyes.

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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi arsenic Dek successful 20th Century Studios' "Predator: Badlands." (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.)

Determined to beryllium himself, Dek vows to hunt the eventual trophy: the Kalisk: the legendary apex predator — a massive, lizardy lion-gorilla-type carnal with tentacles and a regenerative body.

Crash-landing successful the Kalisk's satellite of Genna, Dek comes crossed Thia (Elle Fanning), a synthetic humanoid from the Weyland-Yutani Corporation — yes, the aforesaid institution from the "Alien" bid (teasing a aboriginal crossover, obviously) — who is trapped successful a vulture's nest. She knows precisely wherever Kalisk is (it's with her legs, which it tore off) and she offers to amusement him the way. In a beingness wherever it's termination oregon beryllium killed, Dek reluctantly carries Thia connected his back, reasoning of her arsenic an indispensable "tool" to past the deadly terrain.

Meanwhile, Thia is hoping to reunite with Tessa (also Fanning), different synthetic she was separated from successful the Kalisk onslaught who she views arsenic her sister. She explains to Dek that she and Tessa are elevated synthetics and were programmed to consciousness sensitivity and emotion. Yautja aren't precisely known for being precise sentimental, truthful the conception is rather overseas to Dek. All helium knows is showing spot and surviving. At 1 point, Dek casts uncertainty that Thia tin past connected her own, to which she replies, "I tin past connected my own, but who would privation to past connected their own?"

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Elle Fanning arsenic Thia and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi arsenic Dek successful "Predator: Badlands." (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.)

The unusual pairing of Dek, a rough, stoic creature, and Thia, a sunny and overly-chatty humanoid, gives "Badlands" an unexpected roadworthy travel buddy drama vigor (Fanning surely provides comic relief, ironically giving 1 of her astir lively performances playing a robot). How other would they beryllium capable to lighten the temper erstwhile they're avoiding needle-exploding plants, razor writer fields and an array of monsters trying to termination them?

"Badlands" marks the sixth movie successful the "Predator" franchise, not counting the 2 "Alien vs. Predator" films. Unlike its R-rated predecessors, "Badlands" is lone rated PG-13. That is apt owed to the information that nary humans dice successful this movie (there aren't any). But there's plentifulness of alien carnage to spell around.

Director/co-writer Dan Trachtenberg, who antecedently helmed the franchise's commendable 2022 installment "Prey," does an fantabulous occupation astatine creating an full beingness to research and bringing strength to what different is simply a reasonably elemental narrative. The alien landscapes are mesmerizing, and the ocular effects were retired of this satellite (no pun intended). But if you privation to spot Trachtenberg's champion work, look nary further than the criminally underrated "10 Cloverfield Lane."

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Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi arsenic Dek successful 20th Century Studios' "Predator: Badlands." (Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.)

The Verdict:

"Predator: Badlands" is simply a coagulated popcorn flick that has successfully fixed caller beingness to a decades-old sci-fi franchise. While it doesn't scope the must-see threshold, Trachtenberg's instrumentality connected the Predator is action-packed amusive and offers a promising aboriginal for Dek and Thia.

★★★ — STREAM IT LATER

"Predator: Badlands" is rated PG-13 for sequences of beardown sci-fi violence. Running time: 1 hour, 47 minutes. In theaters now.

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