Predator: Badlands – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Predator: Badlands – The Alpha of Misfits … I am the Wolf

To speak about enjoyment, what is it that really feels good?  From the normality of our days, we look to outlets in hopes of feeling something real, different or unique.  For any story, there is a sense of twisting relativity with creative beats, leading to risks where there are new avenues in the familiar.  For movies, this mixing can spark enchantment of possibilities and produce a truly memorable experience.  In this review, I look at the latest entry in a popular action IP.  A chapter of new ideas in familiar grounds, Predator: Badlands is an intriguing journey into what it means to be the true alpha of the family.

In a quest to prove his worth, a young Predator will head to a deadly planet to claim the ultimate prize.  Action films are tales that put a prime on the adrenaline of the moment.  Every action film might start with a different foundation, but it takes a creative push to break and become a standout (aka T2, The Raid, John Wick).  With a property like the Predator, it becomes a tricky task of delivering the iconic aspects of the formula, but trying to not feel like a rehashing of ‘same story, different coat’.  With this entry, the filmmakers have been able to capture the feeling of the property by building a unique story that stands out on its own.  In the beginning, we come into the film through the eyes of our main character, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a young predator that is trying to find his place in the elite company of hunters in his family.  Through raw action sequences and emotional moments (of the first act), Dek heads to the death planet to get the ultimate kill and prove his worth to his family and the Yautja clan (The Predator’s race).  Once these elements are laid out, we head into a second act that breaks away from the typical action sequences the property is known for.  Instead of Dek just ‘killing’ to kill on this exotic planet, each scene builds through two specific elements that makes this film stand above previous entries:

Emotion Meets Action

As Dek comes into contact with random creatures, deadly opponents and new companions like the synthetic android Thia (Ella Fanning), what could have felt like a typical ‘action quest’ journey becomes a character tale of struggle, brotherhood, personal conquest and self-worth.  These emotional beats add a dynamic that makes each scene all that more purposeful.  Instead of just a visually creative experience, there is a visceral weight to the combat between Dek and anything he faces on this planet.  The layer of emotions adds fortitude to each choice, leading to genuine twists on familiar action tropes.  This helps elevate the experience, allowing for a creative dive of lore building.   

Creative Twist of Lore

As Dek moves across this planet with his crew of misfits, the action is complimented by the precise slow downs of conversations.  The dialogue between Thia and Dek is a familiar draw, but within this particular IP, it becomes a proof of existence for the characters.  This allows for the seamless blend of adventure, drama and action, leading to twists in the lore that feel authentic and earned.  As we lift above the properties typical foundation, it becomes an escape of unpredictability and genuine consequences.

As the layers of emotional beats and creative twist lifts the experience, it takes the action into another level of the unknown.  As certain truths are revealed to Dek and Thia, we head into a third act that fleshes out the ‘over-the-top’ action moments into a grounded prelude of earned kills.  As things are about to go down, we head into a gratifying climax and epilogue.  Predator: Badlands is a true master class in building new things in familiar IPs.  If you are a fan of action, character, adventure films or this property, you will have a great time.  Even if you’re not a fan, I say this is a worthy film to see on the big screen … worth every dollar. 

Full Score – 4 out of 5 (Full Price)