‘Predator: Badlands’ review: Fun sprawling sci-fi adventure Dan Trachtenberg’s third entry in the Preadtor series is unlike any other installment. By on November 12, 2025 Ever since director Dan Trachtenberg took full control of the Predator franchise, he has successfully embraced the simple concept of “hunt to be hunted” from John McTiernan’s 1987 original with installments that have their own identity through their unique settings. From 2022’s Prey that was all about the Comanche tribe, to this year’s animated Predator: Killer of Killers, in which Vikings, samurai and a WWII fighter pilot fight various Predators, it is surprising that the franchise can still be as refreshing as it was four decades ago. However, considering that Disney now owns so many of the sci-fi franchises that originated from 20th Century Fox, there is the worry on how much the studio can squeeze every ounce of life out of these beloved series, something Star Wars has suffered from on-and-off in recent years. Fortunately, that hasn’t happened yet with the Predator series as the latest installment is driven by the one pitch that is “what if the Predator was the good guy?”. Predator: Badlands centers on the young Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), a runt Predator from the planet Yautja Prime, who takes a vow to hunt the Kalisk, an unkillable apex predator, in order to earn the approval of his father. When he arrives on the lethal planet Genna, Dek reluctantly allies with Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged synthetic whose team was destroyed while attempting to capture the Kalisk. Much like Amber Midthunder’s Naru from Prey, Dek is very much the young outsider of his clan and is trying to prove that he can hunt just like everyone else, even if they all doubt him. Considering the titular alien throughout the films has been this figure of horror, especially in the slasher aesthetic of McTiernan’s original, there have been times where you are somewhat rooting for the alien, especially with the cool gadgets, as previously seen in Prey, where Trachtenberg seems gleeful in the scene where the Predator slaughters buffalo-killing French fur traders. In the case of Badlands, which focuses on a young Predator whose ambitions get the better of him, we actually witness a character arc where he learns to grow beyond his initial intentions, and you are rooting for him all the way through. A major factor in Dek’s journey is the friends he makes along the way, most notably Elle Fanning’s Thia, an android that works for Weyland-Yutani, the megacorporation that is associated with the Alien series. While the crossover between the two sci-fi franchises has occurred many times through films and other media, and there are some subtle visual and audio callbacks here, it is really an excuse for the scene-stealing Fanning to continue a tradition from Alien, which is that the artificial person is the most fun character to play. Between the buddy dynamic with Dek and Thia, and the third companion that is a cutesy alien, there were times where the vibe was more Moana than anything. Going back to the aforementioned studio that owns these sci-fi franchises, the word “Disneyfication” has been thrown around in recent years, and no doubt longtime fans may feel about this being the first Predator film to be rated PG-13. Like all the subsequent films in the series, Badlands may not reach the tense horror of the original, and while it does expand on the world-building of the Predators, which is always worrisome, Trachtenberg and his co-writer Patrick Aison are more interested in reconfiguring the familiar elements into something else entirely. More akin to Avatar, Badlands is a sci-fi adventure that revels in the otherworldly with the Predator battling through various outlandish creatures along the way in well-crafted action sequences that make good use of the alien protagonist’s skills as a hunter. ‘Predator: Badlands’ review: Fun sprawling sci-fi adventure Predator: Badlands It may be unlike any other Predator installment before, but director Dan Trachtenberg’s reconfiguration of the series’ signature elements is what makes Predator: Badlands loads of fun. Reader Rating0 Votes A fun dynamic between the three main characters, with Elle Fanning being an absolute scene-stealer. A sprawling sci-fi adventure that is heavy on outlandish creature design. Through its world-building, it puts a new perspective on the familiar tropes of the franchise, particularly with Dek as the hero. Longtime fans may feel skeptical about the film's identity that feels different from the franchise. An unfair criticism perhaps, but like all the subsequent installments, it never reaches the tensity and character development of John McTiernan's original. 8.5 Source: https://aiptcomics.com/2025/11/12/predator-badlands-sci-fi-alien/