Intro: I didn't get the chance to see this film when it came out later last year and, to be honest, I kinda forgot about it. Then, a couple of months ago, somehow I remembered its existence and decided to give it a go.
Film 2494: "Predator: Badlands" (2025), directed by Dan Trachtenberg
Watched: On the computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I've never been a massive "Predator" fan, but I've watched enough entries in the franchise to be able to say that I really like the new direction they're going for. And it's mainly thanks to Dan Trachtenberg, who directed both this film and "Prey", the previous one from 2022.
What I enjoy the most about these movies is that the character of Predator is the main focus of the story in a way that's unconventional for the genre. Other franchises like "Alien", "Halloween" or "A Nightmare on Elm Street" have the bad guy - or alien, in this case - simply being the main antagonist. There's not much character development, and they are usually not what the story focuses on, but rather a mechanism that serves the plot and scares the viewer. But not here.
"Prey" before and "Predator: Badlands" now put the title character at the center of their plot. Here especially, we get to spend time with what traditionally would have been the villain of the story: Predator has to prove to its dad that he can hunt the apex predator and, to do that, it travels to a different planet and sets the story into motion. It's such a refreshing perspective!
Not only this, but the movie is actually good. Considering how few characters the story puts together and the limitations of having your lead not speak any human language, it's quite impressive how the screenplay is able to smoothly move things forward in an engaging and cinematic way. I especially like how many visual cues are used to progress the plot - the spit thing above anything else for me - and how much world-building has gone into creating this film. And it all plays out well in the end, because the film is engaging, visually interesting and never boring. For a standalone product like this, the world and character creation is quite impressive.
If I had to find something negative to say, Elle Fanning's character could be the weak link for me. Not because she's not good in the film, but mainly because her character does most of the talking - sometimes it could be a bit much - and because Fanning plays two roles here and, although it's understandable why, it would have been nice to have seen another human face.
All in all, I really enjoyed "Predator: Badlands" and, together with its predecessor, I think it's an impressive entry in the world of this franchise.
Film 2134 - Prey
Film 2494 - Predator: Badlands
Film 1707 - The Predator
Cast: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Reuben de Jong, Mike Homik, Alison Wright.
Box Office: $184.6 million
Worth a watch?: If you liked "Prey", you'll definitely like this one! It's unfortunate this film didn't make enough of a splash at the box office to spawn more movies -- although the animated anthology film "Predator: Killer of Killers" was released on Hulu/Disney+ in June last year, just before "Badlands" hit theaters in November.
It's a good sci-fi film that takes the franchise in a new direction that is both refreshing and entertaining. Watch it and you'll see.
Awards: /
Key word: Spit.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
Watched: On the computer
Language: English
Watched with: No one
Thoughts: I've never been a massive "Predator" fan, but I've watched enough entries in the franchise to be able to say that I really like the new direction they're going for. And it's mainly thanks to Dan Trachtenberg, who directed both this film and "Prey", the previous one from 2022.
What I enjoy the most about these movies is that the character of Predator is the main focus of the story in a way that's unconventional for the genre. Other franchises like "Alien", "Halloween" or "A Nightmare on Elm Street" have the bad guy - or alien, in this case - simply being the main antagonist. There's not much character development, and they are usually not what the story focuses on, but rather a mechanism that serves the plot and scares the viewer. But not here.
"Prey" before and "Predator: Badlands" now put the title character at the center of their plot. Here especially, we get to spend time with what traditionally would have been the villain of the story: Predator has to prove to its dad that he can hunt the apex predator and, to do that, it travels to a different planet and sets the story into motion. It's such a refreshing perspective!
Not only this, but the movie is actually good. Considering how few characters the story puts together and the limitations of having your lead not speak any human language, it's quite impressive how the screenplay is able to smoothly move things forward in an engaging and cinematic way. I especially like how many visual cues are used to progress the plot - the spit thing above anything else for me - and how much world-building has gone into creating this film. And it all plays out well in the end, because the film is engaging, visually interesting and never boring. For a standalone product like this, the world and character creation is quite impressive.
If I had to find something negative to say, Elle Fanning's character could be the weak link for me. Not because she's not good in the film, but mainly because her character does most of the talking - sometimes it could be a bit much - and because Fanning plays two roles here and, although it's understandable why, it would have been nice to have seen another human face.
All in all, I really enjoyed "Predator: Badlands" and, together with its predecessor, I think it's an impressive entry in the world of this franchise.
Film 2134 - Prey
Film 2494 - Predator: Badlands
Film 1707 - The Predator
Cast: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Reuben de Jong, Mike Homik, Alison Wright.
Box Office: $184.6 million
Worth a watch?: If you liked "Prey", you'll definitely like this one! It's unfortunate this film didn't make enough of a splash at the box office to spawn more movies -- although the animated anthology film "Predator: Killer of Killers" was released on Hulu/Disney+ in June last year, just before "Badlands" hit theaters in November.
It's a good sci-fi film that takes the franchise in a new direction that is both refreshing and entertaining. Watch it and you'll see.
Awards: /
Key word: Spit.
Trailer
#HollywoodCiak
Bengi
