Predator: Badlands (2025)

Predator: Badlands (2025)

What a disappointment!

I wasn’t crazy about Prey (2022) either, but it has just risen in my estimation compared to this one.

To recap: the first one from 1987 is an undisputed masterpiece. The second one, from 1990, was already a disappointment compared to John McTiernan’s film (also known for Die Hard, Die Hard 3, Last Action Hero). Predators (2010) was a very pleasant surprise. I love it too. The Predator (2018) is probably the worst, a real let-down.

As for Predator: Killer of Killers (2025), which is an animated film, it’s not great either. In fact, Dan Trachtenberg apparently can’t make a perfect film, and I don’t understand why he persists with this franchise. He makes excellent beginnings, but rushes through his second acts or endings. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) is no exception.

In fact, I consider his films to be a betrayal. He creates a really interesting and exciting story, but then stabs it in the back at the end, as if the goal was to capture the audience’s attention and, once that was done, simply abandon any cohesion, consistency or effort in the work. I sank into boredom, even though I loved the first forty minutes.

It was great fun creating a new hostile planet, full of strange, fascinating and/or dangerous creatures. I even wondered if there would be any humans in this film. The answer is not very surprising: there are androids. What a coincidence! As if Alien and Predator absolutely had to come together on every level! Since their first encounter in Alien Vs Predator (2004), there have been nods to each other everywhere. Before that, the two universes were clearly separate. That film was bad, and as for its sequel… let’s not even go there! While some say that science fiction films are there to convey important messages, we’d still need to see what those messages are!

There is nothing really original here, except for seeing a Predator in the lead role undergoing his initiation and having to prove himself as a great hunter. It is not clear whether we are on their planet or another. There is a humanoid robot that clearly resembles the one in Alien 2 (1986), with the same yellow colour, and a woman inside who controls it to fight another monster. It also brings to mind Jurassic Park, Transformers and King Kong, as it features the same kind of exaggerated action scenes and the same screams from giant creatures. What’s more, the main Predator doesn’t shy away from constantly making the same face, ready to react and attack before letting out his war cry.

I don’t even know if action and adventure fans will really like it. Some will certainly love it and not understand the others… but they won’t be in the majority.

This Badlands quickly loses interest. Luckily, I didn’t see it at the cinema. It would have been more spectacular, of course, but the disappointment of having paid for it would have finished me off.

There are a few good scenes, there’s some decent humour, but it all descends into overkill. I could go on and on about it and debate it with myself. But I’m convinced it’s not worth it.

Besides, I’ve never been a big fan of Elle Fanning and I’ve never found her as incredible as her sister Dakota Fanning… although the latter is really starting to make questionable film choices, which clearly spoils her talent. But here, I really enjoyed her. It’s a shame, because the fact that the film is bad also hides her talent. I also liked her in The Roads Not Taken (2020), but unfortunately I’ve never seen her in a film that I loved. No, I really didn’t like The Neon Demon (2016), Somewhere (2010), or Super 8 (2011). But I’m trying to keep an open mind and will be watching her Mary Shelley (2017) and A Complete Unknown (2024) soon.

In any case, she plays two roles here and is very enjoyable. But she could have been used even more. I would have liked to see more of her facial expressions rather than seeing her whole body most of the time.

Obviously, this film should not be confused with Badlands (1973) starring Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek.

Predator: Badlands is not recommended for true Predator fans. If it were set in a different universe with different characters, it might have been acceptable. Perhaps!