I read the book, and he is such a piece of shit there, too. Movie nailed her, I think
Predator Badlands
When I was in the seventh grade, I wasn’t very interested in my schoolwork. I spent my time in class writing short stories about the Yautja. I would write about them fighting on alien worlds, utilizing their vast arsenal of energy and bladed weapons and communicating in their language. Back before there was a complex linguistic system designed for them, I would write out dialogue for them using the symbols of the predator alphabet stitched together online through the novels and further extended lore. It was my world.
Predator Badlands is the movie that 12-year-old me has been waiting for my entire life. Focusing entirely on the perspective of an aspiring Yautja, spoken almost entirely in their language featuring one impressive combat feat after another while retaining a surprising emotional core. It’s a dream come true, and I’m so glad that I got to see it on the big screen. Shot in New Zealand against the large scope of a vast, beautiful yet hostile alien world, the whole film was a marvel to just look at on its own. Beyond that the film succeeds in making Dek a fully rounded character with realistic motivations and a genuine arc, something that no Predator film has ever even attempted since every other Predator film has focused on the perspective of humans. Because this film was made by somebody who saw the Predator, the Yautja itself, as the most compelling aspect of any Predator film. Who are these warrior aliens? What is their culture like? How do they navigate such a harsh, brutal existence? Do they care about anything other than the kill? Who are these “things”?
This is a movie that cares about all of those questions and is very interested in answering every one of them and more. I absolutely cannot recommend it enough to both fans of the Predator franchise and science fiction as a whole. Unless we get another film of this type in the future (ideally directed by Trachtenberg please he’s the only person on the planet I trust with this source material at this point) then this will be a once in a lifetime experience. I really hope that it doesn’t underperform at the box office, but based on my near-empty theatre and the other near-empty showings before it I have a bad feeling that it will. Go out and support a gorgeous science fiction adventure on the big screen, the film deserves to be seen by as many people as possible.
Please tell me they have continued to avoid using that stupid word Yautja to refer the Predators in an actual movie.
The Yautja is the title for the Predator warrior, this has always been the case in the extended lore for decades. It remains as such in the film.
It has never been the case in film. The “expanded lore” is non-canon nonsense - fanfiction with paychecks, basically, like every other series that has such material, like Star Wars and Star Trek - that decided to make the stupid move of giving these creatures a name. They have no name: they are simply “Predators,” capital P. Up to now, the movies have avoided following that nonsense. If they are doing so now, they’ve embraced a made-up aspect of a pre-existing series as if it was ever a real part of it. Disappointing.
The extended lore is not nonsense, and the director of the current films from Prey and onwards has a high level of respect for it. I would expect to see that treatment continue if these films are allowed to move forward.
The “extended lore” is nothing. It has nothing to do with the actual film series, just as every novel and comic book series that is based on an existing series never has anything to do with what actually happens in that series. The novels and comics where that name Yaujta was introduced are exclusive to themselves, and the movies are exclusive to themselves. That word has never been a thing in the actual Predator canon. If they are bringing it in now, they are disrespecting the actual source, which never names these creatures for a reason. They’re making the same errors the Alien franchise did with that Xenomorph debacle.
I’m sorry that you’re getting so bent out of shape about a great movie that you haven’t watched yet.
I’ve learned all I need to know about it. Even if it’s the best movie I’ve seen in years - and based on the reviews, it’s likely a contender - it’s gonna leave an irreparable stain that could have been so easily avoided. Any enjoyment I get from it will be diminished.
Okay.
Weapons. Wow. Great movie. Put your phone down. Turn the lights off. Get a big bowl of popcorn.
Don’t you mean a bowl of water?
Just watches Dan Trachtenberg’s third entry into the Predator franchise yesterday at my local cinema. Prey from 2022 was a return to from after the horrible The Predator from 2018. The Animated Predator: Killer of Killers was alright, an enjoyable animation film.
Predator: Bad Lands is more or less wizard of Oz with a Yautja in a less welcoming world then the Land of Oz. A long the Yautja’s journey it meets a cast of unlikely allies. The talkative Scarecrow is swappede with talkative android. Badlands is a more “light-hearted” films compared to the 2022 entry. A lot of the humour plays on the straight man tropes, which works well for the film. It can’t help to dip into “Baby Yoda” territory, one of the traveling companions is a cute but very violent Simian looking frog creature.
The movie explores a more the fragil views of far-right/incel viewes of masculinity in a world where only hostility exists. Where the strong prey on the weak and cast aside that “humanity” is about the strong protecting the pack and the weak.
It’s not a perfect film, but it has heart. The humour does at time have too big presence, yet it doesn’t undercut the gravity or the action. It brings levity to the film.
It’s a PG13 film, before you flip the table. Don’t fear, it’s extremely gory and violent. R rating only counts if said gore and violence affects humans, there are non . graphic violence doesn’t count if it involves, androids, monsters, orcs and other non human creatures.
I would rate it 7,5 out of 10.
For good measure I’ll throw in my rankings of the franchise. I choose to add both AVP films, just to make a buffer between the rest of the franchise and the awful awful 2018 entry.
- 1 Predator
- 2 Prey
- 3 Predator: Bad Lands
- 4 Predators
- 5 Predator 2
- 6 Predator: Killer of Killers
- 7 Alien Vs. Predator
- 8 Alien Vs Predator: Requiem
- 99 The Predator (so awful)
- Predator
- Predator 2
- Predators
- The Predator
- Prey
- Predator : Killer of Killers
- Predator : Badlands
If Predator (1987 movie) was released this year 2025, it would have topped movie chart worldwide (with the same filming technique and set back then). 80s and 90s was the golden era where filmmakers used to make movie from their heart, nowadays it’s business, political and lack of return on investments due to this AI takeover and OTT platforms. My statement may be mean and straightforward but the last good hollywood movie I remember watching recently was Top Gun Maverick and Ford vs Ferrari. Hope hollywood rises back.
I love basically all Predator movies except maybe 2018’s The Predator, but for the moment I had to vote Badlands since I’ve gone out to see it three times now. Wonderful film. Glad you liked it.
Probably not, it’s just an assumption. Predator (1987) is a product of it’s time. It’s success can be attributed to many different factors, like a time where big movie stars pulled in movie goers. In today’s market it’s big directors more often than not. Also it played into the sitegeist of the time, loud action films with big macho men. It also flipped the script on those trends, stating out as a typical Arnold film and ending as a horror film with Arnold as the final girl.
There is no guarantees it would preform well, it’s more likely that it would flop financially. Look at original action films today, not many are successful.
So was it back then. All films are political, films are art and all have a message. We live in an age where there are created more original films then ever. We also live in an age there are more franchise and sequels than ever. The problem is that a lot of movie goers don’t show up to the original movies.
It’s an awful film. The main predator even got it’s persona confused with Deadpool. The scene where it enters the S.W.A.T van and dismembers the squad. Only too use the decapitated arm to signal the driver everything is okay with a thumbs up. Then there i’s awful constant jokes from the motley crew of mercenaries.
It’s one of the worst films I ever seen. It’s so awful that it’s offensive.
The original Predator Movie had bad reviews at the time it came out.
I haven’t seen Badlands yet and I’m staying far away from The Predator (2018) but other then those two, there’s not a Predator movie I can think of that I disliked. The first two movies in the series are still undefeated so aside from them, I’d go with…
Predators
Predator: Killer of Killers
Prey
AVP
AVP 2
Predators is highly underrated.
Yeah I thought it really tried to capture the magic of the first film. That’s why it’s at the top of my list, but that’s just me.