Thoughts on Predator: Badlands

I know I am late to this, but I watched Predator: Badlands recently, and I have thoughts.

I enjoyed it. I’m open to trying new things with established worlds. However, a Predator movie that played like a superhero origin story, with cutesy characters and toned down violence, didn’t quite sit right.

It’s a fun movie, for sure. The action set pieces are fantastic. It’s funny. In a world where special effects are so common place, the effects in Badlands really stood out. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi did a fantastic job as the good guy Predator. Elle Fanning is versatile – I always enjoy watching her.

So it’s a movie well worth watching, that tries something different, but by its very nature isn’t quite right.

It might’ve been a better movie if the protagonist wasn’t a Predator, if the movie introduced a new alien, or culture, entirely. But then, it wouldn’t have gotten made. What do you do.