Predator: Badlands’ Best Trick Isn’t in Changing the Main Character, But How It Reinvents the Franchise’s Weapons

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Although previous Predator films have sometimes left Earth, Predator: Badlands is the first to tell the story from the perspective of a Yautja warrior. Some fans were surprised by this choice, but the film has been well-received by critics, proving that director Dan Trachtenberg is successfully breathing new life into the Predator series. It delivers the exciting action and impressive creature effects that fans love. Beyond this new viewpoint, the film cleverly updates the Yautja’s weapons and technology while still honoring the original Predator movie.

Warning: Spoilers below for Predator: Badlands.

Most of Predator: Badlands takes place on Genna, a planet known for being incredibly dangerous – so much so that even experienced Predator hunters steer clear. A young warrior named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) travels to this harsh world determined to kill the Kalisk, a mythical creature that no other Predator has ever defeated. As an outcast who is smaller than most, Dek believes achieving this impossible hunt is his only chance to prove himself and earn acceptance back into the clan that once tried to eliminate him.

Genna turns out to be far more dangerous than Dek expected – a planet where everything has adapted to survive in a harsh, deadly environment. Dek’s lack of knowledge about the local plants and creatures constantly puts him at risk, as even seemingly harmless life forms can be fatal. His luck changes when he meets Thia (Elle Fanning), a synthetic with lost legs due to a past attack. They team up to hunt the beast, and Thia’s vast understanding of Genna’s ecosystem becomes essential to Dek’s survival, ultimately making him a formidable hunter himself.

Predator: Badlands Makeshift Weapons Prove the Franchise Is in Good Hands

As Predator: Badlands comes to a close, Dek makes a pivotal choice: he rejects the most harmful parts of the Predator’s code of honor to safeguard his newfound family. This involves rescuing Thia and the captured Kalisk from a Weyland-Yutani facility after Thia’s robotic duplicate, Tessa, steals his high-tech weapons. Left without his technology, Dek must rely on the dangerous landscape of Genna itself as his source of defense.

Dek builds armor from the tough hides of alien creatures he used to hunt for food. He then trains an eel that spits acid to attack on command, effectively turning it into a weapon similar to a plasma caster, but living. He also crafts new tools from the planet’s incredibly sharp glass-like grass, making claws, knives, and even a grappling hook using vines. To complete his arsenal, Dek uses explosive caterpillars as grenades and turns spike-shooting plants into traps.

As a long-time fan, I’m really impressed by how this whole sequence reinvents the Predator’s tech. It’s not just a rehash of what we’ve seen before! Knowing that Trachtenberg already expanded the arsenal in the animated film, Predator: Killer of Killers, it’s clear they have a real vision for the franchise. Badlands proves they’re full of creative ideas, and honestly, these new, biologically-based weapons are what I’ll remember most about this movie. They truly set it apart.

Crucially, this scene is a clear nod to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character, Dutch, from the original 1987 movie. Like Dutch, who realized conventional weapons were useless against the Predator and turned to the jungle – using mud, traps, and clever tactics – to survive, Dek learns to use the dangers of Genna to his advantage. He ultimately becomes the ultimate survivor through resourcefulness and skill.

Predator: Badlands is currently in theaters.

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2025-11-11 19:12