Movies PREDATOR: BADLANDS (Dragonlord's Review, post #1)

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

CinemaScore is up and it's at A-.

 

[UberHere]

Steaming pile of shit

 

[Harbour]

When all you're fed is shit, puke can be a palate cleanser I guess.

That quote is actually quite brilliantly profound. I'm definitely borrowing that in the future, but credit will be given!

 

[Bob Gray]

Watched it last night with the family. I'll say this, the first half is on the road to being pretty awesome. The end and climax gets way too "cute" with certain things and it didnt stick a landing after a good set up. The "cute" stuff is gonna be the thing that people sharpening their knives before seeing the movie are going to latch onto for sure. To be fair, if that ruins the movie for some people, understandable. But its going to be seriously overcriticized in the coming days/weeks. Overall, though, I think theres a lot more good than bad here. Dek was a good enough character and I'd like to see more of him. There were certainly things I outright hated and thought were stupid, most of them in the last 20 minutes or so. So, you have a great set up and the payoff at the end doesnt hit like it should.

I mentioned earlier about this seeming like an idea that would have been a dark horse comics 6 issue series back in the 90's. And you know what? Thats basically what it is. Some trade-paperback story you traded around with your friends until the edges got dog-eared and the cover was all scuffed up.

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

Best new movie I've seen in 2025! Go watch it.

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Watched it last night with the family. I'll say this, the first half is on the road to being pretty awesome. The end and climax gets way too "cute" with certain things and it didnt stick a landing after a good set up. The "cute" stuff is gonna be the thing that people sharpening their knives before seeing the movie are going to latch onto for sure. To be fair, if that ruins the movie for some people, understandable. But its going to be seriously overcriticized in the coming days/weeks. Overall, though, I think theres a lot more good than bad here. Dek was a good enough character and I'd like to see more of him. There were certainly things I outright hated and thought were stupid, most of them in the last 20 minutes or so. So, you have a great set up and the payoff at the end doesnt hit like it should.

I mentioned earlier about this seeming like an idea that would have been a dark horse comics 6 issue series back in the 90's. And you know what? Thats basically what it is. Some trade-paperback story you traded around with your friends until the edges got dog-eared and the cover was all scuffed up.

Yeah I felt the same way about the last 10 minutes or so. But it was not enough to ruin the movie for me, still loved it overall.

Spoiler

Just felt a bit like The Mandalorian at the end. Dek should have landed the killing blow on his father.

That spitting eel shoulder launcher was cool but at the same a bit too corny and unrealistic.

 

[Bob Gray]

Yeah I felt the same way about the last 10 minutes or so. But it was not enough to ruin the movie for me, still loved it overall.

Spoiler

Just felt a bit like The Mandalorian at the end. Dek should have landed the killing blow on his father.

That spitting eel shoulder launcher was cool but at the same a bit too corny and unrealistic.

Spoiler

Yeah, the whole thing with the trained eel was one of the stupid things. Like, its cool that he's using the planetary dangers to his benefit. Thats awesome, shows that the Yautja can be creative and smart, too. But a trained eel that can shoot on command and target the plant bombs was just too much. I wasnt big on the design of the Klisk or whatever it was called child. Just too cutesy, and I thought it would have been better if it actually looked menacing.

And Fanning legs overstayed their welcome. At any rate, though, its still a neat idea, theres more cool Predator shit, and the action scenes are fun, and Dek was likeable without making him not a Yautja. Like I said, more to like than to hate, and thats fine by me.

 

[Bob Gray]

Also:

Spoiler

I thought the whole Weyland-Yutani angle was actually worked into the story pretty well.

 

[Harbour]

Watched it last night with the family. I'll say this, the first half is on the road to being pretty awesome. The end and climax gets way too "cute" with certain things and it didnt stick a landing after a good set up. The "cute" stuff is gonna be the thing that people sharpening their knives before seeing the movie are going to latch onto for sure. To be fair, if that ruins the movie for some people, understandable. But its going to be seriously overcriticized in the coming days/weeks. Overall, though, I think theres a lot more good than bad here. Dek was a good enough character and I'd like to see more of him. There were certainly things I outright hated and thought were stupid, most of them in the last 20 minutes or so. So, you have a great set up and the payoff at the end doesnt hit like it should.

I mentioned earlier about this seeming like an idea that would have been a dark horse comics 6 issue series back in the 90's. And you know what? Thats basically what it is. Some trade-paperback story you traded around with your friends until the edges got dog-eared and the cover was all scuffed up.

Know what it almost feels like? I never read it, but that Archie/Predator crossover event from 10 years or so, with betty or veronica playing the roll of fanning's synthetic robot. I can't picture a 90's Darkhorse Predator comic having anything as lame as the twist

Spoiler

with the main monster being Bud's mother in it

, but you never know i guess.

 

[Prefect]

Watched it last night with the family. I'll say this, the first half is on the road to being pretty awesome. The end and climax gets way too "cute" with certain things and it didnt stick a landing after a good set up. The "cute" stuff is gonna be the thing that people sharpening their knives before seeing the movie are going to latch onto for sure. To be fair, if that ruins the movie for some people, understandable. But its going to be seriously overcriticized in the coming days/weeks. Overall, though, I think theres a lot more good than bad here. Dek was a good enough character and I'd like to see more of him. There were certainly things I outright hated and thought were stupid, most of them in the last 20 minutes or so. So, you have a great set up and the payoff at the end doesnt hit like it should.

I mentioned earlier about this seeming like an idea that would have been a dark horse comics 6 issue series back in the 90's. And you know what? Thats basically what it is. Some trade-paperback story you traded around with your friends until the edges got dog-eared and the cover was all scuffed up.

Spoiler

I agree some. I think the part that I disliked was how Weylandt Enterprises was not made to be an existential threat both to anything on Gemma and Yuatja Prime. I thought it was going to go this way when Dek tossed XXXX to his father at the end but they never created this narrative of Weylandt Enterprises vs the Predators and anyone else.

 

[liner]

Saw it last night with a women. It was fine I don‘t regret seeing it. I was around for the original and seen that many times. and have seen the second one and none of the many that have come after. She has seen all of them and loves them all. She loved it. I got laid after. All in all a fun night out at the movies

 

[Bob Gray]

Saw it last night with a women. It was fine I don‘t regret seeing it. I was around for the original and seen that many times. and have seen the second one and none of the many that have come after. She has seen all of them and loves them all. She loved it. I got laid after. All in all a fun night out at the movies

 

[heavyarms21]

That was actually pretty entertaining and I love me some Elle Fanning. 8/10

 

[Prefect]

Steaming pile of shit

Come on fellow The Wire fan, it isn't Shakespearean but it gets the job done.

 

[Prefect]

Nah i passed on tron. I do plan on seeing Bugonia, Nuremberg, Die My Love, and then Badlands again.

I really liked Tron but I like NIN

Bugonia is good but a head scratcher. It is anything but boring. I still think about it some and how the director likely made some analogy between classes of popele

Predator Badland was very good.


After the shit show after COVID, it feels like we are on a high point in cinema but hardly anyone is taking notice. This year was a great year for movies in my opinion. I think there were maybe 6 amazing movies I went to this year. The only super hero movie I went to was Superman, which was not bad at all. So many lower budget movies, which are taking chances. Bugonia, Companion, Bring Her Back, Weapons, Nuremberg, Naked Gun, Megan 2.0, Mickey 17, One Battle After Another, 28 Years Later. Fantastic 4, How to Train Your Dragon, Tron, 28 Years Later, Chainsaw Man, Demon Slayer, Black Phone 2,. Not all low budget but or bangers but all good in my opinion.

 

[SSgt Dickweed]

Best new movie I've seen in 2025! Go watch it.

Even if I want to watch it again and I have recommended to my friends to watch it, after some reflection this movie is pretty woke.

Spoiler

All the white male actors are synthbots. Dakota has most of the lines. The dude under the predator costume is black or mixed race.

And towards the end, turns out the mother Predator was a bigger badass than the father. But this is where things get fuzzy. Wolfpacks can have alphas that can be either male or female, that's a scientific fact. Hyena packs are matriarchal. Lion prides are ruled by a male breeder or two but the lionesses do most of the work hunting.

 

[Flower2dPeople]

Even if I want to watch it again and I have recommended to my friends to watch it, after some reflection this movie is pretty woke.

Spoiler

All the white male actors are synthbots. Dakota has most of the lines. The dude under the predator costume is black or mixed race.

And towards the end, turns out the mother Predator was a bigger badass than the father. But this is where things get fuzzy. Wolfpacks can have alphas that can be either male or female, that's a scientific fact. Hyena packs are matriarchal. Lion prides are ruled by a male breeder or two but the lionesses do most of the work hunting.

That's a modern audience writer ass pull.

Spoiler

In the Predator franchise, the Predator King is the highest-ranking Predator, overseeing multiple clans and leading the Yautja species. The Predator Queen, on the other hand, is the matriarch of the Yautja, responsible for on-world issues and producing an heir for the King. While the Predator King is often depicted as the supreme leader, the Predator Queen plays a crucial role in the society and is considered a powerful figure under the King's command.

 

[TYR-I]

Steaming pile of shit

Did you see it ?

 

[Dragonlordxxxxx]

Update: November 9, 2025

PREDATOR: BADLANDS Kicks Off November with $40 Million US Opening Weekend, $80 Million Globally

Dan Trachtenberg is the hero of the hour as his new movie, Predator: Badlands, has ended the drought at the domestic box office and kicked off November in high style. The movie opened well ahead of expectations to top the domestic box office chart with a franchise-best $40 million (prerelease tracking had it opening to $25 million).

Overseas, it likewise took in $40 million for a global start of $80 million. The pic scored the top opening of the sci-fi franchise domestically after stealing the crown from AVP: Alien vs. Predator, which debuted to $38.4 million in 2004, not adjusted for inflation.

The 20th Century and Disney release has glowing reviews and equally growing audience reaction to thank. It is the only Predator film, including the two Alien mash-ups, to earn an A- CinemaScore, while its PostTrak exits are through the roof, including five out of five stars.

Badlands, which Trachtenberg co-conceived with his Prey writer Patrick Aison, blazes a new trail for the now nine-film franchise that began with John McTiernan’s 1987 classic, Predator. The series, from producer John Davis, landed at Disney following the Fox merger.

Trachtenberg has always surprised, beginning with 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) and followed by 2021’s Prey and June’s Predator: Killer of Killers, an animated anthology, both of which bowed on Disney’s Hulu. In this case, he’s made a villainous Predator named Dek, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, into the protagonist who pairs with Elle Fanning's Weyland-Yutani synthetic known as Thia. Dek has been discarded by his Yautja clan, and in a last-ditch effort to prove himself, he flies his brother Kwei’s ship to Genna, the most dangerous planet in the universe, to go on an unsanctioned hunt for its most mythical beast. That’s where he meets Thia.

Box Office Badass: ‘Predator Badlands’ Kicks Off November With Record $40M U.S. Opening, $80M Globally

The 20th Century and Disney franchise reboot came in well ahead of an expectations to end a major slump in moviegoing after winning over critics and audiences alike.

www.hollywoodreporter.com

 

[UberHere]

Did you see it ?

Generic Disney film