Just saw Predator: Badlands on opening day (Nov 7, 2025) in IMAX – Dan Trachtenberg’s wildest swing yet! Elle Fanning crushes it as the snarky android Thia, and newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi brings heart (yes, HEART) to Dek, the outcast Yautja on a galaxy-spanning revenge quest.
✅ What WORKS:

Jaw-dropping alien planet visuals (think Avatar meets Mad Max)
Non-stop inventive action that evolves smarter every set-piece
Surprisingly funny buddy-cop chemistry between a 7-foot Predator and a half-broken robot
PG-13 but still delivers brutal, creative kills (white synth blood keeps the rating tame)
A proper hero’s journey that actually made me root for the dreadlocked dude

❌ What DOESN’T:

If you want humans hunted in jungles with mud camouflage and spine-ripping gore… this ain’t it
Zero classic “Get to the choppa!” tension; the Predator is the good guy now
Franchise purists will scream “Disney-fied!” (and they’re kinda right)

Final Score: 8/10 as sci-fi | 5/10 as a Predator sequel
It’s the Guardians of the Galaxy of the Yautja universe – fun, heartfelt, and fearless. Skip if you need your Predators scary; RUN to theaters if you loved Prey and want the franchise to keep evolving.

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