Member-only story
Predator: Badlands (2025) — Filmkritik — That’s not a Predator.
Warning: Fake product and may contain traces of nuts.
Since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox, the change has been noticeable — even in the toughest franchises. In the new series “Alien Earth,” the once-fearsome creature has been reduced to a tame pet. In Predator: Badlands, it’s not quite as bad, but the change of course is noticeable. There are some things that work and some things that irritate me. But before I get into my mixed feelings, let’s talk about the plot first.
Predator: Badlands is all about Dek, the younger son of a legendary warrior. He wants to finally prove that he belongs among the greats and decides to hunt a monstrous beast on a dangerous planet that even his father fears. But the family is torn: the father considers Dek too weak and relies on his older brother. A fight breaks out between the two, which escalates until the father kills the brother. Shortly before, he sends Dek to safety in a spaceship — or rather into chaos. Dek crashes on an alien planet full of poisonous animals and deadly plants. There he meets Thia, a half-survivor who has been stuck on this planet for a long time. Dek sees her less as a companion than as a useful tool. But they both need each other to find the monster — and to survive.
