The reviews are now out for “Predator: Badlands” ahead of its released this Friday and the results are pretty great.
On Rotten Tomatoes the film is clocking in at 88% from 63 reviews while on Metacritic it’s at 69/100.
For comparison’s sake, the highest RT score of the original films was the first “Predator” at just 65%. More recently came “Prey” at 94% and “Predator: Killer of Killers” at 95%.
The film takes a major tonal shift, opting for something more akin to action-fantasy than horror which is not pleasing everyone, but feels like a breath of fresh air to others. Here’s a sampling of reviews:
“It cleverly pulls at the supposed laws of the series in a way that makes it more interesting without diluting the fearsome nature of the title character. Trachtenberg is making the franchise richer with every instalment.” – Olly Richards, Time Out
“It’s really a comedic road movie at heart, with as much yuks over a mismatched pair trying to get along as yucks involving the goopy innards of cosmic mastodons.” – David Fear, Rolling Stone
“By reckoning with the series’ fundamental weakness rather than continuing to pretend that it’s the series’ greatest strength, Trachtenberg has made the brand richer than ever before.” – David Ehrlich, Indiewire
“The strongest film with “Predator” in the title since the 1987 original (Trachtenberg’s earlier “Prey” notwithstanding).” – Peter DeBruge, Variety
“Between the wise-cracking sidekick, the adorable non-verbal pet, and the protagonist who undergoes personal growth, Predator: Badlands often resembles the pilot of a vintage Saturday-morning cartoon — but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.” – Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict
“Reconceiving the iconic sci-fi villain as an underdog hero, Predator: Badlands is a consistently entertaining action-thriller filled with propulsive set pieces.” – Tim Grierson, Screen
“Badlands is big popcorn fun, a geeky commingling of lurid sci-fi, comedy and rowdy action that gets high off its own supply.” – Nick De Semlyen, Empire Magazine
“The film simply wants to be the best version of a zillionth Predator installment that it can be. If it has to complicate — and, yes, soften — the branding to do that, so be it.” – Richard Lawson, THR
“The sheer pointlessness of everything that happens subtracts the oxygen and even Fanning’s imperishable star quality can’t save it.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
“Predator: Badlands” opens in cinemas on Friday. Check out a new clip below.
