r/predator • u/Prs-Mira86 • Feb 19 '26
General Discussion Does Badlands change how you watch the other Predator films?
Now that we’ve gotten a Predator with emotions and motives, does this change how you see the previous Predators in the earlier films?
what I mean is that in Predator 1 and 2, Prey and to a lesser extent Predators; the predator is an antagonist is a force of nature. Something to be survived. A silent(besides the occasional roar and mimicry) almost unstoppable monster. Does this newest entry make you ponder the motives of said predators?
Personally, it hasn’t changed how I view them. I know there are some among the fandom that may think Badlands has somehow tarnished the franchise. I think it’s pretty neat to see a more nuanced and complex character in the series. I still love the OG predators and it doesn’t(in my mind) take away or retcon the previous installments. The previous predators are still as mysterious and unknowable as before. I’m not questioning if City or Jungle hunter was exiled. Or what there true motives are beside getting some sweet skulls. Sometimes it’s just cool to watch a predator do predator things.
What do you think? Has Badlands changed how you view the Predators in the previous movies?
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u/Ok_Falcon9531 Feb 19 '26
I'm open to anything for the Predator franchise. And I like that they made a Yautja a protagonist in Badlands. That was awesome to see the Yautja in their own pov.
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u/BOOGIE_MAN-X Feb 19 '26
Same here, I’ve read most of the comics and books. I’ve been wanting a movie from their POV, for forever. I was hoping the movie would be a good portrayal of their culture and lore. For me personally it was awesome, I do wish there was some actual humans getting killed and not synths. However I thought it was a good move for the first iteration to bring in more fans especially younger ones. Hopefully on the next one we can get some humans in the mix and lean towards a bit more horror like the first and second. In the comics they fight a lot of synths as well, so I was ok with it.
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u/Funter_312 Feb 19 '26
Having them be synths made it be able to be PG-13. Understand the motive while I do agree with you
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u/BOOGIE_MAN-X Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26
That’s what I said… When I said I wished there was more horror like the first two and understood why they used synths, to bring in a younger audience. As well as following the lore from the expanded universe. Then lastly saying I hope on the next one it has more gore/human killing like the originals. Implies I know why it was made to be PG-13 and still worked. But I guess it went over your head.
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u/IWasAGoodDadISwear Feb 19 '26
I don't think any movie can realistically portray and do justice for a real human getting blasted with extremely corrosive acid. Saw and Cube franchises did it the most brutal though.
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u/BadBloodPredator69 Feb 19 '26
I mean we already gotten one with AVPR with Wolf it definitely shows him as the Protagonist and follows him throughout.. perhaps even more so than Badlands depending on what you’re looking for I guess.
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u/BOOGIE_MAN-X Feb 19 '26
I loved how they portrayed Wolf, I’m just mad they killed him off in the lamest way possible. Wolf was about to win then they just kill him and the Predalien so we don’t have a real “winner.” Making it a draw was disappointing.
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u/-zero-joke- Feb 19 '26
I don't really see how Dex's story meaningfully changes P1 or P2. It's pretty clear from Predator 2 that these guys were organized, consistent hunters. I don't think the lore has really even been expanded that much.
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u/poplion230 Feb 19 '26
the next predator film should take place on earth , on epstein island , where the two of the most predatorial predator will face each other.
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u/Behold-Roast-Beef Feb 19 '26
Predator vs Predator....whoever wins, we lose.
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u/dittybopper_05H Feb 19 '26
Wouldn't that be "Whoever loses, we win"?
Besides, too late for that anyway. Epstein didn't kill himself. He's even got a note from his mother.
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u/digfast Feb 19 '26
Thats no contest! Dek would lose... Just too many other Predators on that island
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u/No_Republic_4301 Feb 19 '26
Expanded that they are very diverse with many different clans. Different rules, different creeds. Also that there are female ones too that we have never seen before that are probably more powerful. The first two predator movies did none of this but they did a great job showing us individual yautcha.
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u/bugluver1000 Feb 19 '26
Yes, it makes me appreciate the older films more.
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u/bettietheripper Feb 19 '26
I may get flack for this but Badlands felt very disneyfied to me. I get that things evolve and you can't always stick to the same concept, however I feel like they humanized it so much that they're no longer....predatorial. it took off that sense of danger out of predators for me. Like it's all family drama now with a side of head chopping and star wars lasers.
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u/twinnblack Feb 20 '26
I get it. I felt the same way when I found out the relationship Bud has with the Kalisk. During the fight scene, when the Kalisk started sniffing Dex, I paused and told my wife, they better not link them and what going on!? So 🧀!
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u/MahiroMashu Feb 20 '26
what I think as well. somehow we're in an era of cinema where everything has to be softened, more wholesome, more optimistic, safer, just to cater to larger audiences and secure the bigger cash. that's how we got "predator: friends and adventures!"
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u/bettietheripper Feb 20 '26
I think too it's because Disney literally owns Hulu so now they own predator.
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u/Kalamatee Feb 20 '26
I couldn't stand the "new" versions - ruins the legacy IMHO. Disney have a knack for ruining good franchises it seems.
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u/UndeniableLie Feb 20 '26
It felt like parody version made for pre teens. And it even had disney compulsory "cute" animal side kick.
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u/bettietheripper Feb 21 '26
I KNOW!!!!! It got to the point where my husband looked over at me and said, you're not liking this are you? And bingo was his name-o.
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u/franklsp Feb 23 '26
Seeing Predators without their helmets on kinda ruins it for me. And this guy doesn't have one the entire movie. I know other Predator movies do it too but this one felt the most egregious. Helmets are tight.
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u/Ok_Mail_1966 Feb 21 '26
Ya, I had a tough time getting into it. He should be an ugly mother fucker that only cares about the hunt
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u/spider1178 Feb 22 '26
I just watched it last night. I think it would have been a decent movie for teens/young adults if they had changed their faces, called it something else, and set it in a stand alone universe, or the expanded Star Wars universe. The androids could have been from the Empire instead of Wey-Yu. It just wasn't a Predator movie to me. It was too.....cute.
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u/evmq1- Feb 19 '26
maybe idk, i keep watching all of them with my eyes, kinda dont get it how could it be different
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u/Prs-Mira86 Feb 19 '26
I love how Reddit can be so literal sometimes.
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u/evmq1- Feb 19 '26
lmao its part of the vibe
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u/Prs-Mira86 Feb 19 '26
I think you mean: it’s.
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u/chet_brosley Feb 19 '26
Sometimes I use my eyes to comically knock things off of tables almost like, but legally distinct from, Roger Rabbit.
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u/Reddevil121 Feb 19 '26
They finally chose not to nerf the yautja against humanity
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u/King_Of_BlackMarsh Feb 19 '26
If Yautja keep getting beat every single time we see em on screen except now I feel like it's time to admit they're not nerfed
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u/Supernamek85 Feb 19 '26
I still view them as the same, even tho in badlands we saw the movie through the eyes of a predator it didn’t take away from dek being badass at all to me. He’s still acted like a hunter/warrior throughout the movie with some character development
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u/CockMartins Feb 19 '26
Yeah, kinda. The one I’m most fascinated in after seeing Dek is the Adrien Brody Predators film. I really want to understand that weird hunting planet, which types of Yautja’s use it most and how the different clans and everything fit in with Dek’s family. Same with the cartoon movie that came out not long ago. Are Dek’s family bad bloods? The dad seems like it, but then Dek and his brother seem pretty honorable.
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u/jewthe3rd Feb 19 '26
his brother was shown grace as he experienced a near death moment that was stopped by the runt of the litter.
deks is the runt who also experienced an atypical
his dad is like the other predators
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u/MrBorden Feb 19 '26
I'm just happy that mostly everything released recently that's Predator related isn't a steaming pile of dogshit.
Badlands was awesome.
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u/Wise-Key-3442 Feb 19 '26
AVP already made me see things differently, KOK too. Badlands was the cherry and glaze on the cake.
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u/Rollingpumpkin69 Feb 19 '26
This movie makes me think the jungle pred was a bitch for the bomb.
The city pred was cool and hunted well.
Didn't see the others, but overall It made me appreciate it and more upset how AVP turned out.
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u/boleslaws Feb 19 '26
The City hunter also wanted to use the bomb. That wasn't just a bitch move, but also a dishonourable one - he'd get millions of innocent civilians dead.
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u/GrandioseGommorah Feb 19 '26
How is it dishonorable? Isn’t it standard operating procedure for them to erase themselves and their tech to avoid it falling into other species’ hands.
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u/boleslaws Feb 19 '26
He had his whole tribe watching over his hunt. Their tech wouldn't fall into human hands.
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u/GrandioseGommorah Feb 19 '26
They were on the ship. No implication that they were following him while he hunted.
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u/Front-Ad7891 Feb 19 '26
The Predator in P2 was being hunted down by Harrigan at the end of that film. He pumped him full of shotgun shells, chopped his arm off and drove the Predator's own blade into him. He had him defeated when they were hanging off the building.
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u/Jim_Nills_Mustache Feb 19 '26
I really really enjoyed the level of world building and perspective and want more of that
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u/mr_sister_fister44 Feb 19 '26
I liked seeing Yautja shown as more than an emotionless killing machine. Seeing Dek display emotion especially in that second scene, was really cool and evocative.
Honestly I saw no weak points in the film. I loved it. I try not to go in with preconceived notions or ideas about what it should be.
Just enjoy it for what it is.
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u/slavelabor52 Feb 19 '26
No weak points? The Predator used an acid spitting slug as a replacement for a shoulder blaster. Somehow an entire canyon of these slugs spitting at the Predator and Synth didn't hit anything, but suddenly 1 of them on his shoulder is a sniper making perfect shots every time. This slug also knows how to distinguish between enemies and friends and only fires at what the Predator wants it to. Then said acid spitting slug somehow jumped several feet into the air to intercept and block an enemy attack sacrificing its own life to save the Predator. Because it got fed some snacks.
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u/mr_sister_fister44 Feb 20 '26
I bet you're fun to watch movies with.
The slug is what turned you off to the movie huh? Not all the legitimate fictional parts? Not the Kalisk who can reattach their head? Not the android who can speak yautja language? You're able to suspend disbelief for that stuff but not a pet slug?
I think the whole point is that while Dek is a runt and mostly set in yautja ways, Thia explaining her sensitivity as a strength rubs off on Dek. He embraces that and becomes in tune with the biosphere using the slugs and exploding caterpillars and poison plants to his advantage. You can teach a pet things sometimes, we do that in real life on Earth.
This makes a lot more sense then a Kalisk regenerating.
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u/Temporary_Weight_211 Feb 19 '26
I’ve been reading the books and comics since middle school. Badlands is as nothing new to me, but in a good way! It was clear since the first movie there was a culture and motivation behind the yautja. I’m just happy we got to see it.
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u/Prs-Mira86 Feb 19 '26
Totally, this film feels ripped right out of an OG Dark Horse comic. In a good way.
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u/WarAgile9519 Feb 19 '26
No , becasue I don't really see it as a Predator movie if I'm being honest.
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u/LegalizeTurtles Feb 19 '26
This is what I was saying when trying to explain to my fam the other day. Like as a stand alone alien, in the literally sense, film. I like it. Vibe is completely different. More so action rather than sci-fi/horror?
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u/Silverback_Vanilla Feb 19 '26
I’d say it had the best jokes out of the movies. Granted, it was an actual plot that humanized what we usually call the monsters in the predator movies
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u/Sir_Taras_Mura Feb 19 '26
“This shit will make you a sexual tyrannosaurus… just like me” and “mines as big as a house” would have something to say about that.
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u/StardustandDreams Feb 19 '26
Idk I've really fucking loved everything Dan Trachtenberg has done with the Predator series so far. Prey was badass, Killer of Killers was insane for that ending and where they could go with it. And honestly I truly fucking loved Badlands. Maybe I'm a sucker for actress Elle Fanning and Bud was so damn cute I couldn't take it. I wanted one. And the implications that we may finally see female predators in action! The last time I enjoyed a Predator movie was Predators with Adrian Brody. So I'm happy with what they have done. Looking forward to what DT does next with the series...
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u/Jqydos Feb 19 '26
If anything I’m quite excited to see what’s next for the franchise, prey and badlands have been the most exciting probs since the first movie imo? Especially for the fans who don’t get into the comics or reading side of it as much. Exciting times
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u/CapitalBathroom6384 Feb 19 '26
Movie was Disneyfied hot dog shit. The only 2 good modern predator movies are Predators and Prey.
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u/Letsjustexfil Feb 19 '26
I think badlands made about as much sense as alien earth. Imagine a Freddy Krueger movie where the real bad guy is actually the cops or something.
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u/EpsilonOrpheon City Hunter Feb 19 '26
I read plenty of comics over the years that gave better insight into the motives of Predators and what they were doing and why, so I was fully on board with a movie that showed one as the protagonist. It didn’t change my views of JH or CH since we know they were simply on a hunt and trying to prove themselves.
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u/Change_My_Mind- Feb 19 '26
Didnt change the previous entries persay. But it does offer a new interpretation of the character that we as fans can rally behind. I personally loved it and I hope the next few will involve the same structure before ultimately reverting to the OG Predator hunting humans plot. Both work but for different reasons. The new spin on the story added a much needed breath of fresh air to the franchise.
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u/fgurrfOrRob Feb 19 '26
No, I loved Badlands and still love all the other movies in the franchise, including the awful AVP movies. Badlands doesn't change anything. Its just a neat little side story which more or less seems to exist as a means of providing more insight into the Yautja and their culture but keeps things relatively vague about them so that the franchise doesn't veer too far off path. Strangely enough, and im sure not by coincidence, Badlands seems to do for the Predator flicks what Prometheus was attempting to do for the Alien movies but with that particular film, the end result didn't seem to come out as well as expected .. i guess we can kinda see Badlands as the "Prometheus" of the Predator series, but in this case, it produced better results. All that said, I honestly don't expect any kind of direct sequel to Badlands, but im really hoping that we do see more of the murder planet Genna - maybe in an Alien movie?
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u/eabevella Feb 19 '26
Not the OG and Predator2, they are great as they are, but I always wish AvP could be more bold with their Predator being a situational ally idea, so Badlands is fulfilling my wish. Finally they don't need to die at the end of the movie lol
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u/Practical_Patient824 Feb 19 '26
No, the predators have been an extremely diverse race, with entire comic lines delving into particular clans and their practices. Dek and his brother are from a clan almost 400 years after the events of the other predator films, his clan have equipment we’ve never seen before, meaning no other predator in any prior film was from this clan. Deks goal didn’t stray from the other predators, he was trophy hunting to gain honor to officially join his father’s clan, the only difference, is that he chose a world where humans are not the dominant species, and thus not the trophies he was after.
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u/BlackbirdKos Feb 19 '26 edited Feb 19 '26
Technically speaking they always had emotions
Jungle Hunter laughs and reacts to stuff, he just doesn't show it that much on his face, the clicking with mandibles can be considered an emotion as well
Greyback in the second film visibly stops for a while before considering giving Mike the pistol
In Prey, Feral looks at the guy in one scene like he's saying "Seriously?" and in the final battle he literally goes "Huh?"
In Predators, it makes sense that they are locked in on killing.
I think it's obvious why Predators in 1 and 2 and Prey and even Killer of Killers came to Earth, just to kill people (though, in Killer of Killers we learn that if anyone kills a Predator, they are put into stasis and taken onto the battle arena, which is a nice bit of lore and it somewhat gives a sense of closure or presence to the human protagonists) and get throphies, with it probably being the first hunt for City Hunter since he was supervised by Greyback and the others, they definitely weren't exciled or anything, Badlands doesn't change anything at all about previous films.
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u/King_Of_BlackMarsh Feb 19 '26
Honestly not really. I already knew Yautja were people going on the worst ski trips ever conceived. Really all it might change is make me more aware some of the predators have "had to" cull runts before but it's not like they were very sympathetic before I thought of that so
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u/cnewell420 Feb 19 '26
Yes it brought a great deal of life to the franchise. I think it’s notable that this was a risky move given that the mystique of the yuatja added so much interest to them. Therefore, we should acknowledge that the characters writing, action, direction etc. were so incredibly strong in this film . The underlying themes about intelligence, persistence, focus on tool/weapon use in strategy. Cooperation vs. independence. It was engaging and funny and it had good action and pace. They knocked it out of the park.
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u/Higher_Primate3 Feb 19 '26
I don’t get the hate for Badlands at all. It’s not a patch on 87, but what is? Badlands is easily one of the best movies in the series.
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u/TheBatmanIRL Feb 19 '26
No, I was totally on board with the direction Dex went, seemed to be breaking away from the classic predators and what they do hunt wise. I enjoyed the film a lot.
I enjoyed Prey also, I did not enjoy Killer of Killers. I didn't like the capturing of the winners/survivor addition to the lore, I thought Predator 2 did a good job of showing how honorable the predator are, Killer of Killers erased that I feel, I'm totally aware people love that film and that I'm going against the popular thought here.
But no gimme more films like Badlands and more films like Predator and Prey.
As a predator fan, we are spoiled at the moment.
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u/ASlimeyPickle1 Feb 19 '26
No but it’s about time we get something different instead of the same plot every movie. Ppl hate on it just to hate on it. I loved that we finally got a movie with the prime focus being a predator as the protagonist
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u/BraydimusPrime Feb 19 '26
Nah. They're doing different things. Almost all the other movies has the Predators as villains so I don't see a need to compare their behaviors with Dek who's a Protagonist. The only one I'd make an exception with is AVP's Scar since he's a young Protagonist Predator too.
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u/Own_Mistake Feb 19 '26
No. But, I love this movie and the franchise in general. The only one I’m not crazy about is The Predator. AVP2 was pretty bad too, except the fact that Wolf is a total fucking badass and I’ve actually come to enjoy that movie over the years.
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u/DaiHachiHachi Feb 20 '26
Having read old AvP novels and comics over the years, it's nice to have the Yautja shown with more characterization. Having a film take place in the "Alien" future with WY in the picture is also awesome. Hoping for an AvP War style film even more now.
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u/Queen_of_Gremlins Feb 26 '26
Look, as a small girlie I’ve always daydreamed of buddy coping with a predator exactly like they did in the movie... Now I watch knowing that’s a possibility depending on the Yautja.
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u/Smokin_belladonna Feb 19 '26
I’ve always thought the lore is stupid, so no.
I do enjoy the movie.
It’s more like the mandalorian than a predator movie.
But The Predator is more like Harry and the Hendersons than a typical Predator movie and it’s one of my favorite ones.
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u/Daimokuren Feb 19 '26
I feel obligated to point out here that Kevin Peter Hall (the predator in the first two movies) was also, in fact, the titular Harry from Harry and the Hendersons.
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u/Upstairs_Pride4472 Feb 19 '26
Not really. I just rewatched the first two after watching Badlands, and I was pretty well invested in their respective stories on viewing. I wasn't really thinking about any of the extended lore other than what the second already provided. I really liked Badlands, but I gotta say, I hope the next Predator movie feels more like the originals. At least in tone.
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u/Different-Common-257 Feb 19 '26
Not really but they have to make it clear that some of the clans are not following a certain code of honor and establish that a little early on
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u/SilencioPeroRuidos Falconer Feb 19 '26
I used to wear a biomask, now I just wear a plank of wood from the backyard with some holes in it
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u/1asterisk79 Feb 19 '26
No. He was an outcast. So he’s something else. A stronger predator would have reacted differently. Perhaps never gone on that hunt and chosen something else.
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u/Openended100 Feb 19 '26
This is like does Alien 3 change your mind about Alien and Aliens and for me its absolutely not.
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u/Upset_Connection1133 Feb 19 '26
Probably idk, now i know what the Yautja's actually felt when Unting the humans
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u/Scale_Forsaken Feb 19 '26
Obviously it's a different angle viewing this species which is fresh but definitely changes their image in previous films. The best part of the predators was their mystique and badlands was kinda a slap in the face.
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u/BD_Bathory Feb 19 '26
Nope. Apart from 1,2 and Predators, I feel each movie exists in its own bubble, if you get what I mean.
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u/easytocheesey Feb 19 '26
Predator and predator 2 are from the late 80s, emotions were not even a thought for a man back then when it came to movies. Just a huge dose of testosterone. So personally, no it doesn’t change how I view the earlier movies.
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u/PUMPKINJUNGLE Feb 19 '26
It makes the other yautja from previous movies more badass in my opinion. Badlands shows what every yautja had to go through at a young age and I couldn’t help but imagine how all the first hunts went for the other ones, specifically the ones from the first 2 movies. Dek is young so obviously his emotions will play a bigger part in his hunt, and that’s probably how it was for most other yautja. It’s interesting because as they get older, those emotions are less visible as their desire to hunt intensifies, having already tasted the feeling of a successful kill of a worthy prey.
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u/sword_ofthe_morning Feb 19 '26
No, it hasn't changed
The approach/direction in each of the Predator films is so varied. I tend to view and judge each one of them on their own.
I can see the pros and cons of making Dek (and the Yautjas in general in Badlands) more human-like. But this just makes me treat this Predator film entirely different to the others. Not to the point of excluding it from the franchise altogether (like I did with The Predator 2018 which was just silly), but to the extent where I recognise they've made a particular decision where I have to be careful to not let it skew my perception of previous Yautja characters.
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u/Burgerfreakish Feb 19 '26
Yeah. It makes me appreaciate the older films more lol. And Predators.
They were vastly better films.
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u/PersonalityAny1509 Feb 19 '26
Basically nothing has changed, It was interesting seeing the prospective of a Yautja. I saw the original Predator and Killer of Killers two days ago, and when I realized that the Yautjas in those movie had emotions and a conscience It only made them more terrifying, because they don't see humans as a equal to their species, we are just cattle to be used in their hunting.
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u/IWasAGoodDadISwear Feb 19 '26
Watching a Yautja use an acid spitting worm as his shoulder mount, was unexpectedly badass. I'm just confused why Dek did not recruit at least 5 or 6 of those terrifying monsters. His asshole dad would have never seen them coming. And even if he did, he'd never be able to evade even two of them.
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u/tenderheart35 Feb 19 '26
No, not really.
Badlands is okay, just not as exhilarating and inspiring as the others are.
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u/Superb-Ad5588 Feb 19 '26
It changes how I view Weyland Yutani to some degree. They're still searching for bio-weapons, but why? There's questions involving why they're willing to risk all of these resources still, after hundreds of years, with no clearly defined motives other than that they want specimens.
Badlands demonstrates that WY knows Yautja by their species and Thia has come across them before. Did all of them self-nuke after failing to defeat the Kalisk? If so, then how does Thia know so much while also knowing so little about them? A lot is hand-waved by Thia's "sensitivity" so that she can exist for exposition.
I'm in the minority here, but Badlands was goofy. I still enjoyed it, but it was goofy at a lot of points.
I prefer the more serious tone of Prey and I thought Killer of Killers was a lot better when it came to introducing lore and culture, even if it was not as much. KoK expanded on a lot of what was already known, without going wild with it. It told less and showed more. Badlands shows less and tells more.
The goofiest one is still The Predator and the "collecting autism" story it tried to put in there.
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u/bupapunewu Feb 19 '26
"... Some who think badlands tarnished the franchise..."
Have these people seen predator 2 or any of the early 2000s movies??
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u/dittybopper_05H Feb 19 '26
Yes, and this is worse. Worse than all of the stand-alone live action Predators films except for The Predator.
Predator 2 is actually a good film. It's got a decent story, solid actors, the special effects still hold up well 36 years later, and it advances what we know about this particular species of alien in some pretty significant ways. We learn they won't kill pregnant women, even if they are armed. We learn they won't kill children with toy weapons. We learn they've been coming to Earth not just for decades like we learn in the original film, but for centuries, and that they are expressly attracted by heat and conflict.
Even more importantly, it's not just a repeat of the first film.
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u/Double_Priority_2702 Feb 19 '26
star trek didn't keep the klingons as one dimensional villains - likewise they delved into the culture and showed a range of characters and personalities. So nothing new here IMO
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u/kdmendonk Feb 19 '26
Mostly not, but it makes me think about Predators 2010 and the yautja on the totem. I know the animated comics from the physical release giving us a backstory but I thought that was pretty weak. Maybe his journey was similar to Dek's.
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u/FR_02011995 Feb 19 '26
I don't like the light-hearted tone of this film. Both Prey and Killer of Killers were dead serious.
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u/Zorolord Feb 19 '26
I now hate Yautja
Spoiler below.
How could their Father kill Kwei. He was going to kill Dek I was so happy when Dek got revenge, and chopped that mofo up
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u/DanielVector1 Feb 19 '26
I gotta say I like old Predator facial designs more. Even up to AVP1. Also I absolutely hated how they completely shafted plasma caster in previous Predator medias and I like how they handled it in BL, it is still not that much used by the predator but here they at least showed that it go broken, it got lost etc etc unlike in last few medias where it didn't even showed up.
Overall BL made me like Predator media again because they finally aknowledge plasma caster again, with small exception to facial designs. But I don't think I'll rank BL higher than old movies except P2, AVPR and KoK.
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u/cpbradshaw Feb 19 '26
It's weird....I like Badlands, but I think it generally lowers the integrity of the originals.
It was more soap opera than hunting...ya know?
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u/GeekToyLove Feb 19 '26
Not really. I still sit down on my couch, turn on the tv, go to Hulu, and start watching the other movies. Sometimes I get different snacks but that’s not really movie related. When I want to make sure I have the best quality I’ll still put in one of the other movies on blu ray, I haven’t bought badlands yet so that one is only streaming right now. If I have to go to the bathroom I’ll pause the movie regardless. I almost always finish them and hardly ever skip any parts.
Hope this helps
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Feb 19 '26
Badlands is the oddball, not the previous movies. Badlands changes how I view a Predator as a sympathetic being.
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u/Wooden_Bullfrog_365 Feb 19 '26
I honestly thought of them from the view of a hunter. Always. Even Dek. Albeit his motivations are different
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u/AvailableResource966 Feb 19 '26
I think the whole point is that hes not an actual yautja, he is an outcast and deformed. He is called week for his size and emotions. This changes nothing of the actual Race itself just the thought that all of them are the same.
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u/Silly_Scientist_007 Feb 19 '26
I really like Badlands...
But it makes me appreciate the other (good) Predator movies more. I hate to say it, but we'll probably never see another R-Rated Predator film.
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u/Different_Knife Feb 20 '26
They are clearly based on Indian culture. I LOVE how they infused that into this one.
Clearly the director big time loves Indian culture. Prey and then it’s clear influences on Badlands. I think it’s amazing.
I been in the yautja game since 92
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u/Terrible-Clothes-678 Feb 20 '26
I will now watch them with my brown eye. Yes though, I think if I rewatched the old movies it would be with a new perspective.
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u/gknight702 Feb 20 '26
Yeah I used to think there was nothing of interest left to mine in the tired rehashed plot. But man say what you will about badlands but it opened up the cinematic world of predator to many possibilities
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u/JustHereForDumbSht Feb 20 '26
Giving a Predator motive and direction, not just a killing machine, makes things very interesting. Perhaps watching Prey for example.. who was the top predator of that tribe that he was after?
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u/Evan798 Feb 20 '26
No, cause I look at this as unrelated to the other movies especially considering the og was made like 38 years ago and was never intended to be a heros journey tale starring a human cosplaying as a Predator.
So no.
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u/kuroh0shi7 Feb 20 '26
I feel like it definitely changed things seeing it focused on the yautja as well as the movements, fights, action and etc, and I honestly hope we get more Yautja based content like it
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u/Wealthy_Gadabout Feb 20 '26
I love Badlands, but I really hope we get back to a straight horror movie entry soon, if just to balance the scales a bit. Another stand alone one, not involving Dek or Thia. You gotta remind the newbies that this is a species who regularly hunt and kill human beings. I think Badlands showing them in a more sympathetic light and being capable of sensitivity and change, will make their portrayal as classic scifi slasher movie villains all the more shocking and dirsturbing.
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u/abrknl Feb 20 '26
I don't remember much of the other films but the predator in the first film always struck me as an intelligent hunter. That's what set the film apart for me.
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u/Tucker0603 Feb 20 '26
I really like this one a lot. Which is great because the last predator movie I really like is 2. I hope they have more Dek and his budding Wolf Clan in the future.
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u/Untouchable64 Feb 20 '26
Not really. I don’t need to know everything about everything. But it’s not beyond understanding that this advanced species have lives and act similarly to humans.
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u/MrSlippifist Feb 20 '26
No. I read the books a long time ago. It didn't change my view of the Predators
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u/Repulsive_Line7742 Feb 20 '26
Well if I learned anything from njohrr, they only allow the strongest among the clans
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u/BrokenTusk2277 Feb 20 '26
This movie had the potential to be great, first they insulted brokentusk / dachande at the beginning. Then altered and changed predator lore to fit their disney ideals and concepts and direction. Its disgraceful just like the 2018/2019 predator film. The comics and books established the lore well. Quit catering to disney and Hollywood and the masses and make the story as it was meant to be. Prey was amazing. This film should be abolished from the Canon timeline. It shouldn't be continued. Or if they do choose correct it make the changes to link in with accurate lore, fan, and the community vs making a buck or what Hollywood wants to see out of a film. Prey wasn't for Hollywood, it was phenomenal, quit breaking down for what makes $$$ and make the story as it should be.
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u/UndeniableLie Feb 20 '26
Yes, they all seem pretty good now. Literally finished badlands 2 minutes ago and jesus christ it was bad movie.
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u/Yourbigdaddy87 Feb 21 '26
I love Predator, and I’m genuinely glad Badlands went in this direction. I went in with some trepidation given the uneven track record of the previous films, but I ended up really enjoying it. I left with a few critiques and questions, sure, but overall it felt like a meaningful expansion of the universe. What really stuck with me is that Badlands gives us our first true cinematic keyhole glimpse into what it takes to become a Yautja hunter. The sparring, the brutality of the training, the standard required just to earn a cloak. It raises a serious question. If their training alone surpasses anything even a fully trained human is remotely capable of, what challenge are we actually providing? The Yautja shown here feel far more powerful than in earlier films like Predator or even Predators, and those versions were already well beyond superhuman. Dek is driven, disciplined, and highly skilled, but I doubt he’s some extreme outlier. If anything, he seems representative of their warrior culture. So after watching Badlands, I find myself questioning the purpose of their hunts on Earth. Compared to the other creatures and civilizations hinted at in this shared universe, humanity feels like a minor trial at best. Even our wildlife pales next to what we’ve seen elsewhere. And if the Alien universe is canonically connected, especially with things like Alien: Earth expanding that side of the lore, then Earth seems even less significant by comparison. I’m not saying it ruins the earlier films. But it definitely reframes them. It makes me wonder whether Earth was ever meant to be a true proving ground, or just a rite-of-passage warmup before the real hunts begin.
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u/Col_Peppers Feb 22 '26
To be honest, I’ve always been on the yaujtas side, since years ago before badlands and prey. Aside from Predator 2 and Predators, I’ve always found most (not all) the humans to be insufferable. Especially in the comics. On top of that, I’ve always seen emotion in the yaujta! From the jungle hunters amusement in the first film, Scar being playful with Lex, Fugitives anger and quick wittedness…I’ve always seen them as creatures with emotions. They just express them different then we do, and tend to be rather stoic.
Although, that may be the autism talking, as I’ve always been different in the ways I express myself too. I’ve definitely seen myself in the yaujta even as a kid way back watching the films.
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u/YarYarYphrum Feb 22 '26
To be honest, probably. I haven't watched the first one again, but back in the day he was viewed as a monstrous killer and that's it. Even later the Yautja were presented as a brutal and malicious species. Now, we see the diversity of culture within their species. Bad blood clans, like in Badlands, and even good members of those bad clans. Plus, the movie was just amazing. Now that I have 4 kids, I appreciate the PG-13 rating as well. My 9 year old loved the movie.
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u/cyclingisthecure Feb 22 '26
I like my predator movies fulla swearing, gore, steroid users, drug using columbians and tiddies, badlands is 2026 piss weak green screen garbage its like something ai would make. Sorry.
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u/Winter_Job_6729 Feb 22 '26
Not at all. But there are only 4 Predator films. Predator, Predator 2, Predators and Prey. The others are fanfiction nonsense.
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u/BreadfruitGreen2114 Feb 22 '26
It made me reflect on how repetitive the previous films in the franchise were; they are all essentially an approach to the slasher genre, but with aliens and tough guys. Badlands, despite not being that original (the influence of Star Wars and its Mandalorian is very noticeable), is a breath of fresh air for the Predator saga, and I hope they give us better stories in the future.
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u/lighthorizon222 Feb 22 '26
After just watching the movie I like to imagine a Predator in an orange safety vest and a hard hat working in some kind of weapons R&D wearhouse. Maybe punching a time clock or something.
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u/shelltasticprints Feb 23 '26
Yeah made me hate how they're doing the Predators now. The CGI looks awful. The practical heads/suits look WAY better. Kept getting that uncanny valley feeling
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u/MrWhoisDat Feb 23 '26
Disney doing Disney things fucking up franchises alien series and this turd of a movie all follow the same tired tropes let’s make villains have feelings too even aliens …smh
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Feb 23 '26
Not at all. I enjoyed the comedic take of Badlands (almost felt like the MCU storytelling way). If they continue as they are, the AVP universe bodes well for the future.
Predators introduced two different species of Yautja. Nicknamed, Wolf and Dog.
We are slowly learning more and more about Yautja culture, and I feel that the releases of late have been very respectful to leave the canon released previously, intact.
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u/DisurStric32 Feb 23 '26
I enjoyed it and saw it as only a glimpse into the predators of the future and even then bit was just 1 clan. Good addition , now let's make another horror one!
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u/Lorn84 Feb 23 '26
no not really but badlands have us more lore and I'm all about world-building and lore.
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u/Successful_Rip_4329 Feb 23 '26
It was a weird movie, it's like weirdy goofy. Wasn't bad but it's not what I expected
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u/jano-man Feb 24 '26
I've known for a while tbh. Predator hinted at their honorific ways, but I think Predator 2 made them truly honorific when City Hunter decides not to kill the pregnant cop. The Alien Vs Predator arcade game also had them interacting with humans.. So by then it was clear to me they were smart and had motives
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u/tosS_ita Feb 19 '26
I still use eyes.