Claws of Critique: Where Predator: Badlands Stands in the Franchise's Bloody Scorecard

Predator: Badlands has roared into critical acclaim with a strong 89% Rotten Tomatoes score based on 75 reviews, positioning it as a standout in the long-running sci-fi horror series.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, this 2025 entry flips the iconic hunter into an unlikely protagonist, teaming it with a synthetic human in a dystopian adventure.

As the franchise celebrates nearly four decades of extraterrestrial terror, Badlands builds on recent revivals, offering fresh emotional layers amid the carnage.

Let's trace the evolution through each film's Rotten Tomatoes reception, from gritty origins to crossover chaos, to see how Badlands claims its throne.

• Predator (80%)

The 1987 original, directed by John McTiernan, launched the saga with Arnold Schwarzenegger leading a commando squad ambushed by an invisible alien trophy hunter in the jungles of Central America.

Earning an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes from 60 reviews, it blended taut action, practical effects, and escalating paranoia into a genre-defining thriller.

Critics hailed its lean script and Schwarzenegger's stoic intensity, though some noted the macho stereotypes of the era.

Grossing $98.4 million worldwide on a $18 million budget, it established the Yautja as cinema's ultimate stalker, influencing everything from survival horror to blockbuster formulas.

• Predator 2 (27%)

Shifting the hunt to a neon-drenched Los Angeles in 1990, Stephen Hopkins' Predator 2 pitted detective Mike Harrigan (Danny Glover) against the creature amid gang wars and voodoo cults.

With a dismal 27% from 37 reviews, the film drew fire for its erratic tone, over-the-top violence, and convoluted plot, straying from the original's focused dread.

Yet, its urban grit and expanded lore, including the Predator's interest in human skulls, found cult appeal.

It underperformed with $52.6 million globally against $20 million spent, but its influence lingers in comics and games that fleshed out the species' mythology.

• Alien vs. Predator (21%)

Paul W.S. Anderson's 2004 crossover united the xenomorphs and Yautja in an Antarctic pyramid ritual, where archaeologist Alexa Woods (Sanaa Lathan) brokers an uneasy alliance with a Predator.

Scoring a mere 21% from 169 reviews, it faced backlash for prioritizing spectacle over substance, with the PG-13 rating softening the horror edges.

Critics lambasted the fan-service clashes and shallow characters, but its $177.4 million worldwide haul proved the monsters' draw.

The film deepened lore by revealing Predators as ancient foes of the Aliens, setting up uneasy franchise synergies.

• Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem (12%)

The 2007 sequel, directed by the Brothers Strause, unleashed a hybrid abomination on a small American town, forcing survivors to evade both species in perpetual night.

Plummeting to 12% from 122 reviews, it earned infamy for its pitch-black visuals, incoherent editing, and gratuitous gore that veered into discomfort.

The unrated cut amplified the chaos without redeeming it, and while it grossed $130.2 million on $40 million, critics decried it as a franchise nadir.

Its legacy? A cautionary tale on sequel excess, though it teased hybrid threats that echoed in later entries.

• Predators (63%)

Nimród Antal's 2010 reboot stranded elite killers—like Adrien Brody's Royce—on a Predator game preserve planet, introducing Super Predators and tracker variants.

At 63% from 177 reviews, it marked a solid rebound, praised for its isolated tension and ensemble dynamics, including Laurence Fishburne's grizzled survivor. Brody's grounded lead anchored the absurdity, though some faulted the familiar beats.

Earning $127.3 million globally on $40 million, it proved the formula's resilience, bridging old fans with nods to the original while hinting at broader cosmic hunts.

• The Predator (33%)

Shane Black's 2018 meta-revival followed a rogue soldier (Boyd Holbrook) and quirky misfits racing evolved Predators threatening Earth.

Landing 33% from 209 reviews, it split opinions with its irreverent humor, rapid-fire quips, and bloated cast, diluting the stealthy menace.

Strong action set pieces and cameos like Sterling K. Brown's villain shone, but tonal whiplash doomed it critically. It legged to $160.9 million worldwide on $40 million, yet reshoots and studio interference highlighted production woes, leaving fans divided on its playful pivot.

• Prey (94%)

Dan Trachtenberg's 2022 prequel elevated a young Comanche warrior, Naru (Amber Midthunder), in 1719's Great Plains against a tech-primitive Predator.

Boasting 94% from 306 reviews, it's lauded for cultural authenticity, innovative sign language subtitles, and Midthunder's ferocious performance, transforming survival horror into empowering folklore.

Skipping theaters for Hulu, it racked up 171 million viewing minutes, revitalizing the series with lean 104-minute pacing and fresh lore on the hunter's early incursions. Critics called it a triumphant reinvention, averaging the franchise's highs.

• Predator: Badlands (89%)

Trachtenberg's latest, released November 7, 2025, casts a young outcast Yautja as protagonist alongside synthetic ally Thia (Elle Fanning) in a barren future wasteland, forging a buddy dynamic amid clan betrayals.

Holding 89% from 75 reviews, it earns acclaim for emotional depth, inventive action, and lore expansion—flipping the predator-prey script without losing edge—though some decry the PG-13 tameness softening gore.

Fanning and newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi anchor the heart, with visuals blending practical suits and seamless CGI.

As the first theatrical Predator since 2018, its score ranks second overall, trailing only Prey's streaming purity but surpassing the original's grit, signaling Trachtenberg's mastery in elevating the pantheon.

Some Closing Thoughts

Predator: Badlands solidifies Trachtenberg's reign, its 89% score weaving heart into horror and claiming near-top honors in a saga scarred by lows like Requiem's 12%.

From the original's raw machismo to Prey's poised precision, the franchise mirrors Hollywood's hunt for reinvention—stumbles yielding to savvy evolutions.

As Badlands prowls theaters, it beckons fans to embrace the Yautja not just as killer, but kin, promising a future where even apex predators evolve.

So, are you as pumped about Predator: Badlands as us? Let us know in the comments section down below.