The full review embargo for 20th Century Studios and director Dan Trachtennerg's Predator: Badlands lifted earlier today, and critics have been weighting-in with their thoughts on the next live-action entry in the long-running sci-fi horror/action franchise.
Initial social media reactions were mostly very positive, and the reviews have followed suit. Badlands has been getting 3 and 4-star write-ups from the majority of outlets, although there are also more than a handful of negative verdicts at this stage.
Trachtenberg comes in for universal praise for trying something different and shaking up the usual Predator formula, and the lighter, buddy movie vibe was a welcome change for many critics. Others weren't as won over by the more family-friendly approach, however, and some seem to feel that this Predator has been de-fanged to a certain degree.
Badlands all-but ditches the horror elements of the earlier films, and plays out more like a cosmic buddy movie adventure.
Predator: Badlands is currently sitting at a very impressive 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 64 reviews. For comparison's sake, Prey is at 94%, Killer of Killers is at 95% - the highest rating of the franchise - and the original Predator has a surprisingly low 65%.
Have a read through the reviews below, and we'll continue to update as more are shared online.
Predator: Badlands is helmed by returning director Dan Trachtenberg (Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane) and marks the franchise’s highly anticipated return to the big screen with a story that expands and redefines the Predator Universe.
Set in the future on a deadly remote planet, Badlands follows a young Predator outcast (played by newcomer Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who finds an unlikely ally in Thia (Emmy and Golden Globe nominee Elle Fanning) as he embarks on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
Produced by John Davis, Dan Trachtenberg, Marc Toberoff, Ben Rosenblatt and Brent O’Connor, Predator: Badlands opens exclusively in movie theaters on November 7 in IMAX, Dolby Cinema, RealD (3D), Cinemark XD, 4DX, ScreenX and premium screens everywhere.