John McTiernan’s 1987 film “ Predator ” is an action classic. Released in the heyday of the 1980s action boom, McTiernan deftly elevated and tore down the mystique surrounding these musclebound titans of action cinema. The film remains as visceral, vicious, exciting, and quotable as it did four decades ago. The following film in the series, though lacking McTiernan’s sly direction, clearly executed what fans came to expect; the hunter slashing his way through his prey one dismemberment at a time.

Which brings us to Dan Trachtenberg’s “ Predator: Badlands ,” following up on the success of his 2022 film, “ Prey ” which essentially transplants the story of a group of people hunted by a Predator on Earth. Only this time it's 1719 on a Comanche reservation. Though flawed — largely due to

See Full Page