Elle Fanning Is Earning Rave Reviews For Her Android Role In 'Predator: Badlands' Plus Critics Are Praising Its "1990s Action Thriller Vibe, Insane Violence, & Surprisingly Effective Comedy"

Good news for all you Pred Heads out there! The latest installment in the much maligned franchise 'Predator: Badlands' is getting rave reviews from critics & casuals alike. Now I'm not saying you should blindly trust a 87% RT score on the weekend of release, but it's pretty hard to resist getting an alien boner when there's genuine excitement like this so far. 

#PredatorBadlands had me nervous after that first trailer, but I will never doubt Dan Trachtenberg again. He delivers yet another authentic take on the iconic hunter, crafting a distinct franchise entry that feels epic from start to finish. Carving a throwback-style action-comedy out of this universe is a bold, wildly inventive move, yet the oddball duo's chemistry clicks effortlessly. Emotion cuts through the chaos, but rest assured: the (PG-13) violence is unrelenting and uncompromising. Those fight sequences are beautifully choreographed... I had no idea what was coming, but it absolutely rocks.

Here's the trailer, for the uninitiated. 

Cast out from its clan, an alien hunter and an unlikely ally embark on a treacherous journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

Although the trailers got A LOT of hate online, mainly for the character design & a possibly forced love story, those critiques appear to be a complete non issue. If anything it's the opposite. So far the internet is united in saying director Dan Trachtenberg deserves a blank check to keep building out this universe. If James Cameron is giving you a kudos bar, you gotta be doing something right. RIGHT?

(THR) - The filmmaker knew he needed a lush environment to sell the otherworldly quality of Genna, and Trachtenberg soon found himself prepping to shoot in New Zealand. During that time, he received an invitation from one of his stablemates at 20th Century to come and hang out for the day. The source of that invite was from none other than James Cameron. The decorated filmmaker resides and works out of Wellington, New Zealand, and as the director of Aliens, the second installment in the Predator’s sister franchise, his advice could certainly go a long way. So Trachtenberg drove eight hours to visit Cameron at the studio where December’s Avatar: Fire and Ash was being worked on at the time.

In Cameron’s editing room, Trachtenberg explained his aforementioned plan for Predator: Badlands, and Cameron eventually gave his two cents when they sat down for dinner that night. “When he sat down [at dinner], he said, ‘I was just thinking about what you’re doing, and I think it’s going to work,’” Trachtenberg tells The Hollywood Reporter in support of Predator: Badlands’ Nov. 7 theatrical release. “So all that wind in my sails carried me back up to Auckland to tell my crew. The blessing of that guy — who has taken on some pretty impossible odds and pulled them off — was absolutely incredible.”

However, Trachtenberg would later learn during Badlands’ postproduction that Cameron’s stamp of approval that made him feel like the king of the world was tantamount to a Jedi mind trick. “There were a few specific questions that I had in mind, and I wanted to see if he could give us any helpful notes. So he saw the movie a couple months back, and he said, ‘I have to be honest with you. When I first heard what you were doing, I did not think it was going to work. But holy crap, you pulled it off,’” Trachtenberg recalls mid-laugh. “He either did not remember that first conversation that meant a whole lot to me, or he really does know what someone in my position needs to hear to get things done. I think it’s more the latter. So he put wind in our sails at just the right times, and I had to make sure we gave him a special thanks.”

And Trachtenberg also got the ultimate seal of approval from Shane Black, who played a supporting character in the very 1st 'Predator' movie and then directed 'The Predator' in 2018 which has a universally hated 34% on RT. But he did write 'Lethal Weapon' & directed 'The Nice Guys' so it's not all bad for him. Also go watch 'Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang' ASAP. 

Along those same lines, I’m going to read you a quote that was said to me recently: “Dan Trachtenberg saved that franchise. His work is impeccable. I saw Prey, and all I could do was say, ‘Sir, my hat’s off.’ That was a really great mythic take. He’s the right shepherd for [the franchise].” That was Shane Black. What went through your mind as you heard another notable filmmaker sing your praises, especially one with deep ties to the Predator franchise? 

I’m such a massive fan of Shane Black, and the year that Prey came out, I was at the Saturn Awards, as one is, when you make a movie like Prey. Eric Kripke, the creator of The Boys, was there. I directed the pilot of The Boys, and we’ve stayed friends. So he and I were talking, and then I saw someone out of the corner of my eye. COVID was still happening, so they were wearing a mask and a bright yellow Hawaiian shirt. I could feel that they were waiting for an opportunity to talk as I was talking to Kripke, and then I noticed that the Hawaiian shirt was actually a Monster Squad Hawaiian shirt. And that man was Shane Black. 

He said, “I just want to come up and shake your hand.” He then said something like, “I ruined [the Predator franchise], and you really made it awesome.” He said things that I could only partially process. The Boyscertainly has the voice of Shane Black in it, and Eric and I were both like, “Oh my gosh.” So I introduced Shane to Eric, and he said something about The Boys too. It was just this incredible moment for us. The movies that Shane has made are so filled with machismo, and while you have an idea in your mind of the kind of person that would make them, he was so generous and kind. I’ve now listened to so many podcast interviews with him, and he’s such a humble, awesome dude. I haven’t seen Play Dirty yet. It keeps popping up, so I just need the time to watch it. But I’m such a fan of Shane, so it was incredible to hear those words.

Obligatory mention of the greatest gun scene in movie history. Our boys fucked that jungle UP in the OG 'Predator'. 

And that movie still holds up too! Think a lot of people dismiss it as a walking meme because of Arnold's "GET TO THE CHOPPA" style lines but scripts be damned, it really is a beautiful benchmark of action movie cliches that absolutely RULE. Plus this iconic handshake too.

Throw in ethereal Elle Fanning and a heavy dose of video game inspiration and baby… we got a stew going! Wild to see Dan go from making short films on YouTube to big budget franchise hits like this. Feels like we gotta go out and support a fellow nerd here.

Oh, and here's Elle if you're unfamiliar. 

Jesse Grant. Getty Images.

Karwai Tang. Getty Images.

Lionel Hahn. Getty Images.

Didn't even realize till now she's also Dakota's sister? What a family. Shout out Creasy Bear!

So if you're looking for a fun time at the cinema this weekend, 'Predator: Badlands' could be your bag baby! I feel compelled to point out this is NOT a paid advertisement, kinda stunning anytime I write about movies that's what 95% of the comments are about. I'm just trying to spread some good gospel for you, the people. Fact is, we need more slightly mindless/overly kinetic 90s style action movies out there. I'm betting this Yautja juice will be the worth the squeeze. But either way, have a great weekend you ugly motherfuckers. RIP Billy. 

PS: Hopefully they find a way to bring back Danny Glover's pants in the sequel. Legendary artifact for Planet Hollywood.