A bold reinvention of the Predator franchise. As far back as 2010 directors have been trying to find a way to shake up the series’ established formula, usually by introducing some stupid new super breed or enhanced version of the iconic alien hunter, to mixed results. It’s taken this long for Dan Trachtenberg to pop on the scene and say “hey, what if we make one where the Yautja is the star?” It’s a brilliant idea on paper, and it’s opened the door for this outing to explore more of the intriguing sci-fi side of the property. Unfortunately, what should have been a slam dunk is likely going to prove to be the most divisive installment to date.  There are already people out there proclaiming that the whole thing has been “Disney-ified,” and, to be fair, they’re totally right. This is a far cry from the brand’s testosterone-fueled, macho action flick roots, and more akin to a modern Star Wars entry. Complete with a cutesy critter sidekick and Elle Fanning as a comic relief companion who WILL. NOT. SHUT. UP. As a result, this is going to be a love it or hate it situation for most viewers. The audience at the showing I attended was primarily comprised of older individuals who would have grown up watching the originals with Arnold and Danny Glover. I can only imagine how they felt once the credits rolled on this one… Personally, I had a good time with Badlands. It’s not my favorite installment by any means, but I’ve been enjoying the experimentation Trachtenberg has started doing since Killer of Killers. There are some great action sequences, tons of cool new creatures introduced, and the setting of a planet so dangerous even the freaking flora wants to kill you is awesome. I also think it manages to maintain just enough seriousness between the funny bits to keep from becoming an all-out MCU-level, jokey farce.  Honestly, the only blatant issue I saw was the number of similarities between the narrative in this and the previous two movies. I mean, our leading Yautja’s quest to prove himself as a worthy hunter is near-identical to what was going on with Naru in Prey, and then you’ve got the avenging dead family members and the domineering father stuff from the animated anthology. I’m worried this might have revealed to us that Trachtenberg is a one-trick pony when it comes to concocting the character motivations that will drive the plot.  Overall, the adoption of the modern blockbuster formula is going to make this too sanitized for some and the signs that maybe it’s time for someone else to take the reigns of Predator for a while have certainly begun to show. That being said, enough of the magic that’s allowed these films to endure since 1987 is still present to ensure that the open-minded members of the fanbase will appreciate its thrills. If you have any reservations about the direction being taken here though, then I’d recommend waiting until it hits streaming simply to be safe. It’s solid, but definitely won’t satisfy everyone.