I loved Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey. It was amazing. It took an IP that continues to endure and intrigue and shake it up in a new way. So when I heard he was cranking out another one, I was ready to see what he did next.

Predator: Badlands ends up being a middle-of-the-road entry, one that relies to heavily on visual effects, even as it reminds us that Alien and Predator universe are one and the same.

Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Kolomatangi) is a young Predator who is about to go through his trials. Despite a lot of familial issues, he finds himself on the way to a remote planet in search of one of the most dangerous creatures in the universe.

No, it’s not man. This one doesn’t take place anywhere near Earth.

A strange alien planet filled with dangerous lifeforms, both flora and fauna. The young Yautja soon realizes it’s not going to be an easy hunt. Things take an interesting turn when Dek encounters a mangled android/synth/replicant named Thia (Elle Fanning).

Thia is a Weyland-Yutani product, tying us solidly into the Alien universe once again. She offers to help him track down his target and so begins a new kind of buddy adventure.

And it plays out exactly as you’ve seen theses stories play out before. There aren’t any real surprises in the story, it’s a familiar, but well made retread of things we’ve seen before, right down to the little petlike creature that becomes part of the group.

They soon learn that not only will they have to deal with the hunt, but with the rest of the Weyland-Yutani team on the planet.

Fanning seems to be having a lot of fun in her role, and Schuster-Kolomatangi brings the youthful Predator to life with a lot energy. It’s fun. Perfectly enjoyable, but doesn’t have the same power as Prey.

What it does have is a really well designed score, with lots of choral and tonal sounds created by Sarah Schachner and Benjamin Wallfisch. It works in evoking the alien world the story finds itself on, and grounds it in a way that the VFX doesn’t always accomplish.

The creature designs are interesting. In fact the entire planet the Yautja and Synth find themselves on is really well designed. I like the ideas here, but wanted more from the story. I found it just a little too predictable.

And while it is interesting to see a little more of the Yautja culture, it also causes the beings to lose some of their mystery.

It’s a solid popcorn film, and I do find myself helping for more Predator stories from Trachtenberg. Where does the franchise or species go from here? I’m not sure, but I also know that there are countless stories that could be told, especially as the series continues to intersect with the Alien universe.

Perhaps we could get a really good Alien vs. Predator movie.

Predator: Badlands opens in theaters this Friday on November 7th. Buckle up and have fun!