Movie Review: ‘Predator: Badlands’ (Second Opinion)

Plot: Young Yautja Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is a warrior in waiting. Eager for a chance to prove himself and earn his cloak, Dek sets his sights on the jungle world of Genna, the most dangerous planet in the galaxy. There he hopes to kill the Kalisk, a seemingly unkillable apex predator that even his clan leader father Njohrr fears. After an unexpected tragedy ignites Dek’s path earlier than expected, he crash lands on Genna. Determined to hunt the Kalisk alone, Dek nevertheless finds himself teamed up with a damaged Weyland-Yutani synth named Thia (Elle Fanning). Although the duo seek the Kalisk for two different reasons, Dek reluctantly bands together with Thia to ultimately achieve his goal. However, agents of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation may have other plans…

Review: We are quickly approaching almost four decades since AH-NULD and John McTiernan’s classic testosterone-laced, action thriller Predator hit theaters. When something has been that prevalent in pop culture for that long, it’s easy for the gold to lose its luster. Despite what some “purists” may think, the Predator franchise is not sacrosanct. It’s not Casablanca. It’s not The Godfather. It’s not Schindler’s List. Don’t get me wrong, Predator is awesome. It’s also a B-movie with a large budget. In order to keep a franchise relevant, you have to present something fresh and appealing.

Director Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator: Badlands delivers exactly that.

Furious, fast-paced, fantastical, and dare I say fun, Predator: Badlands gives audiences a fresh new perspective on the Predator mythos, that should satisfy long-time fans and newcomers alike. This is now Trachtenberg’s third sojourn into the world of Predator and in my opinion he’s now three for three. Rather than rehash the “Yautja hunts humans” trope however, Trachtenberg and screenwriter Patrick Alson flip the script and have the Predator as the protagonist. It’s a big risk that mostly pays off.

Personally, the question coming into this film for me was, “How do I root for a creature that up until this point has been the villain?” That question gets answered in the first ten minutes of the movie with a devastating scene that by the end, had me fully invested in Dek’s journey. Dek serves as the classic archetype of a warrior seeking to prove himself. His quest is further compounded by the fact that he’s considered a runt, with a diminished height and a deformed fang. In a culture that abhors weakness and culls the unworthy, Dek’s condition is tantamount to blasphemy. He’s a true underdog contending with essentially a murder planet replete with razor grass, exploding bugs, hostile trees, paralytic bushes, and a myriad of other horrors. And audiences love an underdog.

What sets Predator: Badlands apart from previous entries is the buddy-comedy aspect. Yes you read that right. Early on Dek teams up with a damaged Weyland-Yutani synth named Thia (Elle Fanning). Their dynamic is equal parts hilarious and heartfelt. Each is hoping to get something out of the partnership (for Dek it’s access to the Kalisk, for Thia it’s getting her legs back) but as time progresses their relationship evolves. Some of the funniest moments in the film revolve around their conflict in personalities. Whereas Dek is a straight-edged very literal warrior, Thia is a wide-eyed lab rat who is overjoyed to be out in the field. Yet there’s some deeply emotional moments between the pair as well, especially when Thia discovers Dek is grieving, something he and his culture consider a sign of weakness.

Interestingly enough, Predator: Badlands is also a movie about found family. Yautja typically hunt alone in order to earn their cloak and take their place among their clan. But what happens when that clan, in particular your own father, rejects you? As Dek’s arc progresses, he discovers that there’s more than one way to earn your cloak. Dek’s clan just happens to be a disabled synth and a wolf-like creature called Bud that imprints on him. Never thought I’d see a found family theme in a Predator film but here we are. Somehow it works.

Lest you think this is some kumbaya version of Predator however, let me disabuse you of that notion right now. This sucker is wall-to-wall action and despite the PG-13 rating, incredibly brutal. However, rather than humans getting wrecked, it’s Weyland-Yutani synths and alien life forms. The various ways Genna tries to kill Dek and company is maliciously ingenious. It’s a true test of will for Dek as he must find a way to utilize his environment to obtain his goal without his advanced weapons. There’s even a scene late in the movie that harkens back to a classic Schwarzenegger moment from the first film. Additionally, the Kalisk creature is particularly horrifying. I loved the reason why it’s considered “unkillable” as it makes for a nice conflict with Dek and a valid reason why Weyland-Yutani desires the creature.

Outside of Amber Midthunder’s performance as Naru in Prey, the acting in the Predator franchise has never been elite. Thankfully Predator: Badlands bucks the trend. Elle Fanning is simply exquisite in very different dual roles as synth sisters Thia and Tessa. Where as Thia comes off as as an endearing quirky lab rat, Tessa is a severe, calculating, pragmatic android that’s utterly devoted to Weyland-Yutani. It makes for a great contrast, particularly when the two come into conflict. A very generous tip of the cap also has to go to Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi who’s damn near revelatory as Dek. It’s a difficult task to show emotions through just your eyes and body gestures but somehow he accomplishes this. Schuster-Koloamatangi delivers a nuanced character that’s surprisingly easy to root for and possesses a true character arc. Sign me up for at least a dozen new stories involving Dek.

Despite my total investment in Dek’s warrior journey, I don’t want to give the impression that Predator: Badlands is a perfect film. Far from it. For one the CGI doesn’t always work, with a few shots taking me out of the moment. Additionally, there’s definitely some Disneyfication going on with Predator: Badlands, especially in the form of Bud who serves as a sort of mascot for Dek and Thia. It’s clearly meant to appeal to kids, although I have to admit Bud grew on me after awhile. Also the tone occasionally veers into the profoundly goofy. One scene in particular involving Thia’s legs running rampant around Genna’s Weyland-Yutani base felt like something out of The Addams Family or Beetlejuice. The traditional Predator score is also notably absent, with the usually reliable Benjamin Wallfisch delivering a merely servicable score.

These are mostly minor quibbles, however. While not as good as Trachtenberg’s previous forays into the Predator-verse (Killer of Killers and Prey), he still proves that he intuitively understand this franchise and what resonates with audiences. To misquote the original film, “If it entertains you should watch it.”

My rating system:

1 God Awful Blind Yourself With Acid Bad

2 Straight Garbage

3 Bad

4 Sub Par

5 Average

6 Ok

7 Good

8 Great

9 Excellent

10 A Must See

Masterpiece

Predator: Badlands: 7/10