Predator: Badlands info:
Director: Dan Trachtenberg
Writer: Patrick Aison, Dan Trachtenberg, Jim Thomas
Starring: Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi
Hello and welcome to another week here at 1guysmindlessmoviereviews.com. It’s officially Thanksgiving week. I hope everyone has plans to take a break from work, spend time with family and friends, watch some football, and enjoy lots of delicious food. My favorite part is eating leftovers later that night while watching something. Then, while everyone else is out Black Friday shopping the next day, I’ll go enjoy a movie in the theater when it’s less crowded.
I was lucky enough this weekend to see two new films. “The Running Man”, which I will discuss next week, and “Predator: Badlands”. I chose Predator this week, as it has been out for a little longer. But, before I begin the hunt, let me first put up my spoiler warning. If you haven’t seen the movie and don’t want to know what happens, please return to my reviews page here. You can come back here after you’ve watched it to finish this one up.
Alright, for everyone else, let’s take a journey with the latest in the Predator franchise. “Predator: Badlands” is directed by Dan Trachtenberg and is the ninth overall film to include the Predator (or Yautja) species. So, technically, it’s the sixth live-action film, but there are two Alien Vs. Predator movies, as well as the animated “Predator: Killer of Killers” from earlier this year. No matter which ones you’ve seen (or haven’t), you can still sit down and enjoy this for what it is.
This time around, there is a slightly different feeling to this story. Instead of the normal flow of a Predator being on Earth hunting a human for a trophy, this time, a young Yautja is on a mission for revenge and redemption. Dek (Schuster-Kolomatangi) is deemed a weakling by his father and then watches him kill his brother when he tries to defend him. Pushed away, he vows to bring back the head of an apex creature (a Kalisk) to prove his worth.
When he crash-lands on the planet Genna, he discovers it to be a wasteland filled with deadly flora and fauna. With everything around him either weaponized or alive, he struggles to get a grip on his surroundings. Then he comes across Thia (Fanning). She is a synthetic android built by the Weyland-Yutani corporation. I enjoyed seeing this here and am glad to know the Alien/Predator crossover is still going strong. For those who don’t know, this fictional company made its on-screen debut in the original 1979 Alien movie. Refusing any help and seeing her only as a tool, he takes her with him.
Thia is able to guide him through the jungle and give him advice about several pitfalls he encounters along the way. What he doesn’t know (yet) is that Thia’s team was there for the same reason… to capture the Kalisk. So, while Dek is rescuing Thia, her “sister” Tessa (also Fanning) is being re-activated to go track Thia, the Predator, and capture the Kalisk for the corporation. Along the way, Dek and Thia also pick up a local creature she names Bud. It’s very loyal and bonds with Dek when he offers it food.
Eventually, they make it to the Kalisk and realize that it’s basically indestructible. Dek cuts off its head, and it just re-attaches itself. This is why Weyland-Yutani is after it; its healing properties will make it a hot commodity. As Dek is doing his best against an undefeatable foe, the corporation comes in at the end and captures the creature, Dek, and Thia. During transport, Thia helps Dek escape. He then goes back to get Bud, gear up, and storm back to rescue both Thia and the Kalisk.
Some great climactic stuff here with the fight scenes. Even though some of it is a little silly, watching Thia’s legs kick some ass without a top-half. The little team works together to take down all of the androids, free the creature, and discover that Bud is actually one of the Kalisk’s offspring. The film ends with Dek going back to his home planet to kill his father.
So, I was surprised that he actually killed his father at the end. I know he’s a warrior, and it’s in his blood to get revenge, but after the growth he showed throughout the film, I didn’t expect it. Overall, this was a fun and different Predator story to tell. First time in a Predator film that there was no human protagonist, first time we get to see the Yautja home, and some of their lifestyles. It was also nice to see him grow and change as he was on his almost impossible task.
Fanning was good at playing a synthetic, but then again, you don’t need much acting to act like a robot, so take that for what it’s worth. Other than that, most of the acting was done behind a mask or makeup, with the dialogue even being in a fake language. So, basically, there wasn’t anything bad about this movie, but at the same time, there also wasn’t anything amazing about it either. It was entertaining, and it’s always fun to see some older franchises stay relevant. With that being said, I give this a 7 out of 10.
Watch or Wait?
Honestly, if you’re not a fan of the franchise, then I would wait. However, if you’ve been watching these for years and want to see this one, then I would check it out on the big screen for sure. It’s definitely a larger-than-life story, so seeing it on a larger-than-life screen isn’t a bad idea.
Ok, that’s it for me this week. But now it’s your turn. Have you seen “Predator: Badlands” yet? If so, what did you think of it? Was it a run-of-the-mill Predator film or did you find it to be any better or worse than previous installments? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. I have to run for now, but join me here next week as I discuss “The Running Man”.
