Predator: Badlands - Review: Welcome to the Hunt

 

Reappraisal is a funny thing within the world of 1980s nostalgia. While a fair share of maligned films from the era have been looked upon fondly nowadays, the “Predator” franchise is one that’s been mostly respected rather than liked. Sure the first film is good, and the design of the titular alien killer is cool, but you aren’t likely to find someone willing to watch the franchise at the drop of a hat like they would the “Alien,” “Back to the Future,” “Indiana Jones” “Die Hard,” or “Ghostbusters” franchises. That is until Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane,” “The Boys”) came along and effectively revitalized the franchise, directing three films back-to-back; 2022’s excellent “Prey,” “earlier this year’s adventurous and fun anthology film “Predator: Killer of Killers,” and now this latest film, his first theatrical “Predator” tale: “Predator: Badlands.”

Set in the distant future, the film follows Dek, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi (“Red, White, and Brass,” “The Panthers”), a young runt in a clan of Yautja (the alien species we know as Predators). After his Father, played by Reuben De Jong and voiced by Schuster-Koloamatangi, sentences his to death due to his size and weakness, Dek sets off for Genna, the deadliest planet in the galaxy, on his first hunt. While on the planet, he befriends Thia, played by Elle Fanning (“The Great,” “Super 8”), a friendly damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic who agrees to help Dek on his quest to find and kill the legendary Kalisk, a creature also sought by Thia’s fellow synthetic and surrogate sister Tessa, also played by Fanning.

In a franchise first, Trachtenberg and co-writer Patrick Aison (“Prey (2022),” “Last Light”) have made the smart decision to center this adventure around a Yautja itself. As opposed to previous films, which feature the alien as a monstrous force attempting to hunt and slaughter the other human characters, here we get to see a side to the creature and their culture never explored before. It’s hard to say it was necessary or revelatory, but it's an amount of care and expansion rarely seen in modern day blockbusters. It being tied directly to Dek’s story and evolution also means that it never feels as obvious or eye-rolling as moments like “when Han Solo got the name Solo” or things like that. Plenty of these moments also work fantastically as simple setups and payoffs. This is a tight and simple script, and Trachtenberg and Aison know how to set up an item, creature, device to later have it used in spectacular fashion. It’s a perfect example of how you don’t need a complicated setup to give way to a wonderful payoff.

Schuster-Koloamatangi's physical performance is remarkably impressive here. Given the fact that the Yautja’s face is mostly CGI, it means much of his performance has to be communicated physically and vocally. He does a remarkable job getting us to care for this alien killer, using some easy short hands to communicate where he’s at emotionally at the start of his journey. Like the script, his performance is a great example of effective simplicity, allowing Dek to evolve throughout the film from a runt of his clan to a formidable warrior and letting us attach to that journey with him. Fanning is fantastic as well in her dual roles; she manages to deliver two very different interpretations of the same character dynamically, with Thia easy to fall in love with and Tessa easy to hate. She’s the cherry on top of a simple, effective, physically demanded cast at the center of this adventure.

Given the focus on an alien species notorious for its brutality and weaponry, you’d hope that the action and stunt sequences are up to snuff, and thankfully Trachtenberg and his team have delivered the goods here. While the look of the film itself is on the flatter and blander side, the action is well worth it. There are plenty of fantastic sequences of practical and digital effects work, meshing together to deliver Dek’s epic adventure through the jungles and creatures of Genna. The PG-13 rating doesn’t hold this tale back either: while there might not be any red human blood, it’s still a gruesome and delightfully viscously violent tale.

As the guttural chants and deep growls of Sarah Schachner (“The Lazurus Effect,” “Prey”) and Benjamin Wallfisch’s (“Blade Runner 2049,” “IT (2017)”) excellent musical score shade this tale of a warrior’s journey in a sense of brutal menace, what’s at the core of Trachtenberg and Aison’s story is much more ambitious for the franchise. It might be hard to believe, but there’s a legitimate emotional core at the center of this film and Dek’s journey that works excellently. Like most of the film’s strengths, it’s an example of the effective simplicity at the core of Trachtenberg’s work here. It’s nothing exceptional, but there is something surprisingly moving about this Yautja’s tale.

“Predator: Badlands” continues Dan Trachtenberg’s streak of bringing new blood to the franchise and delivering some of the best stuff it’s ever seen. This third film delivers on its intriguing premise with remarkably effective simplistic approaches to its story, action, setups, and emotional arcs, even if the film’s look is blander than one would expect. It’s a popcorn movie through and through, but an excellent one that will satisfy anyone looking for a thrill, whether they’re familiar with the Yautja’s previous exploits or not. 4.5/5