Reflecting on the franchises that began in the 80s and remain strong, I never expected the Predator series to have as much staying power as it does in the sci-fi action realm, alongside the polarizing Alien series. We all still remember the original with Arnold Schwarzenegger and how well it holds up, but it’s not hard to believe that some of its sequels never quite matched that success (2010’s Predators is, however, underrated). Then, director Dan Trachtenberg stepped in three years ago with Prey, and it was a massive surprise to fans. Add in the stellar animated anthology film, Predator: Killer of Killers, and it’s almost like we now trust him to explore this universe. So, when news broke of him directing another one, how could any fan not be excited? While not everyone had high expectations for the latest sequel, Predator: Badlands – which Disney smartly released theatrically instead of on Hulu – the trailer looked promising. Still, it wasn’t about the Predator hunting humans. That probably didn’t appeal to everyone, but sometimes changing things up isn’t a bad thing, and it’s safe to say Trachtenberg has directed another solid effort here.
What’s the Story: On the distant planet of Yautja Prime, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is a young Predator, or a member of the Yautja species, trying to prove his worth to his clan and become a warrior. Through the eyes of everyone, including his father Njohrr, he’s basically the runt that can’t do anything. But his brother Kwei (Mike Homik) gives him a task to travel to the planet Genna to kill the most notorious creature there, known as the Kalish. Once Dek crash-lands on Genna, he learns the environment is deadly, killing anyone and anything. But when he stumbles upon Thia (Elle Fanning), a damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic, the pair form an unlikely alliance to help find her missing legs and lead him to the Kalisk, claiming his “trophy.”
Hearing about how this installment would put the attention on the Yautja as the protagonist was an idea I was on board with to see how it could be executed. And since it’s not a direct sequel to the other films, this gives Trahtenberg more opportunity to develop the mythology that many weren’t expecting, along with following a Predator creature’s attempt to prove himself worthy to everyone on his home planet. Those who were initially concerned that this would be another story of humans being hunted will be pleased by the dangerous and killer journey we see young Dek trek through. To me, no one knows this universe better than Trachtenberg, and as we’ve seen three times now, he continues to make bold decisions within the Predator franchise to keep it fresh and exciting.
Following Dek not as just another movie monster to get defeated by the end, but as a hero in this story, is an unexpected move I couldn’t believe helped him cool down to watch. The attachment to the character is established quickly when he’s with his brother, and once he’s dropped in Genna, which is essentially like Pandora from Avatar, except you’ll die soon. He has the skills and weapons to survive, showing no signs of weakness, and the performance of Schuster-Koloamatangi sells it. Never did I think that throughout the other Predator movies, I ever gained the courage to care about this alien race, but here we are, where someone like Dek is given empathy without forgetting he’s still part of his clan. Everything set up for him in the beginning, with betrayal and eventual revenge, makes for an underdog story perfect for him to root for.
But in a Predator movie, what I wasn’t expecting was a buddy trip that has Dek team up with Elle Fanning’s programmed empathetic Thia, hanging on his back like a backpack. Perhaps this was the one element that made me worried about maintaining a steady tone, but their opposing dynamics with each other were welcoming. For one, Fanning gives a great performance not just as Thia, but in a dual role as Tessa, another Synth searching for the Kalisk. While Thia provides some comic relief, these two together demonstrate that they need each other to survive, despite their mismatched on-screen appearance. As a Yautja, Dek hunts alone, yet proves that Thia is helpful in not getting killed on this planet. Plus, the fact that Predator: Badlands subtly tells us the Alien franchise exists with the Weyland-Yutani Corporation is all we need. One of my friends, who worked for Collider, visited the set in New Zealand over a year ago and told me this, in a way that never overshadowed the rest of the film, thankfully.
Even when the story doesn’t drive itself to be the most innovative, the action definitely makes up for it in the long run. Right from Dek and Kwei’s fight inside this cavern and everything after not getting killed by living tree branches, creatures, and literal blades of grass, it was all entertaining to sit through. Credit to the visual effects, location scouting in New Zealand, and Jeff Cutter’s cinematography for bringing these planets and their environments to life. Some were disappointed that this was given a PG-13 rating instead of an R, which didn’t surprise me after watching the second trailer. However, I wasn’t bothered by the change since it didn’t need to be extreme to appeal to its target audience. And it makes sense since they’re non-humans in this, and no red blood is drawn when killing is involved. The only time it was andering to the rating was when it introduced this native creature, Dek and Thia stumble across “Bud.” At first, he was a character who felt useless, but he ultimately served a purpose. I came around on him. And it’s the only creature not trying to kill them.
Not everyone may embrace the changes in Predator: Badlands, but it’s undeniable that these alterations make it a more rewatchable experience. This fast-paced hero’s journey, reminiscent of the original and even Prey, is a fresh take that keeps the franchise relevant to the sci-fi crowd. What Trachtenberg brought here is a testament to his directorial skills, and his contribution to the franchise is something we can all appreciate.
Overall, Predator: Badlands marks another worthy addition to the popular franchise. Not everything about this makes it the absolute best, but in the hands of Dan Trachtenberg, it adds a new perspective on a character to root for, and it’s ultimately a thrilling adventure that shouldn’t have worked, but I had a good time with.
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