By George & Josh Bate
Since its debut in 1987, the Predator franchise has been a mainstay in the world of sci-fi action, with primal aliens hunting for sport, futuristic technology, and a simple, man versus (dangerous) animal story. What has followed in the decades since are a number of sequels and spinoffs, but few, if any, have been able to capture the magic of the original. The franchise then found new life with 2022’s Prey, which presented a uniquely simple story, stripped down to just the essentials, and told a very real, raw, and character-driven survival story. That film received excellent reception from fans and critics alike, so much so that some questioned the decision to have it debut on streaming rather than in theaters. Then, earlier this year, 20th Century Studios followed it up with Predator: Killer of Killers, an enthralling animated anthology story showing predators popping up throughout human history. Now, Predator returns to live action on the big screen, with Predator: Badlands, an evolution of the story that resoundingly continues the upward trajectory of the series.
From director Dan Trachtenberg, Predator: Badlands centers on a young Yautja named Dek (played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), who is viewed as the runt of his clan. After surviving an attempt on his life from his father, Dek sets out on his own initiation hunt, looking to take down a creature feared by even the most seasoned of his family. Stranded on the planet, and hunted by rival species, Dek befriends a synthetic robot named Thia (Elle Fanning), and the two set on a path to find the beast, navigating the hostile ecosystem in the process.
From the get-go, Predator: Badlands subverts expectations of the well-established franchise formula by positioning the titular Predator as the protagonist, rather than the antagonist. As a result of this narrative pivot, Dek is something of a revelation of a character for this franchise and is easily the most layered and complex Predator the series has ever had. Dan Trachtenberg (who previously helmed Prey and Killer of Killers) portrays Dek as a being far more nuanced than the Yautjas from previous films as he is something of a lost soul, struggling with the legacy of his father, and grappling with his own sense of identity. Arguably the greatest success of Badlands is that it makes the audience truly feel for and sympathize with the Predator, something that felt so unlikely in earlier installments.
Dek’s status in his clan, smaller, weaker, and cast aside by his warlord of a father, makes him a surprisingly relatable character for the story to hone in on. He struggles in finding himself at the beginning of the film but slowly and surely begins to build a sense of identity, culminating in a classic coming-of-age arc, albeit one encompassed by alien planets and deadly creatures. There are no human protagonists here, no Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny Glover, or Amber Midthunder; it’s just Dek at the front and center of it all. Even though Elle Fanning’s Weyland-Yutani synth Thia is quite literally strapped to his back for much of the film, this is firmly Dek’s movie. It’s a creative gamble to move in such a direction (not dissimilar from having a masked protagonist lead three seasons of The Mandalorian), but one that certainly pays off. For the first time in forty years, the franchise genuinely lives up to its name by focusing entirely on the Predator.
Beneath all the blood and brutality, Predator: Badlands carries an unexpectedly touching message. The planet itself is first presented as a place of death, one where anything and everything can kill you (even the grass is made of glass sharp enough to stab someone who walks through it). In a way, it mirrors the mindset of Dek, who views everything as a threat to him. However, as the film progresses, he realizes that the things around him aren’t trophies to be collected, and are instead beings fighting to stay alive, just as he is. Eventually, this progression culminates in an emotional climax that is both surprising, satisfying, and makes the relative simplicity of the narrative easier to overlook.
Not surprisingly, however, is the film’s array of dazzling visuals and actions. Trachtenberg brings a level of visceral energy with his direction that permeates the film’s many action set-pieces. Every heart-pounding moment of violence is uniquely balanced with quiet, stealthy intensity, thus fitting perfectly within the type of action we’ve come to expected from the franchise. The pacing of the action flows excellently, as Trachtenberg gives audiences just enough breathing room between brawls to recoup before going again. The opening training duel between Dek and his brother is a highlight, featuring marvelous choreography and long, unbroken takes. Moreover, the ending battle, without revealing too much of the story details, is filled with tension, spectacle, and a satisfying emotional conclusion to Dek’s arc.
As stunning as Badlands is for the majority of its runtime, inconsistency in the quality of visuals impedes on the ultimate effectiveness of the film. Some of the CGI, especially those in high-intensity action sequences, fails to convince and occasionally breaks the immersion in an otherwise phenomenal adventure tale. Thankfully, Trachtenberg and the team don’t rely too heavily on CGI as they incorporate impressive practical effects to bring Dek and the creatures of the planet to life.
VERDICT: 8/10
Predator: Badlands isn’t just another entry in the long-running sci-fi franchise – it’s something of a reinvention. In placing the Predator at the heart of the story as the protagonist, rather than antagonist, the film gives new life to the Yautja, proving that they can be more than just a cool monster to admire. A heartfelt and heart-pounding, character-driven sci-fi adventure, Badlands excels with fascinating world-building and (mostly) dazzling action and visuals, even if the core narrative is a tad straightforward. All in all, Badlands proves that this decades-old franchise still has plenty of life (and death) in it, perhaps more so than ever before thanks to the ingenuity of director Dan Trachtenberg, who adds another worthy trophy to his glowing resume of Predator films. This is a film that dares audiences to take a seat and watch in IMAX, on the biggest screen possible.