The Predator franchise has seen a lot of ups and downs since the first film in 1987. The films were never consistent in quality, leading many to become disenfranchised with the series or just not willing to give the new films a shot at all. I fall into the latter camp, having not watched a Predator film for the longest time. That changed when I watched Predator: Killer of Killers, and I found out what I had been missing. Dan Trachtenberg created magic with the animated film, so it was only natural that I watch his other film in the franchise, Prey, which I also thoroughly enjoyed. Now in his third Predator outing with Predator: Badlands, Trachtenberg is looking for the three-peat.
On the desolate Yautja Prime, a Yautja, Dek, strives to prove himself to his father and older brother. He challenges his brother time after time, desperate to finally become a true Yautja warrior. Unfortunately for Dek, he is the runt of the family, putting him at a large disadvantage from the get-go. After another loss at the hands of his brother Kwei, Dek decides that to make his family proud, he needs to hunt the most dangerous game, which in this case, is the Kalisk located on Genna, also known as the death planet.
But when his father shows up to send Dek to the Yautja afterlife for being weak, Kwei helps Dek escape to Genna to hunt the Kalisk. Once Dek arrives on the death planet, he realises he may have bitten off more than he can chew. Faced with a planet where everything wants you dead, Dek will have to use every tool at his disposal, including a Weyland-Yutani synthetic named Thia, if he wants to kill the Kalisk and take his rightful place among the Yautja.
The story of Predator: Badlands isn’t anything to write home about, but it did enough to keep me entertained throughout the film’s runtime. Dek’s quest to prove himself is fun, but it doesn’t go any deeper. Sure, there are some moments towards the end of the film where he starts to question the Yautja ideology, but it felt very abrupt compared to how he acts in the rest of the film. What made me even believe his change of heart at all was his relationship with Thia, whose story and character were by far my favourite part of the film. Her banter with Dek was entertaining and helped make me care about Dek’s growth.
It was also cool how Trachtenberg incorporated Weyland-Yutani from the Alien franchise into this film without overshadowing the Predator aspect. It made this universe seem larger without feeling like it was playing off nostalgia for another franchise. Overall, a solid story that, while I won’t remember it in a couple of months, was still an entertaining enough time.
The best part of this film is undoubtedly the two leads, Dek, played by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, and Thia, played by Elle Fanning. These two were the heart and soul of the film, giving memorable performances that really elevated my enjoyment of the otherwise ok story. In the case of Dek, you don’t see or hear Dimitrius much at all, seeing as he’s covered in prosthetics and has his voice modified to look and sound like a Yautja. However, Dimitirus uses his body movements and eyes to effectively convey every emotion Dek experiences throughout the film. I really connected with a lot of the small moments Dek has due to Dimitrius fully embodying the character. It also helps that he learned to speak Yautja (a made-up language) just so he could truly become Dek, even if you don’t see his face.
Elle Fanning, on the other hand, isn’t covered in prosthetics (at least her top half isn’t), but that doesn’t make her performance as Thia any less impressive. I loved how she interacted not only with Dek, but also with every aspect of this hostile planet. The quips she throws out made me laugh a couple of times and effectively broke the serious vibe of the rest of the film. Some might find it annoying, but it was a highlight for me. That’s not to say that she’s only there for comedic relief, as the way her story ties in with Dek’s, as well as incorporating Weyland-Yutani into this story, was something I greatly appreciated. The inclusion of Weyland-Yutani didn’t just feel like an afterthought for a cheap pop, but was actually implemented well, thanks in no small part to Fanning’s performance.
The minimal supporting cast does alright, all things considered, but none really grabbed my attention. Most of the other synths are played by one guy, Cameron Brown, which is fine as they are mass-produced worker drones, but it would’ve been nice to have some variety. Dek's family was also fine, but they didn’t get enough time to make me invested in that part of the story.
For the most part, Predator: Badlands is a good-looking film, with a lot of practical effects and CGI that don’t look half bad. But it isn’t perfect, as there were multiple times when the CGI took a lil nose-dive and just looked a bit goofy. There’s a part in the middle of the film where Dek and Thia need to cross a field covered in sharp, glass-like plants, which results in Dek swinging through trees to find a way around. This just didn’t look good, and it took me out of the film for a short while. I also wasn’t a big fan of some of the lighting choices, especially in the beginning sequence on Yautja Prime. Dek enters a cave for a fight, and I’ll be honest, I couldn’t follow anything that happened. I don’t know if my eyes weren’t working or if the lighting was just bad. Either way, not a fun time.
A visual aspect that never disappointed me, though, was the creature designs and the practical effects, especially when it comes to Dek. The Yautja face isn’t fully practical, but seeing behind-the-scenes footage of how they put everything together was amazing. The creature designs were also pretty neat, with the little creature called Bud being both adorable and deadly, which is always a fun combination.
Predator: Badlands is a decently fun time with a few flaws that stop it from being great. The story does just enough to keep the plot moving, but it isn’t something I’ll remember in a few months. What I will remember is the relationship between Dek and Thia, the practical effects, and the little ray of sunshine named Bud. It’s a good action flick that I would recommend to anyone who wants to turn their brain off and watch some cool shit. Just don’t expect a story with a deeper meaning.
Have you seen Predator: Badlands? What did you think? Is it better than Prey? Let us know in the comments where we can talk about the lore implications of the inclusion of Weyland-Yutani.
