Dan Trachtenberg has released three feature-length Predator films in only three years, each with bold choices.  2022’s “Prey” was a return to form of sorts, but instead of an Arnold-like character, the Alien battled against a young Comanche woman.  Earlier this year, his animated anthology “Killer of Killers” was released on streaming.  In addition to being the first animated Predator film, it takes place over three (four?) time periods and has some surprising cameos in the final moments.  Dan Trachtenberg‘s latest swing for the fence is “Predator: Badlands”, the first in the franchise to set a Predator as the main character.

Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is the son of the Yautja tribe leader.  While Dek is full of spirit and pride, he is also the weakest and least experienced.  Favoring strength over all else, his father wants him culled from the tribe.  In a last-ditch effort to prove himself, Dek sets off for Genna.  This “Death Planet” is rumored to be home to an unkillable monster which Dek intends to return with as his trophy.   Shortly after arriving, Dek stumbles across the upper half of a surprisingly charming synthetic names “Thia” (Elle Fanning).   Realizing he could use some help tracking down his prey, Dek decides to enlist Thia’s help, but only as a tool. Predators always hunt alone, but Dek reasons if she is simply a tool, and not an accomplice, he is not breaking his code.   His journey has him running up against not only various deadly lifeforms, but also additional synthetics who are hunting for quarry of their own.

The plot framework is a story we’ve heard many times before.  What makes “Badlands” stand out is the pure creativity used in unfolding this story.  We’ve seen Predators and Synths before, but everything else on this planet is unique.  When a random lifeform tries to injure or kill Dek, we’re just as surprised as he is!  In most of the Predator franchise, it is reduced to a Silent-Slasher-Villain, similar to Jason in the Friday the 13th films.  It stalks, and it kills.  That’s it.  Using a predator as the main protagonist, one that we experience the entire story through, is a very bold choice.  But thanks to the visual effects and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi‘s performance, it works amazingly well.  Somehow, his expressions show through his ugly visage, and we are almost immediately rooting for him.  He may be a vicious alien, but we all identify with him.

At first Elle’s portrayal as Thia feels a little over the top.  She is by far the most friendly and talkative of any Synth we’ve seen, but once we learn the in-story reason, it all makes sense.  Others have expressed concern that with a PG-13 rating, the action and violence would be muted.   One benefit of not having any humans in the movie, is there is zero red blood shown.  Apparently, as long as the blood isn’t red, you can slice, dice, and eviscerate anything you want without earning an R-Rating.  “Badlands” has more, and some of the best action in the entire franchise.

There are a few moments that I felt were a tad silly, or maybe a bit juvenile, but the rest of the movie goes so fast and so hard that I didn’t mind the small, goofy parts.  Overall, it truly feels like one of the best action movies from the 80s.  It’s unapologetically a fun, well-paced, action-packed movie.  And isn’t that exactly what we want from a Predator movie?

 

Predator: Badlands
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