‘Predator: Badlands’ Finds the Humanity in this Action Franchise
At the prime age of 33, I’ve yet to see a Predator film before this moment in my life. I know that seems like a travesty, as many of my friends have pointed out when I admit that, especially seeing that I’m quite the fan of the Alien franchise. I blame it partially on the fact that I didn’t truly get into horror until I was in my late teens and early twenties, meaning that I had missed out on so many of the classic series that really put scary movies on the map. That being said, there were little to no preconceived notions about what to expect when I walked into Predator: Badlands, which can be both a blessing from a curse.
Perhaps the biggest misconception I had as I entered this Dan Trachtenberg film was that I thought the Predator franchise was a horror series, whereas what became perfectly clear within moments of the film starting was that this is an action film. I’ll pause to allow the laughing to die down, but truly, I thought where Alien and Predator met up was at the corner of horror instead of science fiction, which is truly the more logical answer. Predator: Badlands explores the Yautja monsters not through the eyes of humans trying to survive, but through one of the predators trying to prove his worth. The result is a film that finds humanity in this long-running action franchise.
[Warning: Spoilers from Predator: Badlands are below!]
The littlest Yautja finds himself in Predator: Badlands
Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) feels he has a lot to prove to both his tribe and his father. As the runt of the tribe, he’s viewed as a disgrace by everyone else except his older brother, Kwei (Mike Homik), who believes that Dek deserves the same chance as everyone else. To be accepted by the others in his clan, Dek must kill a predator of his own, cementing his place in the hierarchy of universal predators.
However, while other Yautja may select a creature on par with their personal skill level, Dek sets his eyes on the biggest monster he can, one that makes the strongest amongst the Yautja quake in their boots. So with a chip on his shoulder and a mission on his mind, Dek sets off for Genna, the death planet that could easily become his tomb. With danger behind him, as his father is coming for the young Dek, there’s only one way forward: through Genna, and hopefully prove himself worthy of acceptance.
However, Genna proves to be more than even Dek could bargain for, as the environment of the death planet proves to be rather inhospitable. From trees that whip their vines and branches with venomous velocity, planets that explode like landmines, to grass that is razor sharp, there’s danger around every corner. Surely Dek can push through himself and come out on top, right?
Unfortunately, Genna proves too much for the Yautja, forcing Dek to do the unthinkable…take on an ally. No Yautja has ever done such before, especially with the memory of what happened to his brother Kwei for showing some compassion fresh in his mind, and yet, if not for the android Thia (Elle Fanning), Dek may not make it through the night. Both Dek and Thia need each other to complete their missions; with Dek determined to slay the Kalisk, while Thia needs to locate her legs and get back to her sister Tessa, also played by Fanning.
As both the Weyland-Yutani Corporation, which owns the sibling androids, and Njohrr (Reuben De Jong) close in on Dek and Thia, will the duo survive? Or will Genna become the final resting place for these two? Only time will tell…or a trip to the cinema to see Predator: Badlands!
Predator: Badlands is so much more than an action film
As someone who has never seen any of the previous entries in this franchise, I found myself both enjoying and engrossed with what Predator: Badlands had to offer. While on the surface, Badlands is easily one of the best action films of the year, there’s so much more lurking under the surface that the psychologist in me was thriving on. Truly, the action is simply superb, with Trachtenberg starting the film strong with a fight between Kwei and Njohrr and continuing through to the end.
There’s almost no time to breathe, with emphasis on almost, as the tight-paced film moves audiences from one battle to another. This is the obvious draw for so many to show up to see Predator: Badlands; however, Trachtenberg and writer Patrick Aison do something fresh for the franchise and, truthfully, the action genre in general. How often have you watched a long-standing series that makes you feel for the “villain”? The answer is rather infrequent, at least with the films I’ve watched.
What’s so interesting about that is not only do the cast and creatives have an uphill battle to make audiences empathize with a creature that they’ve pushed you to hate for seven movies (nine if you count the crossovers with the Alien franchise), but they’ve given the ultimate apex predators humanity. Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought I’d be rooting for a Yautja and find myself moved by their journey of growth.
Predator: Badlands showcases that everyone and everything has the capacity for growth, even the biggest bullies on the playground. We change because we want to or because we’re forced to; with it feeling like it’s a little of both for Dek in this film. At first, he has no choice but to accept the help of Thia, as there’s no other way for him to complete his mission; however, as their time together grows, he learns that perhaps going it alone isn’t always the best. There was a beauty to the message the cast and creatives were delivering: if a Predator can change and accept love into his heart, can’t we all?
Final thoughts on this 20th Century Studios film
Is Predator: Badlands the film that fans of the franchise are probably expecting? Probably not, as it seems to be a far removal from those movies that came before. Badlands, at its core, is a buddy cop film with a deeper message: finding the love and acceptance within ourselves that we crave in the world. It definitely wasn’t the movie I was expecting when I got the press invite, but it was something even more spectacular in nearly every way. Predator: Badlands pushes the envelope of what an action film can be and reminds audiences that expecting films to be more isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Predator: Badlands is currently in theaters! Have you seen this film? What did you think about it? Let us know on social media @BoxSeatBabes!
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