If we’re being honest, nothing about the original “Predator” lends itself to a decades-long franchise across multiple mediums. From screen to page, the ultimate hunter has become ubiquitous in pop culture, sporting an array of constantly evolving and expansive ideas, some more effective than others. Milage may vary on pretty much everything after the original, but Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane“) seems to be taking up the mantle of new direction with his third entry, “Predator: Badlands.” More than anyone who’s attempted to reinvent the wheel – including Shane Black (“The Nice Guys“) himself – Trachtenberg has seemingly unlocked the secret code to making Predator cool again, digging deeper into aspects of the lore left unexplored while always trying to keep the heart of its source material.
I’d argue “Predator: Badlands” is the lesser of the latest three helmed by Trachtenberg, lacking the grit and rawness of “Prey” and the blood soaked adventure of “Killer of Killers.” It’s not so much that it’s bad – it’s not, and actually a whole lot of fun – but it feels more like a standard sci-fi action hero film reformatted to fit a Predator into it. The aforementioned predecessors were clearly made to be “Predator” films, and “Badlands” unfolds like an afterthought, more interested in the genre tropes and crossover easter eggs than the actual Yautja mythology.
But even with all that being said, Trachtenberg is in his bag here, a kid in a sandbox playing with action figures with unlimited imagination and plenty of resources to bring his visions to life. In his hands, even the weaker entries are still entertaining as hell, packed with strong visual world building, likable characters, and solid action spectacle.
“Badlands” is pure popcorn action cinema. We can haggle over the semantics of its franchise merits or canon rankings, but at the end of the day it’s just a good time at the movies and sometimes that’s all it needs to be. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi makes a leading man statement at Dek, a young Yautja considered unworthy of being accepted into the clan due to his “runt” stature. Looking to prove himself after being exiled by his father, Dek sets out on the hunt to track down the unkillable predator Kalisk, a worthy trophy that will earn his right back to his home planet. After crash landing on the planet Genna, Dek stumbles upon Thia, a damaged synthetic who offers to help him track down the apex predator if he helps her reunite with her sister and the other half her body. Of course, nothing is as it seems on a planet where everything wants to kill you, and Dek will be challenged in more ways than he could’ve ever imagined. “Badlands” also stars Elle Fanning in a dual role and that’s really it, a true two hander.
Schuster-Koloamatangi displays incredible physicality and a shocking amount of emotion beneath the practical makeup. It’s hard to be seen when no one can see you, and he manages to bring himself out in primarily with his eyes and brute force physical athleticism. Fanning provides some much needed humor and keeps the unlikely duo moving along with a few laughs amid the unforgiving terrain. It’s the most fun Fanning has had in a while and shows her ever expanding range as a performer. The film really doesn’t work without Fanning having a ton of fun, and the film is made better by her presence. It is visually arresting, utilizing every aspect of its inventive landscapes and desolate world. It’s hard not to appreciate Trachtenberg’s skill, even when his imagination and convoluted plotting gets away from him.
Ultimately, “Badlands” is held back by two things: it’s PG-13, rating and the Predator itself. While I applaud Trachtenberg for taking some wild swings and more often than not hitting home runs with his ideas, giving a Predator the hero treatment just doesn’t answer any question anyone has ever asked. The concept of a Predator works best the less we know about it, the discovery of its prey uncovering new technologies and huntings skills part of the allure of the franchise overall. We don’t get that here, because Dek is extremely sympathetic, framed as more of a crowd pleasing underdog to root for than something deadly to fear. When you remove the blood and gore and violence entirely and only dispense of creatures and synthetic androids, “Badlands” is left void of its grit and terror. It’s an interesting idea that doesn’t quite work as well as intended and leaves you wanting that hard R experience that has defined the franchise.
Those things may not be enough deter most, as the film is still a ton of fun despite its faults. Its certainly not the best of recent outings, but even with missteps it’s proof that Trachtenberg is the right hands for the job.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Stars
“Predator: Badlands” is now playing in theaters. You can watch the trailer below.
