‘Predator: Badlands’ Review
Dan Trachtenberg has breathed new life into the franchise, bringing strong writing and visuals and his own flair for capitalizing on the Predator’s strengths and weaknesses.
Dan Trachtenberg’s (Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers) Predator: Badlands reminds us why certain films, if not all, have to be seen on the big screen. It’s visually compelling and action-packed. Prey (2022) was a worthy and propulsive entry in the Predator series but was relegated to streaming. With Predator: Badlands, we get to see the “killer of killers” badassery on the expansive IMAX screen. This is only Trachtenberg’s third live action feature film but it’s clear the Predator franchise could not be in more skillful hands.
The film opens on the planet of Yautja, which is the name of the beings that inhabit the planet. These are the Predators. Predator Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), the “runt” of his family, sets out to prove himself by trying to kill the supposedly unkillable Kalisk. His motives are Shakespearean and he’s fueled by revenge. Once on the planet of Genna, Dek encounters all sorts of treacherous creatures and terrain and his fighting prowess and survival instincts are put to the test. When he’s in one particular predicament, he encounters fast-talking synthetic android Thia (Elle Fanning), The lower part of her body is missing and her quest is to get it back, as well as to find her “sister” droid Tessa. Cute little critter Bud joins Dek and Thia and helps them navigate the perils of the plant. All is not what it seems though and Dek ends up having to fight for more than just his life.
In Prey, there was no doubt that the Yautja creature was the villain. The Predator is an unusual bad guy though because his gadgets are cool and his fighting is always epic. It is not out of the realm of possibility to root for him. In Predator: Badlands, he’s still a badass but much easier to empathize with because he’s now the protagonist. He’s got a sense of humor and his mission is heartfelt. He’s a tactician of impossible situations and we’re left wanting to know even more about him by the end of the movie.
Cinematographer Jeff Cutter (Prey, One Cloverfield Lane) returns, making many of the scenes look like Frank Frazetta-esque works of art. Patrick Aison’s script has no fat. Thia’s persuasive screwball delivery and Dek’s succinct humorous dings keep the pace moving. At an hour and forty-seven minutes, the story whizzes by and never slacks. Predator creature designer Alec Gillis (Aliens, It, Predator vs. Alien) exhibits his years of tutelage from Stan Winston in his finely crafted creature design and also gives a hearty nod to Aliens in the latter part of the film. This is the only film where the Predator is primarily maskless throughout, which gives us a chance to see his facial expressions. He’s not just angry. A range of emotions cross his face and make him almost humanlike.
Predator is known for his epic fights and the ones in this film don’t disappoint. Vincent Bouillon’s fight choreography combined with the visual effects is exhilarating. Trachtenberg’s video game inspiration is evident in the way the Predator’s main quest and sidequests are shot. He’s expressed interest in seeing this as a third-person game and the tonal palette is there for it.
The cherry on top for the Trachtenberg Predator films is the score. On this one, Sarah Schachner (Prey, The Lazarus Effect), who does a lot of video game scores, collaborates with Benjamin Wallfisch (It, Dunkirk) to create a rousing tribal pulse that underscores Dek’s dangerous situations and his internal struggles.
The opening, which gives us Dek’s background and rationale, could have been a little longer. We barely get to know Dek’s family members before he’s off to planet Genna. There’s room for this to be filled out. This is the eighth film in the Predator franchise and with Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers, and now Predator: Badlands, Trachtenberg has breathed new life into the franchise, bringing strong writing and visuals and his own flair for capitalizing on the Predator’s strengths and weaknesses. In Predator: Badlands, by subverting the Predator’s usual role as villain, he’s given more dimension. Prey felt more “grounded” because it took place on Earth but Predator: Badlands forages the science fiction roots of Jim and John Thomas’s marmite character and opens a new, fresh chapter.
Produced by 20th Century Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Predator: Badlands hits theaters on November 7.
Sonya Alexander started off her career training to be a talent agent. She eventually realized she was meant to be on the creative end and has been writing ever since. As a freelance writer she’s written screenplays, covered film, television, music and video games and done academic writing. She’s also been a script reader for over twenty years. She's a member of the African American Film Critics Association and currently resides in Los Angeles.
