What happens when a runt Yautja alien teams up with a mutilated synthetic android on the most dangerous planet in the universe? The answer lies in the audience having fun at the theater with a film that explores the human condition and the importance of family.
"Predator: Badlands" is the sixth standalone film in the "Predator" franchise and the third in a row from director Dan Trachtenberg. There is an absolute joy and reverence for the "Predator" universe in his first two films, and it continues to show in this latest outing, released on Nov. 7.
Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) crash-lands on a foreign planet where every creature is in a constant struggle to survive. Every inch of the world has a danger that is waiting to strike. Dek has one mission: to honor his clan by bringing back the head of the legendary Kalisk.
He almost immediately meets Thia, who is played by the always charming Elle Fanning. Thia is a Weyland-Yutani synthetic who lost her legs in a fight with the Kalisk. Convincing Dek to let her help him on his journey, they set out on a stereotypical odd-couple road trip.
There is not a single human in the entire film, yet it is a deeply human experience.
The Yautja are a very oxymoronic alien species. They are technologically advanced, but governed by the outdated and conservative idea of honor above all, and culling the weak. After the death of his older brother, Dek is conflicted between grieving and the culture of his species. It is a universal message about how to deal with society's expectations of an individual.
Added to his conflict is his desire for revenge. Being the runt of his clan, he is naturally destined to be culled for his weakness. Breaking past the societal norms, his older brother cares for Dek and does not wish to see him die. Unfortunately, it leads to a head-to-head conflict between their father and his older brother, culminating in their father killing the older brother. The dynamics of Dek's family and the emotions associated with the circumstance he finds himself in adds a humanizing element to the character.
The heart and soul of the entire film is reliant on the dynamic between Fanning and Schuster-Koloamatangi, which works most of the time. Occasionally, it feels forced, or the jokes can fall flat, with predictable emotional beats. When the emotional beats do not feel earned or refreshing, it makes the audience want to instantly move onto the next action scene.
Fanning is asked to be the light-hearted jokester of the two, a role that can ruin a film if the actor is not up to the task. The whole time, Fanning is very charming, but the writing can let her down sometimes with cheesy lines that annoy rather than lift.
It is the most human-like a predator has been on screen in the whole franchise, which makes this film vastly unique compared to the rest. However, it can sometimes feel stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to how much characterization it wants to give the protagonist.
Fanning plays a second synthetic named Tessa, the film's lead antagonist. She and the whole group of synthetics she leads feel paper-thin and nonexistent for much of the runtime. It ends up just an unnecessary way of adding depth to Fanning's lead role as Thia.
It would not be a Predator film without action, and in this, it delivers. Several scenes are a blast to see on the big screen. The alien world is a sandlot where Trachtenberg can come up with different situations and creatures to play with. It is a world that naturally lends itself to fun uses.
"Predator: Badlands" takes the "Predator" universe to a new world, both physically and emotionally, with Trachentberg taking the franchise to a place where limitless stories can be told. It takes the preestablished ideas of the past and builds on them in an effective and fun way, adding emotional depth to what was only the emotionless, crab-faced bad guy in previous films.
Carson's rating: 3.5/5