After the successful release of “PREY” revived the franchise, “Predator: Badlands” returns the franchise to cinemas with an action-laden adventure.
The film stars Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi as Dek, a young Yautja attempting to make his name and earn a place within his clan.
Considered a runt, a series of events sees him face tragedy and be cast out, and determined to earn his place by hunting an unkillable beast on a planet laden with deadly creatures.
Dek’s arrival at the planet soon finds him battling to stay alive, and he encounters a broken Synthetic named Thea (Elle Fanning), who teams with Dek on his mission. Despite seeing Thea as a “tool” due to a code of hunting alone, the two bond through the challenges they face.
Much of the plot is fairly evident from the trailers leading up to release, but the film soon hits the gas with numerous deadly creatures and situations that Dek and Thea must contend with. The evil Weyland-Yutani corporation from the “Alien” franchise indeed looms large as the trailers implied, and their agendas make for a very interesting dynamic as it allows for Dek to be seen in a more sympathetic way and we learn more about his people.
There has been some concern with the PG-13 rating, but the film has plenty of violence and intense action; it is just contained to blood of different shades and types, which allows for the action fans would expect.
I enjoyed it from start to finish as the performances, visuals, and expanded lore made it an engaging ride that I loved.
Director Dan Trachtenberg has now crafted three films in the Predator universe and seems to clearly understand the lore while trying to expand upon it. Hopefully, audiences will see a new Predator outing from him soon as the movie delivers and is one of the best action films of the year.
4 stars out of 5
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