Directed By Dan Trachtenberg

Starring – Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi

The Plot – A young Predator outcast from his clan finds an unlikely ally (Fanning) on his journey in search of the ultimate adversary.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of strong sci-fi violence.

Predator: Badlands | Official Trailer

POSITIVES

After family-friendly Disney purchased the rights to this brutally gruesome franchise, there were some preconceived fears in my expectations for the future of this franchise, that didn’t give me the greatest of confidence, however Trachtenberg proves once again that he’s the shot of adrenaline that this property needs to prosper for another generation, with him taking more creative chances than anything that he attempted in either “Prey” or “Predator: Killer of Killers”. For starters, it’s the first time in this nearly forty year franchise that we’ve followed the Predator (Here called Dek of the Yautja), instead of a human protagonist, allowing us more time to experience the character building away from hunting, which the film takes ample time fleshing out a compelling family arc pertaining to redemption, which grounds him humanly without taking away the alluring mystique of the character. In fact, there’s a bit of a nature versus nurture kind of parallel in the dynamic between Dek and Fanning’s Thia that feeds all the more fluently to the film’s overarching theme about family being what you make of them, and with plenty of opportunity to experience the coming of age perspective that sees Dek ostracized as the weakest link of this group of Yautja’s, we receive more than enough empathy in the vulnerability of the character that allowed me to invest in him seamlessly, all the while bringing along the grit and resiliency of the character, on account of his interaction with the unforgiving planet known as Genna. This is yet another chance that Trachtenberg takes, and incredibly succeeds at, as not only does his direction lend itself effortlessly towards crafting this distinguished setting as a dangerously unpredictable atmosphere that conquers the immense task of making the Predator feel like the prey, but also helps underline the many indulging action set pieces of this science-fiction heavy film with an urgency and intensity commanding of the tremendous eye for detail that Dan has towards pushing a PG-13 rating as far as he possibly can. Considering the movie features no human characters among our leads, the lack of blood actually feels fully justified for once, yet doesn’t take away from the barbaric nature of this character’s expressive will to survive, especially while decimating an army of anabolic adversaries sent from a franchise-familiar corporation, and it led to some legitimately speculative moments in the compromised well-being of the character, that honestly had me on the edge of my seat while playing against the odds that are often in The Predator’s favor, but here brandishes a palpable vulnerability in a foreign land and personal inexperience articulated against his disposition. The action is also enhanced by such an absorbing element of intricate sound design that coherently articulates the heft and impact of so many creatively constructed species, courtesy of the film’s advantageous 100 million dollar budget used to flesh out their audible and physical designs accordingly. While the mind can immediately decipher what is artificial, on account of depicting so many exotic creatures, I can safely assess that the C.G utilized in the film doesn’t stand out in ways that are artificially distracting to the interpretation, instead rendering everything from textures to emotive registries that only emphasize the overhanging tragic element of so many species forced to endure a fight for survival on the daily, and with expansive depth in the cinematography immersing us in such a planet, there’s evidence that can be found in every visual that the production spared no cent towards maximizing a big screen appeal, which is another welcoming benefit compared to Trachtenberg’s two aforementioned Predator films, which were tragically released straight-to-streaming. Beyond all of this, the film is also acted exceptionally from both Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, with the former enacting a dichotomy in a dual role as anabolic sisters, and the latter earning an opportunity to take a Predator further emotionally than anyone portraying them has ever been given. As Thia and Tessa, Fanning renders two sides to the sibling equation that not only allows each of them to stand out diversely on composure and emotionality, despite their visual likeness, but also Fanning’s tremendous range as an actress, which can make us fall in love with one of them, while inspiring us to hate the other, and while her turn as Thia did eventually conjure some unforeseen problems with my first time experience, I find it fascinating how her artificial character is what ultimately gives the movie the humbling heart needed to push such an emerging family narrative, cementing what I truly feel is Fanning’s most commanding work in nearly a decade. As for Schuster-Koloamatangi, there’s a real vitality in conscience that permeates breathlessly in the depths of his very complex portrayal, despite being condensed under a combination of practical and C.G designs to accentuate his character, and while he’s every bit imposing as this killing machine, in the many moments his back is against a wall to survive, it’s honestly those earnest moments of interaction with Thia, with attaining knowledge, that feel most integral on the uniqueness and originality of his portrayal, brandishing a Kane Hodder-like impact for a previously established character, in that he now feels integrally synonymous with the casting of the character.

NEGATIVES

While a majority of Trachtenberg’s decisions do materialize something beneficial towards the integrity of this eighth Predator installment, there were some ambitious leaps that didn’t resonate as endearingly to me, particular the tonal consistency, which relies a bit too heavily on the Disney brand quirkiness that feels designed to be safe for family members of all ages. This is not to say that the comedy wasn’t effective at times, as this initially neurotic interaction between Dek and Thia did supplant a few legitimate laughs to appraise levity to the experience, it’s just that there are moments when it leans a bit too heavily in its dependency towards it, soon sacrificing the ominousness and mystique of the titular character and their surrounding world, which is among my favorite aspects of this decorated franchise. As can be expected with Disney, there’s a firm focus on cute and cuddly characters that feels geared to sell toys to childlike audiences who ironically will be too young to see this movie, but the real problem is how those moments involving humility make this installment feel so much different from any previous installment in the franchise, even Trachtenberg films included, and for my money, I wish that his direction scaled back on more of the mainstream indulgences, which don’t always feel naturally manufactured in this distinct brand of atmosphere. Speaking of forcefully manufactured, the script is also plagued by clumsy bouts of exposition-heavy transitions in backstory, especially during the opening act, which not only halt the progress of the narrative directly in its tracks, but also construct a battle for focus between the two aforementioned protagonists, which surmises its own problem towards my investment. It’s not that I hated the Thia character, it’s just that her initial interactions with Dek leave her grating on my nerves, in ways that weren’t as compelling as this rare opportunity to live alongside a Predator, and while I would love to say that this is a problem with the storytelling that eventually resolves itself, I regret to say that it feels like this becomes Thia’s film by the movie’s second half, a fact that feels prominent with the imbalance of paid focus pertained to the film’s two endings, with far more time and impactful emphasis paid to Thia’s conflict with her twin sister. Considering the first act of the movie outlines this road to redemption and revenge that seemingly paves the way for where this film will eventually resolve itself, I was a bit dejected to see that Dek’s arc resolves itself in ways that feel like a rushed and tacked-on addition to the film’s climax, rather than the base of what the storytelling builds towards. This is alleviated a bit with a mid-credits scene directly after the title screen, which hints at a sequel taking an original route in the Predator lore, but I can’t help but feel a little deflated with how the arc is handled in the film’s most defining moments, especially with some illogical instances in the outline of the situation that didn’t make sense the longer that I thought about them.

OVERALL
“Predator: Badlands” continues its recent resurgence in the mainstream eye with Dan Trachtenberg ambitiously attempting some originally enticing directions in the lore of a nearly 40-year franchise, and despite stumbles with an overly dependent comedic tone, which strips away some of the ambiance of the atmosphere, the film reinvents itself in order to prolong its lifespan. Featuring heartily humbling turns from Elle Fanning and Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, as well as an abundant budget that vividly fleshes out the exotic escapism of both this dangerously devastating world and its mystifying species, this eighth installment proves that this series still has many engaging stories left to tell, slicing us a piece of scintillating science fiction mere weeks before Oscars season begins.

My Grade: 7.8 or B-