Predators: Badlands works best when it’s dealing with the organic. In the soft, frictionless world of so many computer-generated tentpole spectacles, there’s a textured sensuality to the world crafted by director Dan Trachtenberg that’s undeniably appealing. The scaled, rippled skin of the Predator has a certain kind of beauty; its hollowed out face, golden eyes and expressive mandibles tap into something primal and exciting. The extraterrestrial world is rich in oozing lifeforms and even the synthetic curves of the film’s humanoid characters, androids designed to explore the inhospitable planet, feel embodied; their skin delicate, apt to rip and scar.
The film opens with an exile, as Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), the “runt of the litter,” is cast from his Yautja clan (the Predator species). He goes on the hunt for a great beast to prove that he is worthy, with his ultimate plan to return home to enact revenge. It’s not long before he finds a damaged android, Thia (Elle Fanning), who promises to guide Dek to his trophy if he helps her reunite with her legs and sister. The pair start off with something akin to a working relationship that eventually blooms into a friendship as together they find power in their shared weaknesses.
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The characters in the film are undeniably likeable, particularly as their relationship comes together through comfortable but well done odd couple banter. Dek and Thia eventually encounter a third member of their clan, a strange (and almost annoyingly adorable) creature that looks like a cross between a French bulldog and Toothless the Dragon. The unlikely group embarks on a journey that unfolds like levels in a video game with each beat presenting a new obstacle to conquer and each victory paired with inoffensive, if predictable, lessons about friendship and loyalty. Everyone lives, learns and grows; they all become better “people.”
It’s a movie that inevitably lacks any real edge in terms of characterisation, opting for crowd-pleasing over tension. Despite the film’s violence, it often feels more like The Mandalorian than a movie in the Predator franchise. For all the audiences that will latch onto the more wholesome “Island of Misfit Toys” vibes, it will also likely alienate some of the more die hard fans seeking something a little edgier and more adult.
The worst part of the film though, is that it is one of many recent Blockbuster films that inevitably has a whole pivotal act that takes place in a nondescript warehouse and glorified parking lot. Considering the film’s attention to detail in creating a planet brimming with unusual lifeforms, it is an absolute waste to relegate the film’s climax to what looks like a dark backlot. Compared to the expansive world-building of most of the film, it seems particularly egregious and almost undoes all the good will the film had accumulated.
That being said, Predators: Badlands remains largely fun. The world feels rich with imagination, forged by filmmakers who clearly love the franchise deeply. The performances are strong and driven by relatable emotional arcs. While everything comes together in a fairly predictable way, it’s no less satisfying. In a world of bloated Blockbusters overwhelmed by subplots and dull exposition, there’s something appealing about an action sci-fi that gets to the point without much flab.
Predators: Badlands might not be on the level of Trachtenberg’s 2022 Predator spin-off, Prey, but it has its pleasures. It’s a smart kind of stupid that hits the lowest common denominator in terms of story as a means of revelling in the strangeness of the world building. Each scene serves its purpose and the movie, running not much longer than 100 minutes, never wears out its welcome.