We Need More Blockbusters Like 'Predator: Badlands'

Somebody please give Dan Trachtenberg the keys to the 'Halo' franchise

Mild spoilers follow

I would classify the original Predator as a “guilty pleasure” film. The kind of silly action film that begins with this legendary, heavily memed handshake and ends with an equally goofy sendoff in the credits for all of the characters. The odd formula that makes that film so rewatchable certainly has something to do with the ensemble cast, something Shane Black (who actually was an actor in the first film) tried to recreate with his failed The Predator in 2018. But the real reason the franchise has endured has to do with the iconic Predator himself: it’s hilarious to think that the iconic look of the creature was a last-minute change from the strange, lizard-like design they originally shot with (played by Jean-Claude Van Damme, no less). The original film throws so many hints at the alien hunter’s culture and background, until the final face reveal at the end of the movie (spawning a memorable quote from Schwarzenegger that I will not repeat here). The little hints at lore in both this film and Predator 2 transformed the titular character from a one-note villain into an entire race and culture of intriguing mercenaries.

Dan Trachtenberg certainly found a way to build upon the mystery, first with his 2022 film Prey, which pitted a Predator against a young Comanche warrior in 1719. The film, while praised critically, unfortunately was dumped unceremoniously on Hulu, and for all I know this very well might be the first time you’re hearing about it. But it was enough of a success on streaming that he got another chance to fulfill his dream of making a theatrical Predator film, and when the time came, he delivered.

Predator: Badlands once again flips conventions by following a young Predator- or a “Yautja”- named Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) who journeys on a quest to find the biggest, most dangerous prey he can find. Without spoiling too much, the beginning of this movie is surprisingly emotional, as we learn about young Dek’s family life and his tenuous relationship with his father, the leader of their Clan, and his close relationship with his older brother, Kwei, who protects Dek from his father’s wrath. All of this family tension motivates Dek to prove himself with a hunt, sending him to the “death planet” of Genna, where he is to kill the massive beast known as the Kalisk.

He ends up being joined by a broken android- or a “synthetic”- that he finds named Thia (Elle Fanning), who offers to help him on his quest if he can bring her back to be repaired. I don’t consider this a spoiler since this has been well advertised in the trailers, but Thia’s inclusion as a “synthetic” marks a crossover with the Alien franchise, for the first time since 2007’s disastrous Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem, but I can assure you no xenomorphs appear in this film.

That’s all the plot details I’ll give, but I must say I was surprised by how…heartwarming this movie is?

Don’t get me wrong, for a PG-13 film it still carries the franchise’s penchant for gory action (although expect more blue, green, and white blood than red), but the screenplay by Patrick Aison is remarkable in how it balances smart action with character development. This film has far less characters than the original film, but they are no less memorable. The first 30 minutes of the film or so are all in the “Yautja” language (with subtitles, of course) and yet they are effective in making you care for Dek and root for him for the rest of the film. Same goes for Elle Fanning’s character Thia, who initially serves as “human” comic relief before she reveals she has much more going on beneath the surface, as an android who was programmed with emotions she begins to develop a bond with Dek and help him through his own recent grief.

This film continues to prove that the team over at 20th Century Fox, led by Steve Asbell, very much know what they are doing when it comes to blockbuster filmmaking, despite being under the Disney label. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and Alien: Romulus both served as effective reboots for their franchises while still staying true to the core of why people love them and introducing exciting, fully realized new characters. One wonders what this team could have done with Star Wars had they gotten a chance at being the ones to reboot it.

Overall if you like science fiction and are hungering for something outside of the typical fare that is being offered (which isn’t much) I would take a gander at this film, even if you’ve never seen a Predator film.

And if you need an excuse to watch the original, I’ll give you another: