Predator: Badlands is available on Digital including Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home, and is streaming on Hulu and Hulu-on-Disney+. The film arrives on 4K, Blu-Ray and DVD on February 17 from 20th Century Studios.
One franchise I’m proud to have seen stabilize over the years is Predator. Other action/sci-fi franchises have seen plenty of hurdles in trying to find ways to stay fresh and self-sustenant, and Predator nearly suffered the same fate at one point.
It is inviting, however, that a decision was made for the titular alien hunter/warrior to bare both the roles of antagonist and protagonist depending on the conditions of the story at hand. That was back in 1989, and with Paul W.S. Anderson’s own sci-fi crossover with Alien VS Predator and its subsequent 2007 sequel, that depth now carries much more through the efforts of director Dan Trachtenberg with Predator: Badlands.
Trachtenberg has been on a hot streak with this franchise too. His 2022 revival, Prey, was precisely the reset button that needed hitting for the IP to regain its potency, and with the production another live-action standalone that now puts New Zealand actor Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi in costume, along with Elle Fanning and a band of new characters that not only build and enrich the Alien/Predatorverse even more than before.
Even better is a script that coheses every step of the way as a tale of character-building struggle and redemption set against the backdrop of harrowing terrain, coupled with explosive family drama and creatures of all sizes both personable and fearsome. In the case of young Yautja, Dek (Schuster-Koloamatangi), his goal is to earn his cloak and finally become a member of his clan, but not before learning exactly just how much his piece of shit father hates him. This all takes place in the first twenty minutes as Dek, grief-stricken and vengeful, is automatically ushered by his brother’s ship to the treacherous planet of Genna where he deters to capture and kill his Chan’s most feared beast, the Kalisk.
What follows is a propulsive journey of survival, growth and introspection, and what family really means when Dek befriends an abandoned Weyland-Yutani synth named Thia (Fanning), and a young beast that Thia fondly gives the name, Bud. Several twists eventually cause things to unravel between Dek and Thia as both parties have their sights set on a certain goal, and come to learn just how high the stakes are for each other as outcasts of their own group. Together with the youthful and equally-skilled Bud, the trio team-up against Weyland-Yutani’s armed synth army led by Thia’s sister-synth, Tessa (Fanning), who intends to complete her objective for the corporation by any means necessary.
I didn’t get to see this movie in theaters during its run, but I have been graced with the chance to review this film during its digital rollout and ahead of its disc release. Additionally, I pride myself on not spoiling myself with any clips so as to retain my reactions as fresh as possible, which I feel compliments my reviews a little more. I don’t necessarily know if there were a lot of folks who took issue with the film considering how finicky sci-fi fandom can be, but I pretty much have nearly nothing but good things to say when it comes to Trachtenberg and his treatment of this franchise thusfar. Prey was only the beginning, and I love how he’s kept the vibe up with Predator: Badlands.
Schuster-Koloamatangi is a relatively new face on the radar for a lot of us, and I feel like this film was only the beginning. He’s purely commendable in the role of Dek along with Fanning, whose dual capacity as Thia and Tessa bring range and veracity to her screen presence. One remarkable aspect when it comes to the Yautja character design is given a quick spotlight early on when Thia asks Dek about how he chews his food. It also compliments the production’s use of both practical and digital effects to bring characters to life, in addition to the action, which at a few points in the story sees Thia making use of whichever limbs she has at her disposal. She’s half a body for most of the film with her legs missing, so when you’re watching these action scenes, know that assistant fight coordinators Vincent Bouillon and Kazu Patrick Tang did plenty to put their heads together to make this a fun ride.
I would go a little more into the Bud character, but there isn’t too much I can express without spoiling if you’re like me and completely new to it. What I will say is that whenever I see that character, I can’t help but hear the line “‘Ohana’ means family” (you know the movie), which honestly compliments both the role, and the story in my view. Beyond that, I don’t know what else lies ahead for 20th Century Studios and its intentions for the Alien/Predatorverse beyond a new season development of Noah Hawley’s Alien: Earth series drama. It would be amazing if Dek’s story continued, and while I’m not sure that will be the case as the film was announced as a standalone and these films tend to be singular in their applications. That said, and with Predator: Badlands in the rearview, how badass would it be if Dutch and Dek ended up battling a bunch of Weyland-Yutani assholes to save Earth? That would be a thing of beauty.
