“Predator: Badlands” is the latest entry into the long running Predator franchise. It follows an alien Yautja, Dek, who hunts a legendary, unkillable creature on the hostile planet Genna to prove worthiness in his tribe, teaming up with a quirky human android along the way.
The film opens on a fight between Dek and his older brother Kwei. Kwei was ordered by their father, the tribal leader, to kill Dek, for their culture does not tolerate weakness, and Dek is the runt of the litter. Though Dek fights competently, it is clear that he is far weaker than Kwei. Kwei nearly kills Dek, but chooses to defy his father’s orders and spare him. This opening is a very well choreographed sequence that showcases the combat prowess and the enhanced technology of the Yautja.
Dek and Kwei return to their tribe. Through their conversation, it is clear that the two hold affection for one another, something that is ridiculed in their culture. In an effort to save Dek from the wrath of their tribe, Kwei brings up the traditional way of proving oneself in their culture: a great hunt. Each member of their tribe has to pick one powerful creature to hunt. Dek picks the infamous Kalisk, a beast hailed as unkillable.
Soon after, Dek and Kwei’s father returns, upset at Kwei’s failure to kill Dek. Their father tries killing Dek himself, but Kwei sacrifices himself, allowing Dek to escape to the planet of the Kalisk. Soon after, Dek finds a human-made android named Thia, who was separated from her research group after an attack from the Kalist. She strikes up a deal with Dek, assisting him throughout their travels.
I thoroughly enjoyed this film. It was a beacon of creativity, with sprawling alien landscapes and interesting creatures being showcased throughout the movie.
The CGI on all the aliens was great; there were no points where it felt uncanny or overwhelmingly fake. My favorite of these alien creatures was this one that Dek had to fight early on. It was this massive, tentacle-monster thing that tried to eat Dek and his friends with a giant, sharp-toothed mouth.
The environments shown throughout the film were also very well made. From the barren wasteland of the Yautja planet to the sprawling forests and grasslands of Genna, each environment was distinct and alive. Genna was especially impressive, as it felt like a true, living habitat for all the strange creatures.
If you’re into action, this movie is definitely for you. Every single fight scene felt unique, fun, and creative. Dek fights each creature differently, adapting to their natural abilities and using the surrounding landscape to his advantage. The final fight scene is especially satisfying, as Dek uses the things he learned about Genna and its wildlife to battle an army of enemies.
While many aspects of this film are great, there are a few points where it feels overly corny or downright stupid. The most glaring example of this takes place in the final battle. Early in the film, Dek encounters a river that is teeming with these acid-spitting slug creatures. Dek enlists one of these for the fight to act as a mounted turret, and it precisely hits all its targets with pinpoint precision. It felt really unrealistic and ruined some of the film’s continuity. Why was this random, seemingly mindless slug-creature given so much consciousness? And why was it so loyal to Dek? All he did was give it a handful of berries. These criticisms were only amplified when the slug was given a dramatic, slow-motion death scene, where it willingly sacrifices itself to save Dek’s life.
In all, “Predator: Badlands” is a thoroughly enjoyable film. It has masterfully crafted environments, world building, aliens, and action. Though there are a few minor flaws, this film is definitely worth seeing on the big screen.
