'Predator: Badlands' Is Worth Hunting Down Tickets For
The Predator films continue to inspire. Predator: Badlands is a film I didn't know I always wanted to see. It takes all the elements of a monster movie and removes all the dull stuff. No boring human characters, no convoluted disaster plot, just plain old-fashioned fun. Unlike most monster genres, Predator featured memorable human characters, whether it was the musclebound 80s tough guys from the original or the Native Americans from Prey. Aside from the recent projects in which Dan Trachtenberg has been involved, we didn't get a lot of character development to remember the films by.
Predator: Badlands does something very different. It is a Predator movie where the protagonist is one of the Predators. Some fans might take issue with this movie's narrative choices. Issues that made me appreciate the film. The first problem that may arise for longtime Predator puritans is that, for once, we see a fully rounded Predator character. Throughout the franchise (from my rough understanding), the Predators were silent, emotionless killing machines. They didn't abide by logic or sympathy. Just plain testosterone. It's about who's the toughest more than who's the kindest. Predators had only one feeling. Rage, which gave the movies the emotional complexity of an NFL game. In Badlands, we actually get to know one of the creatures and learn why it goes on the hunt.
The film is your typical family tragedy. The movie opens with a scene involving a family of Predators, where the neglectful father will do anything to be the head tribesman at the expense of his children's well-being. The father isn't just abusive. He's straight evil to the point where even Donald Trump would take a step back. After we get through the explosive opening, our protagonist, Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi), is on the hunt for the film's MacGuffin, the Kalisc. It's not an object but a creature Dek must kill to prove his worthiness to his dad, earning him a spot back in his tribe. Along the way, Dek runs into Thia (Elle Fanning), an android whose legs have been severed. The relationship between synthetic and organic beings evolves naturally. Thia teaches Dek about compassion. In one memorable scene, Thia discusses sympathy, which Dek retorts is weakness. Unlike a Predator's dogmatic mindset, Thia argues that sympathy is the key to knowledge, which develops a greater strength than physical prowess.
This scene is fantastic in two ways. One, we see a Predator learning something other than killing, while the writers inform the audience that knowledge is a finer thing to hone than physicality. It's sort of an anti-violent statement within an action movie that relishes in harmful acts. Also, have we ever seen a Predator speak before? We've seen them howl, but have we ever seen them actively communicate? It's refreshing to see how a Predator is smart enough to build spaceships and invisible camouflage. They're not just dumb killing machines. They have brains, but only use them to exterminate other things since they're intergalactic tyrants.
Fans might want the Yautja Prime residents to be mute plot devices, but we're past that. Furthermore, it would be nice to see more movies take this approach. How about a King Kong or Godzilla movie starring Kong or Godz instead of cutting to some boring scientist? Although PG-13, this film doesn't need an R rating since it doesn't feature a bunch of foul-mouthed soldiers. Plus, the Predator movies were hardly graphically violent. This isn't like Live Free or Die Hard, which robbed the Die Hard franchise of its identity by making a generic blockbuster aimed at pleasing families.
Predator left an open slate for filmmakers to do whatever they wanted with the story. It only took about 35 years, but someone finally saw the potential to take Predator not only in one different direction, but several unique places. From Native Americans to Futile Japan to the Predators themselves, Dan Trachtenberg has a far greater grasp on this property than anyone could have imagined within its limited yet vast wheelhouse. It's not just about big, muscled dudes spouting one-liners. It's about our inherent need for dominance. The animalistic instincts that living creatures contain. Plus a ton of awesome action. Predator: Badlands might give the Yautjas personalities, but it still has a very basic, predictable story. In this case, I'm fine with that since Dek and Thia are such engaging characters. Thanks to a loveable performance from Elle Fanning, an awesome lead character, and a tribalistic score that slaps, Predator: Badlands is a hunt worth taking.
