Review by C.J. Bunce
The eighth movie in the Predator franchise finally delivered a worthy follow-up to the original movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers. After the 2022 Hulu TV prequel story Prey, it’s back to a big effects movie with a more cinematic, sci-fi blockbuster vibe with 20th Century Studios and director Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator: Badlands. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi plays Dek, a Predator ready to test its mettle, but it’s Elle Fanning as a discarded cyborg Synthetic named Thia and two CGI characters that make this not only a great Predator movie but a great movie from the Alien franchise, too. It might as well be called Alien vs Predator III.
The franchise is finally embracing the tie-in use of the word Yautja for the race of Predator hunters. In a catastrophic start where he’s rejected by his father for being the weakest link, the Yautja Dek heads to a selected death planet called Genna to seek the unkillable Kalisk. To any other culture Dek is strong and brave, but he’s young and impetuous with truly not enough savvy to survive much beyond the crash landing on the planet. He hunts alone, but thankfully Thia comes to the rescue.
As for the look of Dek, Studio Gillis designed an alien suit body, while Dek’s face was created via motion capture computer animation. So this is the best look yet at the Predators up close. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), Wētā FX, and other effects studios came together for every frame to bring in all the CGI effects. It doesn’t get off to the best start, because audiences now are so familiar with AI creations that all the rapid movements and pretty impossible swinging across the jungle that Dek must do to get past several CGI arbor threats all seems to border on uncanny valley issues. It also may remind you of all the bouncing around of the Hulk in the early Marvel/Sony Hulk movies and Yoda in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith. It’s a little cartoony, but once Thia comes along and we see more practical effects the look settles in and anything deficient is easy to overlook because of the great path the story takes.
Thia is a Synth missing her lower half, telling Dek that she worked for Weyland-Yutani, the corporate tyrants blanketing the galaxy looking for the next creature to use as a tool to decimate a planet or enemy. But Thia learned the Kalisk’s reputation is accurate, with her as the only evidence of a battle where it destroyed her research post. Elle Fanning doesn’t let the opportunity go to bring some of her sparkling personality to the ordinarily drone-like variety of Synths. She also taps Anthony Daniels’ performance as C-3PO in The Empire Strikes Back–straped to Chewbacca’s back. It’s not just the likeness and situation that is similar, but her nonstop friendly chatter is both familiar and it works. Dek is stubborn, however, and shuns her help. Along the way they meet a small CGI creation, an alien Thia names Bud. That’s all before Dek and Thia must face the Kalisk.
Why the Kalisk can’t be killed is a brilliant twist. An even better twist takes us on a ride that calls back to the science fiction classic film Enemy Mine. The villain behind the curtain in every movie with Weyland-Yutani is always going to be Weyland-Yutani, even if there is no corporate wonk standing there on the screen. This may be the best movie yet to depict the Alien franchise’s soulless corporate entity, bent on destroying all of existence if its owners somewhere far away can turn a profit. It’s even more brilliant that it’s an Alien franchise story that doesn’t advertise it’s an Alien franchise story… and its signature aliens–the Xenomorphs–aren’t anywhere to be found. And they aren’t missed at all.
You might also find yourself comparing the journey as something from your weekly Dungeons & Dragons roleplay game. Science fiction movies are usually easy to parse compared to space fantasy movies. We really have no fantasy or magic here, yet the variety of alien creatures do make this something out of the D&D Monster Manual. The sharp grass is a superb idea. You may even catch similarities to Dek, Thia, and Bud’s quest as sharing the same cinematographic language as Peter Jackson’s Tolkien movies.
The best of the CGI includes the two engaging planetside beasts and the use of Thia’s legs as their own entity. That’s right, Thia is able to fight in a sort of Jumanji dance fight/martial arts style separate from her torso and head, and the scenes are extraordinary and realistic.
But it’s a story by writer/director/producer Dan Trachtenberg filled with coming of age elements, superhero tropes, fantasy vibes, and heart that will make viewers remember this entry for a long time. The enemy of my enemy is my friend? It’s one of the best tropes. And now we have a Synth with Fanning’s face, which should mean we get more movies. The ending is exciting and satisfying, the story’s third act that usually lets us down in this kind of action-heavy story becomes the best part of the movie. The set-up for a sequel is perfect, and without any unnecessary cliffhanger.
Exciting, action packed, great acting, and it even has heart. You might even see an homage to MacGyver. It may be as good as the best of the bunch, Predator (1987), and easily surpasses the sequels, Predator 2 (1990), Predators (2010), The Predator (2018), and Prey (2022), plus the crossover movies Aliens vs Predator (2010) and Aliens vs Predator: Requiem (2007). It’s the best kind of big sci-fi to start out the year. Don’t miss this one. Predator: Badlands is now streaming with the Disney+/Hulu bundle.
