Review - PREDATOR: BADLANDS

I went to see the latest installment in the Predator series of movies, PREDATOR: BADLANDS, expecting to see a gritty, somewhat gorey, perhaps a little, above a “B” movie action/adventure sci-flick flick.

Instead I got a variant on the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY style of film.

And that isn’t necessarily, a bad thing.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg (the previous 2 installments in the Predator series, PREY and the animated PREDATOR: KILLER OF KILLERS), Predator:Badlands follows “runt of the litter” Predator, Dek who goes to the most dangerous planet in their galaxy (the aforementioned Badlands) to prove his worth.

Trachentenberg, as is his style, takes what is good of the Predator series and then turns it on it’s head (or maybe on it’s side) and he does so here to great affect.

The first 1/4 of the film looks like your “typical” Predator movie, showing the background of the Predator’s on their home planet as the clans cull the weak, sending our hero, Dek on his journey of discovery - and growth.

What makes this film interesting is that Trachtenberg then melds the Predator series with the Alien series, not through a “Alien vs. Predator” battle, but through an encounter with the Weylan-Yutani organization in the guise of synthetic being Thia (Elle Fanning).

Dex and Thia (and another creature that I won’t spoil) form a ragtag group that works together to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds.

A familiar formula, right? But in Trachtenberg’s capable hands, it works very, very well.

Fanning is interesting in the duel roles of Thia/Tessa and brings heart and comradeship with Dex to the fore, providing a core duo that the audience is rooting for.

It’s an interesting twist for the Predator series - and one that works well, thanks to Trachtenberg and sets an interesting precedent for future Predator films to come.

Letter Grade: A- (I’m hust as surprised as you are).

8 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)