Like practically all horror franchises, the Predator series has had a higgledy-piggledy and random journey at cinemas. In fact, it’s been about as erratic as a drunken monkey on an e-scooter. From the sublime 80's classic (UK satirical website Daily Mash once memorably ran the headline saying “Predator is better than marriage, says survey”) to the decent first sequel, and then the other somewhat less memorable follow-ups (including the should-have-been-better AVP films). But things turned a bit of a corner with the unexpected acclaim and response given to Prey in 2022. Despite going straight to streaming on Disney+, it went down pretty well and recaptured some of the animalistic rush that the original Schwarzenegger epic had in spades. After this, Dan Trachtenberg (director of Prey) was seemingly given the keys to the franchise and carte blanche to go in new directions. First of all, we got Predator: Killer of Killers, an unexpectedly bloody and rather good feature-length animated anthology which explored other historical Yautja encounters to great effect. Not only that, and no spoilers here if you haven’t seen it, but the last thirty seconds have a cracking stinger which could have massive repercussions for future entries… if they keep it canon, that is. Enough of that, though, here’s the next official movie in the series, and it’s something very different. Directed again by Trachtenberg, this is the first entry in the franchise to have its “hero” character categorically be a Yautja and is (allegedly) the furthest along in the movie-verse timeline. So, if it bleeds…it can also be one of the leads. Is it enough reason to “Ged to da chopper” though?

 

In a (genuinely brilliant) opening sequence, we’re on Yautja Prime sometime in the distant future. The narrative follows a tracking exercise being undertaken by a masked Yautja. This culminates in a dynamic sparring session, which reveals the main character to be Dek (played physically with the requisite CG mandibles by Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, a New Zealand actor). Dek is considered a “runt”, slightly smaller and less powerful than others of his species, meaning that he is in very real danger of being killed, due to being a liability rather than an asset to the clan. This is all represented in a wonderfully effective way in just 10-15 minutes before the title screen finally flashes onscreen. To prove his worth, Dek chooses to kill a prey on the planet Genna, known as the” Death Planet” by his people, where an “unkillable” creature known as the Kalisk resides. Crash-landing on the surface, he is immediately stripped of most of his weaponry and nearly killed by the vegetation(!) However, as he starts tracking his bounty (whilst everything native on the planet tries to eat him), he stumbles across Thia (Elle Fanning), a severely damaged synthetic sent to Genna by Weyland Yutani (yes, from the “Alien” franchise) on a secret mission. Out of necessity and convenience, they become travelling partners and try to take down the unkillable foe.

 

If you didn’t know how to pronounce “Yautja” before this film, you won't have this problem afterwards. It’s referred to, like, a lot. Mostly by Thia, going for the perky and inquisitive card, and (just about) falling short of being annoying. At least she asks the same questions as most of us would (“Do you chew your food with your outer fangs or inner teeth?”). Having a specifically-named Yautja (which hasn’t happened before in live action) as the protagonist is a pretty bold concept for a new Predator film, and (for the most part) it pulls it off. Perhaps the best achievement of the narrative and movie is that Dek comes off as a genuinely believable and well-rounded character. Some of this is due in part to the quality of the superlative make-up/SFX on the Predator and the intuitive physicality of Schuster-Koloamatangi. Despite the sketchy alien morality of his species, the plot succeeds in making you empathise with him and root for his success. The first few scenes set up his potential, along with some (literal) universal themes, which is something that could quite easily have been fumbled badly. So, a thumbs-up for that element at least. When Dek clicks and roars, you can feel his anguish and lust for vengeance, as well as his search for honour and self-worth. Nice job.

 

Is it a Predator film, though, in the same way that Prey unequivocally was? Well, not really, no. However, that didn’t seem to harm the TV series of Alien: Earth much, and this feels like a comparable companion piece in some respects. After all, they are in the same cinematic universe. There were concerns when it was announced that the film was to be a 12A/PG-13 rating, with many fans assuming it was going to be “Disney-fied”, de-gored, or dumbed-down for family viewing. For the most part, this isn’t true. Bizarrely enough, the lack of bona fide humans in the tale has allowed for scenes where heads get stomped on, limbs are lopped off, decapitations are rife, and bodies are sliced open. One scene (in slow-mo) shows Dek literally bisecting a large rhino-like creature down the middle, leaving him holding a spine and some internal organs aloft. Apparently, if blood and internal workings are shades of green or white rather than red, you can literally get away with (visually graphic) murder.

 

That’s all well and good, but it does have to be said that the tone of the narrative does feel a little less mature in tone than the earlier entries. To be honest, the story works best when it embraces the ethos of the Yautja, and Dek plays up to the expectations of his clan. We get a taste of this at the beginning and through his first interactions with Thia. Incidentally, the old “universal translator” chestnut feels a little forced, enabling Fanning to speak English whilst Dek still speaks Yautja. It’s a shame that mainstream films still don’t have the guts to go full subtitle for fear of alienating the audience. Even “Prey” had a Comanche version, but you had to look for it. But their interplay is still nicely played out as Dek calls the synth a “tool” and is determined to get his trophy. This makes his shift into more “humanistic” sensibilities (or “alpha-wolf-stic”, it makes sense in the film) feel a little unwarranted and rushed. Some points of the plot feel like they’re based around moral lessons you might get in typical family fare rather than a kickass sci-fi. Hey kids, it’s alright to be different! You know the sort of thing. That occasional moment, along with the frustrating decision to insert a cute chimp-like character into the proceedings, feels like it might be providing those with a fear of Disney influence some more ammo for potshots.

 

Those slight concerns, along with some generically messy CGI battles, are the only real substantial gripes with the content, though. To be honest, the film looks great visually, despite the over-indulgence of VFX in practically every scene. The combination of stunning New Zealand vistas, along with classically framed sci-fi landscapes, works really well. There are Easter Eggs and little treats for fans of both the Predator and Alien franchises. We get the companies, synths, pulse rifles, and power-loaders from “Aliens”, and there are loads of nods to previous Predator films. Dek goes primal like a reverse-Schwarzenegger at key points, another character does the skull-spine thing, and the laser-sight from the shoulder cannon is in evidence multiple times. Also, watch out for a skull from an “Independence Day” alien in the trophy room! The universe is bigger than we thought!

 

A nod towards Fanning must be acknowledged as well. Although the quirkiness of Thia can grate at times, overall, it’s an appealing performance that showcases the actor’s skills. Especially (with no spoilers), as she is given the chance to exhibit the two extremes of her advanced type of synth and endears herself to others in the storyline. Kudos also to a great pounding soundtrack that harkens back to the heavy orchestral swirls of the first film and Prey. It does lean into some sequences that can either be brilliantly bonkers or face-palming weird. Where else are you going to see a pair of legs… just the legs… get into a slow-motion martial-arts scene, that ends with them scissoring an android's head off! It does veer close to one of Marvel’s generic Family-of-Misfits offerings towards the end, and that’s a formula that’s getting a little old, but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt here.

 

So that’s Badlands. Despite Trachtenberg talking up the Western genre and suchlike, this is a slightly barmy sci-fi actioner, which fans of Predator/Alien timeline will still get a kick out of, having the bonus option of taking their kids to see it as well. It’s not perfect, and it does skid into whimsical areas at times, but it’s still a pretty good shout-out this far into the franchise. Dek is genuinely a fascinating addition to the lore, and it will be interesting to see which elements from Prey and Badlands feed into Trachtenberg’s rumoured third entry into this apparent Trilogy. At the risk of sounding ghoulish, let’s hope for some human blood being spilt again next time. The teased appearance of some old faces would be welcome as well. Unless you have a good reason not to, and you are a fan of sci-fi horror, Yautja see this.