Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands is playing in theaters at the time of writing. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 14+
A young Predator outcast from his clan (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) finds an unlikely ally (Elle Fanning) on his journey in search of the ultimate adversary.
STORY: A-
The Predator takes center stage.
This isn’t a movie about humans (or Aliens) battling to survive. This time it’s Dek, the young Yautja warrior, who travels along the Hero’s Journey.
Putting the Predator in the lead role is a departure for this franchise, but it works. Writer-director Dan Trachtenberg (who also helmed the two previous installments, Prey and Killer of Killers) has brought boom times to the Predator franchise. We should all be excited to see where those three red dots pop up next.
PEOPLE: B
Doing a lot with a little.
Dr. Seuss’s publisher once bet him he couldn’t write a book using 50 specific words or less. The result? Green Eggs and Ham.
Limiting one’s options can create conditions where great art can grow. His performance won’t wind up as memorable as Dr. Seuss’s bedtime classic, but Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi works with what he’s got - body language, breath, and CGI’d eyes - and delivers a memorable performance that grounds the coming of age story.
Elle Fanning is fantastic as Thia, a synth-android sent to study the planet’s resources. Imagine taking a five year old who never stops asking questions and downloading Wikipedia into its brain. You’ll get an idea of the fun and humor Fanning adds to the movie, especially when you picture the Predator as exasperated parent.
FILM NEED STUFF: B+
Don’t stop to smell the flowers.
Dek’s mission carries him to an exotic planet where anything and everything can kill you at a moment’s notice. The world is colorful and gorgeous. It never fails to surprise,scare, or delight us.
ONE BIG LESSON: A
We can be more than what they ask of us.
On one hand, expectations are useful. They give you guidance and security. But expectations can also limit us, or worse, keep us from becoming the best version of ourselves.
A huge step on the path to growing up is learning when the things that once kept you safe start to hold you back from being all you can be. Be mindful when you first notice those advantages turning into disadvantages.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Predator purists need to know that this film diverges from the franchise’s familiar formula. For the first time, it’s about the Predator.
The film’s theme of expectations can be directed back toward us. Like Dek’s father has of him, many of us have expectations of what a Predator movie should be. And while classic Predator is a beautiful thing, we’d lose out on something special if we never explored what else the franchise is capable of.
If you walk through these Badlands with an open mind, I think your love of the franchise will soar.