It is rare that a sci-fi movie surprises me, and even rarer that a Predator flick (after the first one ) does it. I shouldn’t have been that caught off guard. I really loved Prey, directed by Trachtenberg. His follow-up killer of killers was also pretty good. I just thought it took the lore in some weird directions. So, I was guarded regarding Badlands. I knew I was going to see it, so after the first trailer, I kept away from pre-knowledge and tried to go in with an open mind, and I was blown away.
I had doubts about how you could make a movie about a predator when they had always been the antagonist, but all it took was a simple twist: to make the predator Dutch (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Dek is a runt of the Yautja and, as such, is marked for killing lest he bring shame to the clan. In turn, he undertakes a hunt for the most dangerous game in the galaxy (thank the gods it’s not a xenomorph) and spends the whole movie as the underdog. He arrives at the home of the Kalisk and immediately finds the entire planet is trying to kill him. He meets Thia, a synth (android) from the Weyland-Yutani corporation, and reluctantly allows her to join him as a source of knowledge on the local fauna and flora. The two soon find themselves joined by a diminutive native of Genna. Dek’s interactions with the environment and his companions lead him to grow and develop, maybe more than any other character in the series.
I don’t want to spoil too much of the plot, but it’s filled with found family, great action, and a climactic showdown with the evil corporation. It’s also one that calls out to be seen on the big screen. So head out to your local Cineplex and check this one out.
Pop Culture Kaiju 