The Reel Review
Ostracized as a runt by his ruthless warrior father, Yautja predator Dek ventures to the deadliest planet in the universe, where he stumbles across a badly-damaged, legless synthetic person during his quest to kill the legendary Kalisk apex predator. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi and Elle Fanning star in this sci-fi/action-adventure.
Working from a screenplay again co-written with his Prey collaborator Patrick Aison, director Dan Trachtenberg gives this more kid-friendly, PG-13 Predator film, the first with a predator as the main character, a sense of humor and a compelling story. The world building and visuals are actually quite impressive, with plenty of Alien franchise tie-ins (the Weyland-Utani corporation, its MUTHUR supercomputer, and pulse rifles). The CGI ranges from the occasionally dodgy to excellent (Dek’s face).
Fanning’s dual roles – as the chatty, friendly synth Thia and its more serious synth “sister” Tessa – ironically give the film about chosen family its more humorous and human elements, culminating in a spaghetti Western-styled finale. Critics will rightly complain that Predator: Badlands is a Disneyfied spin on the sci-fi franchise, but it also is an undeniably fun popcorn flick.
REEL FACTS
• In addition to playing the starring role, New Zealand native Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi also body doubled and provided the voice of his character’s father Njohrr.
• The Yautja language in the film was created by Paul R. Frommer, the linguist who developed the Na’vi language for 2009’s Avatar.
• Predator: Badlands was filmed on New Zealand’s North Island.
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