'Predator: Badlands': Hunter becomes hunted, with mixed results

Los Angeles (tca/dpa) – Siblings. Parents. Clan. Sacrifice and grief. Symbiosis versus exploitation. Nature versus nurture; the environment against the machines. Of course, we’re talking about the tensions in “Predator: Badlands.” Director Dan Trachtenberg (“10 Cloverfield Lane”) has played around in this universe before, to better effect in the 2022 prequel “Prey.” This new standalone film focuses on Yautja culture, making a hero out of the franchise’s familiar alien foe by turning predator into prey. As a sci-fi action-adventure romp, “Badlands” works fine. But the film is hampered by an identity crisis, unwilling to commit to that genre or to being a standard-issue “Predator” kill fest. Forget about matching “Prey,” a film that fits into this cinematic universe while being its own unique beast. Key motifs are spelled out quickly in Badlands. A mantra is shown from the codex of the Yautja, the titular invisibility-cloaked murder machines with lasers and blades that hunt other apex predators for sport: “Yautja are prey to none. Friend to none. Predator to all.” Wouldn't you know it: All three of those pillars get challenged in the movie’s 100-odd minutes. Cut to: a young Yautja, hunting. It’s a practice quest on the alien's home planet. Our hero, Dek ( Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi ), is the runt of the litter. Perceived by his father as the clan’s weakest link, Dek is training with his older brother, Kwei ( Michael Homick ), for his inaugural hunt. In order to earn his invisibility cloak, the younger Yautja must travel to a distant world to slay its greatest predator, returning with a trophy — or not at all. Propelled by his father’s disdain, Dek says he will conquer the unkillable Kalisk on Genna, the planet of death, to prove his worth. But before Dek can, Kwei defies his clan’s code and his father’s command, sacrificing himself to save Dek, who rockets off to Genna. There, he vows to hunt the Kalisk then return home to avenge his brother. It’s a rough landing: Dek immediately becomes prey to all. Most of his arsenal is stolen by a serpentine vine-monster. Blades of grass are razor-sharp. A sluglike alien, seemingly innocuous, glows and expands in Dek’s hand — then detonates. A tiny armadillo-monkey with the puppy-dog eyes of a French bulldog proves to be among the fiercest predators on the planet. Dek soon recognizes he’s in over his massive, CGI-enhanced head. Enter Elle Fanning’s Thia, a humanoid synthetic working for the sinister Weyland-Yutani Corp. She can communicate with Dek and the planet’s creatures … and she happens to be looking for the same beast. Dek insists that Yautja hunt alone; Thia retorts that they also tend to die that way. To survive on this planet, Dek will have to challenge his clan’s code. It's a decent action movie that wears its influences on its sleeves. Some feel like intentional homages; others feed into the aforementioned identity crisis. Taking a page from the “Avatar” franchise, “Badlands” created an impressive original language for the Yautja; that James Cameron universe is a major influence, from Dek's crash landing to the flora and fauna of Genna — and how our hero must learn to respect and utilize both while on his hunt. But, unsure of what it wants to be, “Badlands” loses steam down the stretch. The final battle is Cameron’s “Aliens” meets “Godzilla vs. Kong.” The home planet of the Yautja nods to “Mad Max,” while Genna looks more like Kong’s Skull Island . The movie feels at times like a chapter in the expanded “Star Wars” universe (toting a franchise-first PG-13 rating, to boot). The plot drifts toward Greek tragedy, a la “Oedipus Rex,” and repeatedly veers toward buddy-comedy territory. Most of Thia's comic relief bits fall flat. Ultimately, “Badlands” is a fun weekend watch for your home cinema — but it won’t leave a lasting impression. The following information is not intended for publication tca dpa coh

(The article has been published through a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has been published verbatim. Liability lies with original publisher.)