Why “Predator: Badlands” is a family movie to enjoy for the holidays
If “Die Hard” can be a Christmas movie, then the new Predator might just be the holiday sci-fi flick you weren’t expecting.
By J.A. Aleman
“Predator: Badlands,” written and directed by Dan Trachtenberg, was released just ahead of the holiday season and was met with mixed reviews and much skepticism prior to its release because of its PG-13 rating. It is the only film in franchise history, not rated R.
The timing of the release made me wonder if the movie is supposed to be a family flick and after watching it, I’m convinced of just that.
When I was a kid, I watched the original installment of “Predator” and have been a fan ever since. I understood it was a monster movie and that the monster wasn’t supposed to win, but I still thought the character was too cool.
“There was this sentiment of why does the Predator always lose?” Trachtenberg said in an interview on the Brandon Davis YouTube channel. “He’s supposed to be the greatest hunter in the entire galaxy and he comes to earth and he gets his butt kicked every time.”
He’s not wrong in his line of thought. The Predator has made appearances in comic books, novels, video games and television. Throughout all of this, the history and culture of this alien creature have been explored and fleshed out a little at a time.
Taking a look back at the original, you can see the mannerism of a hunter and even an honor code. Those of us who fell in love with that understood we wanted more knowledge of this creature. I believe Trachtenberg was one of those and has displayed it in all three of his “Predator” films.
All the films in the entire franchise are monster movies and slasher movies to be frank. The R rating is not a lie as we get images of the Predator literally pulling the spines of humans out with skull intact.
So why the shift?
“Could I make a movie where the Predator wins?” said Trachtenberg, in his interview with Brandon Davis. “I was not driven to make a slasher movie where in the end the slasher wins.”
This is where I’ll be really honest. “Predator: Badlands” is not a predator movie. It’s a coming-of-age story with the predator in it. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad thing.
The director has shown fans that he’s willing to think outside the box with this character.
Hard Cut’s reviewers say the movie is terrible because it’s for kids now, and I think they are wrong in that sentiment. The predator has never been the protagonist, and this being the first time, doesn’t mean Trachtenberg changed what the predator is. He’s still a hunting machine. The only difference in this one is that the audience cheers for him like they would an anti-hero.
“Root for him to be a little less mean. Don’t have to be rooting for him to be the ultimate good guy but just a little less mean,” said Trachtenberg.
The story with this predator, Dek, must earn his stripes, or in his species case, his camouflage cloak. He’s the runt of the family, has a protective older brother, a father who disapproves of him and even wants to kill him for not measuring up to what a predator is supposed to be.
What I loved about his film is the quest to become a hunter. In all the films, there have been many designs for the predator race, even showing the different ways they hunt and what tools they use to be great hunters. Each is unique.
This is what I wanted for Dek: for him to discover what type of hunter he is and not just be a replica of his dad or his brother. That adventure takes the audience on a journey to see how a predator becomes a predator.
Could the film still work if it was rated R? I think so, but I’m not upset with what we got.
Trachtenberg has given fans “Prey” and “Predator: Killer of Killers” and delivered what fans expect from those films. Opening up the universe of these characters to different character types on the big screen is not a bad thing.
“After Prey came out, I didn’t want to just make part two of the thing that was really cool,” said Trachtenberg.
“Prey” was a run at the original blueprint of hunter vs prey and “Predator: Killer of Killers” was three short films expanding into a much bigger story for later in the future. ‘Predator: Badlands” is just a different story in that universe with a different rating.
Was it the best movie of the franchise? Not by a long shot, but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t in the top three at least.
Take my word for it. If “Die Hard” is a Christmas movie that can be watched instead of “Home Alone,” then “Predator: Badlands” is a family, sci-fi action movie ready for the holidays.
