Badlands’ is solid, old-school science fiction action movie

This is the kind of stuff I grew up reading.

I devoured the works of authors Ray Bradbury, Robert Sheckley and Roger Zelazny as a child. They took me to different worlds, different creatures and different situations than I could imagine.

“Predator: Badlands” is a solid example of pure science fiction told from the perspective of a Predator. In the “Alien”/”Predator” universe, the Predator usually is portrayed as the “bad guy.” But not so here: Dek, a younger Predator, is the star of the show.

The Predator species is called the Yaujta, violent hunters whose culture centers around strength. Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) wants to be a warrior but, because he is smaller and younger, does not get to compete. An embarrassment to his own father, Dek takes off to another planet, where he is determined to kill a bigger, stronger predator has killed all the other warriors who have challenged it.

‘Predator: Badlands’ (IMDb)

After Dek lands on The Death Planet, where even blades of grass are deadly, he is nearly killed by the creatures and plants that thrive there. An android – or part of one – helps him survive.

The android, Thia (Elle Fanning,) has been separated from her legs, so Dek figures out a way to carry her to reach the huge, deadly Kalisk, the creature he wants to hunt. The story becomes a kind of buddy film/actioner, with the two helping each other on their journey and Dek learning that empathy might not be such a bad emotion after all as he tracks the Kalisk and tries to return Thia to her missing limbs.

There are no human characters at all. There are plenty of other ones, including smaller creatures and plant life that are far more deadly than they appear.

Director Dan Trachtenberg also directed the superb “Prey,” an earlier offering in the franchise. He makes it fun to watch opposites – the quiet, focused Dek and the chatty android – team up despite their differences, even working out language nuances along the way.

Its PG-13 rating surprised me, If the violence depicted here involved humans, I have a feeling this film would have been rated “R,” because there’s plenty of it.

If you’re a fan of the franchise, don’t stop now. The last two seconds in the movie indicate another entertaining sequel is on the way.

3 stars

Running time: One hour and 47 minutes.

In theaters.

Watch the trailer here.

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