Okay, fellow hunters, can we just take a second to breathe? After what Dan Trachtenberg did with Prey in 2022, I think we all knew he was the right person for this, but I wasn’t prepared for Badlands. This isn’t just another sequel where a group of soldiers gets picked off in a jungle. Trachtenberg literally flipped the script and gave us a movie told from the perspective of the Yautja.
I’m still buzzing. It felt less like a standard sci-fi flick and more like this wild, genre-bending epic that took the DNA of Mad Max and Shadow of the Colossus and smashed them into the 1987 classic. If you’re a lore nerd like me, your head was probably spinning with all the Dark Horse comic nods and those massive Aliens connections.
Let’s get into the stuff that actually made me emotional, because this movie had a lot of heart for a story about alien killers.
1. Hearing the Hunters for the Real First Time
Did anyone else get chills during the opening? That shift in the 20th Century Studios fanfare into those heavy Yautja drums... it felt like a direct love letter to David Fincher’s Alien 3. And then that title crawl: "Yautja are prey to none, friend to none, predator to all." But the real MVP move? The language. We aren't just hearing clicks and mimicry anymore. They brought in Briton Watkins, a literal linguistic genius, to create a language that actually works with their mandibles. I noticed the safety warnings on Deck’s gear—things like "Stand well back"—and it just made them feel so much more real. They aren't just movie monsters; they’re a functional, working society with their own OSHA requirements! It adds this layer of "utilitarian realism"—even these apex hunters have to worry about a weapon malfunctioning or a range limit on a plasma caster.
2. Deck: The Underdog We Didn't Know We Needed
I’ll admit, I was worried about "humanizing" a Predator. But Deck? My heart broke for him. He’s a "runt." He’s small, he’s bullied by his clan, and he’s basically hunting for the one thing we all want: acceptance from his father.
Seeing him use "plasma swords" (hello, Star Wars influence!) and watching him struggle against his brother Qui was so grounded. He’s not an invincible juggernaut; he’s a lone wanderer in a Book of Eli or Conan style arc. Trachtenberg really leaned into that "Lone Samurai" trope. When you find out he’s just trying to prove himself to his ruthless dad, Njohrr, you stop seeing a "monster" and start seeing a kid trying to find his place in a cruel world. The family dynamic isn't just a subplot; it’s the engine of the movie. Deck isn't hunting for glory; he's hunting for the right to exist in his own family's eyes.
3. Welcome to Hell (a.k.a. Genna)
Deck didn't pick an easy hunt. He chose Genna, the "Death Planet." This place was pure nightmare fuel. The Kalisk—that apex predator that regenerates and doesn't bleed—was a genius move. It completely subverted the "If it bleeds, we can kill it" line because, well... it doesn't bleed. It’s a literal "White Whale" for Deck, inspired by those haunting Studio Ghibli creatures that feel both ancient and terrifying.
The ecology here is fascinating. The "Razorgrass" means every step requires precision, and the "Bone Bison" are these massive walking armor plates. Watching Deck adapt—using bison plates to patch his armor or turning an acid-spitting lizard into a living sidearm—felt like a spiritual successor to the survivalist vibes of the 1987 original. The name "Genna" (a nod to Gehenna) fits perfectly; it’s a place of divine punishment where Deck is being purified through fire and blood.
4. The Alliance I Never Saw Coming
The relationship between Deck and Thea (Elle Fanning) is the absolute soul of this movie. A 7-foot alien and a damaged Weyland-Yutani synthetic? It shouldn’t work, but it does. It turns the film into this bizarre "buddy cop" dynamic where they’re both "tools" discarded by their makers.
The Alien Easter eggs here were insane. When Thea’s eyes rolled back to show the Weyland-Yutani logo (shoutout to Alien: Romulus!), I actually gasped in the theater. And hearing the original 1986 pulse rifle sound effects? Pure dopamine. But the real depth comes when Tessa (the "loyal" synth sister) shows up. It highlights the difference between programmed loyalty and earned trust. Thea serves as the bridge, helping Deck understand that a "pack" (or a "sisterhood") is stronger than a hierarchy based on fear.
5. The "Wait, Did You See That?" Moments
Trachtenberg is clearly one of us. That trophy room scene is a goldmine. A T-Rex skull, a human spine, and—I swear—the Xenomorph skull from Independence Day. That’s the kind of meta-humor I live for. Since Disney owns both franchises now, it’s a brilliant wink to the audience about corporate synergy.
And did anyone else catch the holographic figure that looked like Naru from Prey when Deck was scrolling through the star maps? My jaw dropped. It’s all connected! From the Rambo wound-cauterizing callback to the Terminator 2 liquid nitrogen death for the Kalisk, the film was a giant scavenger hunt for cinema geeks. Even the camera work felt inspired by modern gaming—those "one-shot" tracking sequences during the crash landing felt like they were pulled straight out of God of War.
6. That Ending (We Need to Talk About "Mother")
The final fight was a total reversal of Aliens. Instead of Ripley in the Power Loader fighting the monster, we have the "monster" (Deck) fighting a synth in a mech suit. And Bud—our vicious little sidekick—ripping a head off with the spine attached? I didn't know whether to laugh or cheer. It perfectly balanced that "Disney sidekick" trope with the franchise's R-rated roots.
But that climax with Njohrr... when his father cheats in the duel by using a cloak? It proved Deck was the more "honorable" hunter all along. Deck using the sandstorm to reveal his father’s silhouette was peak cinema.
But that cliffhanger... Deck stands victorious, claims his father’s cloak, and then that massive ship appears. When Deck said "Mother," I felt it in my gut. In the expanded lore, Yautja society is strictly matriarchal. The females are the true power—they are bigger, stronger, and they run the show. "Mother" isn't coming to congratulate him; she’s coming to pass judgment on a son who just killed a clan leader. We’re moving from a planetary hunt to full-on galactic politics.
My Final Take
Is it perfect? Maybe not. The banter between Deck and Thea gets a little "Disney" sometimes, and the pacing in the middle slows down during those long treks through the Razorgrass. Some might find the Weyland-Yutani exposition a bit heavy-handed, too.
But honestly? I don't care. Badlands took a massive risk. It made us root for the creature that has been haunting our nightmares since the 80s. It evolved the series from a horror-slasher into a grand sci-fi adventure without losing the visceral grit. Dan Trachtenberg is 3-for-3, and if this is the direction the Predator universe is heading, I am strapped in for the long haul.
What did you guys think? Did that "Mother" reveal break your brain as much as it did mine? Did I miss any other Star Wars or Alien nods? Let's obsess in the comments!
No comments:
Post a Comment