In the attention to detail in the design of the flora and fauna of the alien planet where it takes place—where Dek ventures to try to kill a fearsome, invincible creature known as the Kalisk and to prove himself to his father—Badlands is reminiscent of James Cameron’s Avatar movies. But viewers of the other two Trachtenberg installments might not find Badlands’ rather socially progressive message—Dek must give up on the Yautja way of doing everything by himself, learn the value of diverse contributions to a team, and come to think of himself not just as a predator but as a protector—so surprising. If the Alien franchise is for the philosophers and the academics, with its existential musings on the nature of humanity and its dark vision of capitalism’s future, the Predator franchise used to be for us action lunkheads who just wanted to see a generous helping of gruesome slaughter.
Author: Rebecca Onion
Published at: 2025-11-10 22:01:59
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