Other blockbusters take note: the Predator franchise just can’t seem to miss latest. The newest entry, its sixth live-action film, Badlands, is stripped to the stark white bone, yet still taps into the pulsing artery of what makes this movies like this so fundamentally compelling: a culture of necessity. There isn’t a single ounce of fat on Predator: Badlands, which is a lean, mean, killing-machine of a tentpole movie that tells a thrilling coming-of-age story through the lens of IP and somehow enriches both in the process. Director Dan Trachtenberg, now three for three in the Predator franchise, has emerged as something of a modern-day James Cameron, only leaner, less cringy, and frankly, more consistent. He understands that the best genre films aren’t just about the spectacle. They’re about how environments shapes the character as much as the plot and use special effects and thrilling fight sequences to further that idea. Read More
