JASON EVANS' 100-WORD REVIEWS: Predator: Badlands

 A fun sci-fi adventure

Film critic Jason Evans is here to tell you everything you need to know about movies in less time than it takes to pronounce Weyland-Yutani. His reviews are exactly 100 words long (99 is too short while 101 is just excessive). Here is his 100-word review of Predator: Badlands.

The Premise: Dek is a young Predator who has been cast out by his tribe for being a runt. In his quest to prove himself, Dek goes to the planet Genna, home of the most dangerous prey around, a huge beast called a Kalisk. Dek soon encounters a damaged synthetic robot named Thia (Elle Fanning). She offers to help him navigate the dangers of Genna and find a Kalisk in exchange for bringing her back to her sister synthetic Tessa (also played by Elle Fanning). By the way, the synthetics are all owned and controlled by the Weyland-Yutani corporation, which is the company that sent out expeditions looking for xenomorphs in the Alien movie franchise. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg who did 10 Cloverfield Lane, Prey, and the pilot episode of The Boys.  

The 100-Words: Perhaps the best pure sci-fi film of the year, this is a fun ride with great action and memorable characters. Fanning carries the film using a mix of humor and humanity to connect us to the grunting Dek and everything else on this alien world. The effects are top notch and the film looks fantastic. Trachtenberg keeps a brisk pace and knows not to get lost in the deep Predator or Alien mythology. The script features a steady diet of humor and clever surprises. I didn’t have high expectations and came away thrilled at how much I enjoyed this flick.  

Reach out to Jason Evans on Twitter @JasonDukeEvans