Predator: Badlands (M) – 107 minutes

The reframing of the Predator series with Badlands is a move that works well.

It is action-packed science fiction with bite.

At its core is a ruthless mentality that pits father against son.

The central focus is Dek, a young, undersized warrior from a mercenary clan known as Yautja.

As the runt of the litter, his all-powerful father Njohrr – an Apex predator – tasks Dek’s brother Kwei (Mike Homik) with eliminating him.

Dek vows to prove his worth by travelling to the hostile planet Genna and taking out the “unkillable” beast Kalisk.

Njohrr won’t hear of it and takes out Kwei, maintaining that “to forgive weakness is to show weakness”.

But before he dies, Kwei activates a transport to take Dek to Genna.

Although the Yautja traditionally hunt their prey alone, once Dek crash lands on the planet he quickly realises that its flora and fauna have it in for him.

So, it is that he is rescued from an invidious fate by a dismembered humanoid robot called Thia (Elle Fanning).

Thereafter, Dek reluctantly teams with incessantly talkative Thia because she promises to take him to Kalisk.

In the process, they encounter Thia’s lookalike, unsympathetic robotic “sister” Tessa (also Elle Fanning).

Dek’s fight to destroy Kalisk and forge his own path has only just begun.

Whilst this is certainly not a remake of Alien vs Predator (2004), the Alien franchise isn’t far from the thoughts of the filmmakers here either.

For fans, think Weyland-Yutani.

Predator: Badlands is one mean mother of a film, underpinned by an ethos of kill or be killed.

Still, in this darkness resides hope, initially in the form of Thia, who turns Dek’s head.

Dek literally carries her like a backpack because she has no legs.

Director Dan Trachtenberg (Prey) ensures there is no shortage of gripping fight sequences from the opening frames, when brother is set against brother.

He uses technology to great effect throughout the movie, with impressive and imposing digitisation.

Amongst the mayhem, Trachtenberg still manages to find heart.

There is warmth in Elle Fanning’s characterisation of Thia, while she is cold and disassociated as Tessa.

At the same time, an unrecognisable actor (because his creature character is scary and sharp toothed), Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, effectively transitions Dek.

While he doesn’t lose his badass, destructive qualities, Dek’s journey is one of growth.

Complete with an evocative score, Predator: Badlands marks a bold new direction for the series that will spawn further sequels.

Rated M, it scores a 7½ out of 10.