[Configure0251]

No need to do a drive by on Predator Badlands like that, it's a perfectly enjoyable film in its own right. I agree with the author though, there's nothing nearly as emotionally deep or socio-politically engaging as One Battle After Another, and so it would make for poor choice as a double feature to run second in the pairing.

[tclancy]

It’s something I do. I used to read good record reviews and buy both albums, love one and hate the other and then have to come back. I assume the Predator movie will be great based on what I’ve seen.

Just won’t be Friends of Eddie Coyle.

[permo-w]

If you read a bit further he does say that the reviews are good and he should give it a proper go

[basedkman]

The movie was excellent. Killer of the killers is excellent as well. I was entertained.

[boogieknite]

thank you! spoiler alert if anyone hasnt seen Predator Badlands

Tom self owns himself quite a bit by dismissing a movie as drivel and then comparing it to dumb plots made by adult children. the entire point of the movie is to demonstrate how dumb and bad overt masculinity is. yes its oversimplified but its Predator. the audience is hormonal teenage boys who might think toxic masculinity is cool. the entire setup Tom thought was dumb is more or less called out as dumb later in the movie

[throwaway743]

I see your take but I took it as "don't limit yourself to the confines of tradition and culture, open yourself up to others, go your own path, do the right thing, and make friends along the way to enrichen your life and meaning".

[boogieknite]

i agree. im certainly projecting having grown up in an overly macho competitive family and couldnt help but draw parallels

[tclancy]

I mean I owned myself in the writing, didn’t I? Ya dirty ai. Anyone else woulda gotten the upshot. Unless I am an ai too.

[slibhb]

His commentary is dead-on; Badlands is a movie for children. It has no characters and zero subtlety. The plot is utterly predictable. There's like...one non-CGI character in the whole movie which made it feel like a video game. It's bizarre to me that movies like this are critically acclaimed.

[danabramov]

Coincidentally I just watched OBAA yesterday and found it very lacking. I’m so surprised by the positive reception. Great visual, acting and music, but I found almost no emotion in it because none of the conflicts it sets up actually resolve on screen. Characters don’t confront consequences of their choices and don’t grow.

[tclancy]

So I feel that’s completely fair, mainly because you acknowledge Johnny’s sound design is otherworldly perfect.