eclarkdog

I've seen the first two Predator movies, the first being a classic, of course. I did not watch any of the others in the series until the more recent Prey came out. Prey intrigued me due to the setting, which essentially brought me back to the series after many years.

Badlands, I believe, was created by the same team as Prey. While Prey harks back more to Predator's origins, Badlands looks forward. This is by no means your typical Predator movie, but imo I believe it to be an important step forward for the series. There's plenty to build off of here, even though at its core, it is an action sci-fi movie. A very good one.

I was entertained the whole way through. The movie is well-paced and the length is about perfect. There's no waste here. The dialogue is sharp - yes, dialogue - and there is a bit of humor as well.

Elle is fantastic in her role(s). I did not realize from bits of the trailer exactly "who" she is. Also, note there is a "connection" (you will see this very early once you meet Elle's "character") in the movie that also provides some inspiration for future movies. Elle displays a lot of character and charm here that reminds me of the splendid job she did in "The Great" as Catherine.

I see the world here, Genna, as its own character as well, which develops as the movie progresses. A lot of wonderful creatures and curiosities here.

This movie serves its purpose, which is to entertain. However, more than that, it provides groundwork to take "Predator" in a different and promising direction. I'm surprised to see some write that it is "not a Predator movie". No, it is certainly not the same tired formula, but it is a Predator movie. The question is "who is the predator"?

I found this series on Tubi recently. (Tubi has been a good source to find older, lesser-known Brit shows.) The series is based on a novel by Arnold Bennett, whom I'd never heard of previously. Bennett was a rather prolific author in the late 19th/early 20th century. He did well for his time, but not much critical success, which made him forgotten for decades, until more recently.

For a 1985 production, I found the series to be rather well done. It looks good technically (I've seen many later series(90s/early aughts) that just don't stream all that well now). It captures a bit of grimness and dreariness one can expect from a turn-of-the-century industrial town. I'm not sure the exact timeframe, despite looking everywhere, but I assume it is set close to the year it was written (1902).

One general comment is that the characters affect a rather strong dialect that I can't quite place. It's English that seems to have a Gaelic twist to it. Subtitles may be needed.

Overall, I enjoyed the series, though I felt it lacked much dramatic punch. The cast is not particularly handsome, but the actors are all solid. Not familiar with the main actress (Interestingly she is American/Canadian with some native Alaskan, but did grow up mainly in England) at all, and the only recognizable actors were the guy who played Qybern in GOT (I'd never seen him in anything else other than GOT but recognized him instantly despite being much younger here) and Peter Davison, who has been in tons of stuff.

The plot is fairly simplistic. It seems a bit of a social commentary while being a subdued romance. The summary had indicated that Anne would struggle between two men, Mynors and Price. However, there is very little tension here, and I felt that any connection between Anne and the doomed Price was not portrayed much at all. I'd say that aspect is the major complaint of the series. That and a rather lackluster ending, made so by that said lack of earlier tension.

In addition, a big apparent plot point is the money that Anne inherits, which leads to a struggle for independence from her tyrannical Father. This aspect is done better, but I never felt the money and her changed economic status were fully realized. Did the book lack this as well, or was this simply a faithful series? Not sure.

Regardless, I find the series worth watching as a satisfactory period piece.

Butler seems to put out a ton of these smaller budget action/disaster flicks with questionable titles to boot. I've seen some and not seen some. For the ones I have seen, there is one constant thing: Butler gives it his all regardless of the people and content surrounding him.

Butler achieves this with "Plane" (ugh ..stoopid title), giving a fine and believable performance that lifts the movie. However, this movie is not bad at all. In fact, I found it very entertaining. Sure, one must dim the brain cells a bit and just go along for the ride. The movie's style reminds me a bit of 80's actioners 'cept maybe not quite as over-the-top. Butler's character is not like Ahnold or Sly, using super-human brute force. He is a hero though.

The cast is mostly a list of "oh..I've seen him/her in that thang", but a few like Mike Colter (Luke Cage and "Evil") and Tony Goldwyn (another stalwart of the low-mid budget fare for years) do a fine job with what they are given. The acting all-around is fine.

In my opinion, the one flaw that drags the movie down is that it lacks depth. The movie is about as generic as it gets. It's mostly a fun ride, but there is nothing here that would keep one coming back.

If you like Butler and a solid action flick, then def watch it. IMO the 6.5 rating, currently holding here, is about spot on.