Alison Wright – Movies of the Soul

Vampire Owl: They used to call vampires by the title predators.

Vampire Bat: Those times are over now, with a specific set of books and movies.

Vampire Owl: You should know that there is always a chance to reclaim that position.

Vampire Bat: As far as I know, predator is not really a position.

Vampire Owl: It could be the side title of a vampire.

Vampire Bat: You know that these predators are aliens, don’t you?

Vampire Owl: Dr. Frankenstein has told us that there is information which shouldn’t be revealed.

Vampire Bat: Mr. Frankenstein, in the form of a fake doctor, tells nothing of relevance.

Vampire Owl: You know that he inspired a book and so many adaptations.

Vampire Bat: That was the imagination that served, not the person.

[Gets a paneer puffs and three cups of Wayanad tea].

What is the movie about? :: Dek (Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi) is the smallest member of his clan on the planet Yautja Prime, and is considered too weak to be among the predators. To prove that he is better than most of his kind, Dek plans to hunt a creature known as the Kalisk, an apex predator on what is often called the death planet – the world far away known as Genna. Kwei (Mike Homik), his stronger elder brother tries to prepare him for his battles as much as he can. But their father Njohrr (Reuben de Jong) appears all of a sudden and asks Kwei to kill his brother as he is a shame to the clan of fierce warriors. But Kwei refuses only to be killed by their father, but not before he sends his brother to the death planet so that he can prove his worth by hunting and defeating the feared creature. He reaches the planet, but realizes that this is no easy task, as the planet itself has that kind of flora and fauna which makes it very difficult to survive, as danger is hidden in almost every spot around there.

So, what happens with the events here as we just keep looking? :: As Dek losses most of his weapons and tech while fighting the forest, he comes across Thia (Elle Fanning), an advanced, but damaged Weyland-Yutani Corporation android, whose team of synthetic soldiers was destroyed by the Kalisk while on a mission. She had lost her body from the waist downwards and with the help of Dek, manages to free herself from her predicament and supports him against the incoming trouble, and guide him. He ties her to himself as she had no legs and faces the dangers while moving forward through the treacherous terrain. Soon, while on a hunt, they are joined by a friendly creature that Thia names Bud. The creature marks Dek with her saliva and accepts him as her clan as he defeats two creatures which were on their trail. But he tells them that the one thing that matters is the trophy, and that it can only be gained by killing the creature. Despite Thia telling him that back on Earth predators like wolves have the alpha that protects the pack, he remains adamant that he would be the alpha who kills the most and not the one who protects.

And what more could follow in this world of unmatched danger? :: Thia understands that Dek only understands revenge and is looking forward to prove that he is worthy against all odds. It is then that Thia’s twin android and the expert hunter Tessa (Elle Fanning) is found and revived by Weyland-Yutani androids and is repaired at their main base. She is warned that she would be decommissioned and replaced if she fails her mission. She finds out that she is with an alien creature that would remain a threat to their mission. With a new Weyland-Yutani team, Tessa begins searching for Dek’s group, and finds his crashed ship which has the arms and ammunitions which interests her including those which belonged to his brother. Thia who reaches the area where she was ambushed, finds enough of the technology to connect herself to her body parts below the waist. But at the same time, she understands that Tessa and her group is coming, and the creature is also nearby. A big fight seems to be on the cards. Now, who will survive and will the fight be worth it?

The defence of Predator: Badlands :: The movie surely has some good action, and fighting is all around, from surviving a dangerous jungle with strange flora and fauna to fighting android robots with advanced weapons. The battle against the apex predator and the final battle requires special mention along with that fight of Thia with her body separated into two especially of the waist below has an innovative as much as funny side to it. There are also some funny lines to go with the fight, but that does not bring the quality of the battles down, as we see the big creatures being destroyed and getting attacked by nature itself in all its grandeur. The movie never ceases to be a spectacle, as the scope is a lot, with alien planets including desert lands and dense forests – the creatures are nicely created and detailed, with the possibility of danger nicely felt. It would have been a movie more for the theatre than for Jio Hotstar as we enjoy the beauty of the worlds on the screen, as we would have in computer games like Mass Effect and Unreal Tournament, or Star Trek works.

Positives and negatives :: Elle Fanning as Thia stands apart as one of the best android robotic characters of all-time, something which we see this good only in the Alien movies – Prometheus, Covenant, Romulus etc have known this Weyland Corporation more than any other, and the cross-breed of franchises has been clearly shown here with this particular presence. Her other character in the form of antagonist pales in comparison as this one keep scoring all the time. Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi makes this particular Predator work well according to the situation, and the bonding works nicely. Other humanoids become rather irrelevant here. The movie also provides the message of being together and coming back strong as the underdog, but in the process, loss some of the qualities of Predator franchise, seemingly getting closer to the Guardians of the Galaxy, Thunderbolts and Suicide Squad. There seems to be the easy way taken at times, especially after that grand fight at human side in the end. The characters are still well-developed to keep us further interested.

How it finishes :: Predator: Badlands releasing on Jio Hotstar was something quick that we did not realize that the same had happened. This quick release was pretty much needed though, as we looked forward to watching another live-action movie featuring the classic alien or predator. There are those action sequences which justify its release, and despite the predator character undergoing a little too much of a transformation, works really well. The final scenes leave scope for a fine sequel, and we all hope that it will be served well. Until then, we enjoy being transported to a world of charm and danger, but certainly that of beauty in a planet far away. After all, when people were after Terminator, its sequels and others, we were the ones who stuck to Predator as the one classic science fiction thriller that we would remember. After all, we are all in a world of the hunted and the hunters. There is no escaping the same. The idea of hunters developing a conscience is never a bad idea despite changing a little too much of the core idea.

Release date: 7th November 2025
Running time: 107 minutes
Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg
Starring: Elle Fanning, Dimitrius Schuster-Koloamatangi, Reuben de Jong, Mike Homik, Alison Wright, Cameron Brown, Rohinal Narayan

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@ Cemetery Watch
✠ The Vampire Bat.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I have added the name to the list.

Vampire Bat: To which list? What kind of list have you made now?

Vampire Owl: Mr. Transporter, Mr. Mechanic and Mr. Codename 47.

Vampire Bat: You mean to say that they are all people “specialised” in one particular thing, and they lead us through those sequences of action and thrills.

Vampire Owl: It is exactly what my list about.

Vampire Bat: The Accountant actually has the most hair on the head among all these people.

Vampire Owl: Yes, I will add it to the comments section when I make the Excel sheet.

Vampire Bat: You are keeping an Excel sheet about this?

Vampire Owl: Yes, and I am also keeping a backup of the same on my external hard disc.

Vampire Bat: You really need better ways to spend free-time, don’t you?

[Gets three cups of masala tea with jackfruit chips].

What is the movie about? :: Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) works as a forensic accountant for a number of enterprises, most of them being criminal organizations or those with similar interests from all around the world. His only connection is a voice on his phone that comes from a restricted number, which helps him in getting work as well as disappear with another identity. After being a child with high-functioning autism when he was a child, he was trained by his father who was a special forces officer, to defend himself in a world of chaos where he would always be considered to be different and as an outsider. Christian has managed to work this in his favour, and use what all he had learnt during an intense training, as part of his work, which is not limited to being a normal accountant. He is known in many circles as simply “the accountant”, and he has been a rather anonymous force which people have found hard to tackle.

So, what happens next? :: Christian’s latest assignment includes auditing a robotics corporation known by the name Living Robotics, where the accountant at the place, Dana Cummings (Anna Kendrick), has found something strange within the records which doesn’t really add up. As Christian finds out that things are more complicated than they thought, the CFO of the company, Ed Chilton (Andy Umberger) is murdered by an assassin (Jon Bernthal), and his death is declared as the result of an insulin overdose. The whole problem in the accounts is considered to be his doing, and the case is closed, but Christian is not happy with the same, as he suspects that a thicker plan is at work. Meanwhile, the Accountant is being pursued by Raymond King (J.K. Simmons) of the Treasury Department, and he asks data analyst Marybeth Medina (Cynthia Addai-Robinson) to find him, as a reward for not exposing her criminal past. Where will this game go for the Accountant?

The defence of The Accountant :: An intelligent movie that entertains – The Accountant successfully becomes that; for we have the smarter side working well with the story, and the action scenes are very well done too. We do feel them to be realistic, and there is not much of an exaggerated style added here at any moment. Even though it begins slowly, it just keeps better and better to reach that nice finish – in between, the best thing is that there is no romance in between, which would have deviated things further here. In the beginning, you are unsure about how things are going to be, and how everything will come together in the end – well, things do finish well, there is no doubt about that. The presence of a strong emotional side comes as a boost too. You can be happy about having watched an action movie with quite a lot of brain behind it, which is reflected on the screen too – the performances add as more boost.

The claws of flaw :: The movie is a little too slow in its beginning, and it is only when the flick is near one hour mark that things begin to get interesting – the last one hour and fifteen minutes see steady rise in the overall entertainment factor of the movie, and we are sent on that thrilling ride that has a lot of action around. The complicated parts of this movie will also keep some people away, with the tale being told with so many flashbacks, some of them surely disrupting the overall flow of this movie – a number of people will be left with questions to ask after watching the flick, no matter how clear it will seem to the others. The movie is also so many things at the same time, and by going through more than one genre in the process, some people are certain to wonder if some focus was lost in between. The second plot involving the investigation on the Accountant was the one which needed something more of a boost.

Performers of the soul :: Ben Affleck as the Accountant leads the way here, and there are no surprises about how well he manages this complicated character who is more of a survivor and a man with his own ideas about doing the right thing, rather than anything else. He surely scores with this one, a lot more than what he did as Batman in Batman v Superman, with him being in control all the time – maybe this deserves to have a sequel before that superhero flick gets one. Anna Kendrick also makes a nice addition to this movie, and she looks more than just correct for this role – you will realize that she is really good, if you haven’t yet; she has a lot of moments to look out for. Cynthia Addai-Robinson doesn’t have much of expression going in her way though, as she has that face throughout the movie. It was so much about Ben Affleck’s character though, and so others matter less. Still, you are sure to like how Jon Bernthal gets on with his job.

How it finishes :: The Accountant is the action movie which doesn’t keep things simple, and it is one thing that anyone who is going to watch this movie needs to keep in mind. The presence of action sequences is certain, but they don’t come alone. This movie also leaves with a potential for further sequels, like The Transporter and Mechanic has already displayed, John Wick is on the process of displaying, and Hitman has been doing with the reebot. Among all these, The Accountant has the best potential, with its origin story already done, and its protagonist being someone different. As long as you can take those slow beginnings in this movie, there are those thrills and action sequences that await you – give The Accountant a try, and you are surely not going to be disappointed with the entertainment, as well as a smart side to go with it.

Release date: 14th October 2016
Running time: 128 minutes
Directed by: Gavin O’Connor
Starring: Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick, J. K. Simmons, Jon Bernthal, Jake Presley, Jeffrey Tambor, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, John Lithgow, Jean Smart, Andy Umberger, Alison Wright