PREY - Movie Review.
Prey (15)
Dir. Dan Trachtenberg (@DannyTRS) “We have him!”
Reviewed by Matt Adcock (@cleric20) “No, he has us.”
In a world full of prequels, one warrior stands above the rest… The
word ‘prequel’ has often been tarnished, even some of the best film
franchises have been cursed with prequels which have either been weak,
rubbish or just mediocre cash grabs.
But what’s this?
Prey is the latest to jump a much-loved series back in time – here is
a prequel that tells the story of the first Predator visit to earth,
some 300 years ago. So, is this Comanche vs space hunter effort
another blot on the cinematic landscape? In a word ‘NO’, director
Trachtenberg pulls off something incredible and manages to stay true
to the essence of the 1980’s original. So strap in for stylish
violence including graphic - predator fan pleasing - brainstem ripping
gore, nail-biting tension, tasty action, and new characters that you’ll
actually care about.
Meet Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche warrior and expert
tracker who has spent her life trying to prove herself to her tribe
that she is worthy to be allowed to hunt. But the patriarchal tribal
system is strong and try as she might – even almost taking down an
lion on her own – she is not given a chance to do more than cook.
But when a ‘sign in the sky’ heralds something bigger, nastier and
carrying some advanced weaponry coming into her tribe’s hunting
grounds and killing their food supply, Naru might just be her people’s
only hope and must find a way to combat this serious extra-terrestrial
threat.
I’m delighted to say that Prey is absolutely badass, packing a level
of gruesome endorphin rush that has been sorely missing from the
decent but not-a-classic Predators and the wildly misfiring The
Predator from Shane Black.
Prey brings us a Predator who is a primal killing machine in a skull
mask and as is their way, keen to track and hunt everything in its
path. There is so much to enjoy as the various wild beasties go up
against the space warrior, a highlight being a grizzly bear vs
predator one-on-one fight but when the action moves to human targets
things really amp up.
The film is excellent at capturing the feeling of Native American
customs and traditions and working them seamlessly into the plot. Naru
wields a home-made axe-on-a-rope which is a fantastic weapon, the like
of which Kratos from God of War might want to borrow. Throw some
white, gun totting trappers who aren’t big fans of the natives and
stand back as the carnage kicks off in fine style.
There’s a feral majesty not just to the woodlands replete with wolves
and picturesque acres of wildness, but also to the combat. The primal
predator doesn’t have all the same weaponry as we’ve seen before but
some staple things like the head mounted 3 red dot target system is
still in place.
Prey moves along a breathless pace and Midthunder is a charismatic and
engaging lead. Her supporting cast might not get the same character
development but this film is less a ‘team vs predator’ than a battle
of wits between girl and monster.
Even if you only have a passing interest in the previous Predator
films, Prey is absolutely worth seeking out – and if you’re a newcomer
to the series then it’s an excellent place to start!
If it bleeds, we can enjoy seeing it battle…
WCCS Rating 5 STARS
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You can also see this review on Matt's personal Movie Review Blog page here:
https://darkmatt.blogspot.com/2022/08/all-i-do-each-night-is-prey-review.html
homepage: https://darkmatt.blogspot.com/
https://youtu.be/wZ7LytagKlc