I have had the chance to check it out. I have also spent some time gathering my thoughts on it. I have seen a huge amount of praise for the film. It's hard to not get excited when hearing all these great things. In the past, I will say that I've let that influence my thoughts. But I've somehow managed to let myself go in blind.
PREY is an interesting experience. By now, you know that I love the Predator franchise. It's one that means a lot to me as it was one of my first action franchises I was able to watch with my Dad. And now, been able to share that love and introduce it to my son. At this point, you'll have seen three installments of GET TO THE CHOPPAH, my Predator Retrospective. I chose to hold off on the last installment because I wanted to do it after seeing Prey.
When I first heard of Prey, it was just called Skulls. I knew that it was being made by Dan Trachtenberg, director of 10 Cloverfield Lane. It was mentioned that it would focus on a Comanche tribe's first interaction with something not from this world. With that very broad mention, I was interested. It had managed to just get my attention enough. And then there were small rumblings.
These small rumblings led it to be announced that it was a Predator prequel. I was excited and interested to see what that could entail. All we had seen of the Predator, so far, had been present day. But part of me was a little disappointed. There is a huge part of me that would have absolutely loved if it had more hush hush about the Predator connection. I would have been so down of not finding that out till was already watching the movie. Hell, that's part of the reason I applaud Split so much. It was kept so quiet about it being connected to Unbreakable. But again, it was just the studio not fully going all in.
For those interested in synopsis, here it is:
Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, “Prey” is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.
Like I said earlier, Prey is an experience. It is something that turns a page on the Predator franchise. Total game changer. It's also so fascinating that it is the 1st film in history to be dubbed in Comanche. That is so cool to see.
When I watched it the first viewing, I watched the English version. I wanted to see how the film would play out. Would it feel out of place seeing members of the Comanche Tribe speaking English? Honestly, I don't feel like it was. There may be some people that will say it was. Does it add an entirely new layer to the film to watch it in the Comanche dub? Hell to the yes. It transforms it into a whole new feeling. And I applaud everyone for making the film this way.
The cast in this film is fantastic. Amber Midthunder absolutely runs this film. Her performance as Naru is so damn good. The way she's able to portray the journey that she goes on the film is great. She's trying to be a hunter - something she knows she can do when everyone else says she can't. Everyone else doesn't believe in her. Honestly, I'd say her brother Taabe, performed by Dakota Beavers, does believe in her. He's also trying to do his best to protect and look out for Naru. Cause there's definitely a way that most of the tribesmen believe things should go. And that all comes to a head at one specific point in the film. Dane DiLiegro is great as the Predator. This is a creature that is similar in certain aspects to what has come before. Yet at the same time, there is a whole new primal feel to it and it's fantastic.
The way that the film plays out doesn't feel out of place in this franchise. They are able to weave Naru's journey with the Predator's. Both are doing their best to try and prove themselves. And that's a pretty cool parallel. The action in the film is pretty strong. There were quite a few moments where I felt a lot of anxiety. There's a character in the film where I was like protect at all cost. The way the action sequences occurred in the film felt like something out of a comic. A kinetic energy that just propelled things into high gear.
Yes, there are some small callbacks. However, they are recontextualized really well. I applaud the way they addressed hiding ones heat signature. That was really damn cool. There was also an egg surrounding the flintlock. If you are a fan of this franchise, you will know it well. It didn't feel shoehorned in. Though, I was a little sad that there wasn't more with it.
Overall, I loved Prey. Dan Trachtenberg and everyone involved were able to brilliantly reintroduce the Predator to a modern audience. Its a whole new chapter with limitless potential now. Honestly, if this is considered to be a reboot. That's fine with me as it handled things beautifully. This is a film that allows time to breathe, experience things with the characters, and end on a strong note. I hope that we will be seeing other films in this franchise taking note.
Rating: 5 out of 5. (Strong New Beginning)
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