Ryan Shoots First: Prey
Predator is a top-tier, Mount Rushmore of action film titles (we recently spent a whole podcast talking about it!). But when it comes to sequels it’s been a mixed bag. It didn’t take long to take what started out as more horror and action with a dash of sci-fi eventually give way to grand CGI sci-fi. While those movies can be entertaining in their own right the franchise seemed to have lost its way from its humble roots. With the next film in the lineage Prey, 20th Century Fox is looking to get back to the basics. We have a small team, a bunch of trees, and one elite alien hunter.
Prey marks the first attempt since 20th Century Fox was bought by Disney. And yes Disney has a great track record with fans of taking Fox Sci-fi films and adding a female protagonist but the response to Prey has been pretty good so far. Of course, that’s all before the YouTube gutter dwellers who specialize in outlandish thumbnails have gotten a hold of it. Anyway back to the movie. Prey follows a small Native American tribe as they attempt to survive their encounter with an elite alien hunter. There is a lot of DNA from the original film here but in a fresh enough way to not feel like a cheap retread. We have a small team of elite characters in a wooded area attempting to diagnose what the threat is and then survive it. Except now instead of a military platoon in the jungle we have a group of trackers in an early American forest. So don’t expect any “Get to the chopper” callbacks. Our main character is Naru who is played by Amber Midthunder, she yearns to be a warrior and to prove her value to her male counterparts in the tribe. The Comanche scenes seem very authentic with real Native American actors and the lack of technology and grand scenes really force the film to be in the moment, relying on the tension and performances of its characters. Naturally, Prey will draw a lot of comparisons from its predecessor, and with good reason but one aspect that is missing is the sense of comedy that Arnold and the gang brought to the early acts of the original. There aren’t a lot of gags or Shane Black humor but I really can’t see where it would have had a place in this story.
According to the synopsis, the film represents the first time the Predators have visited Earth which is interesting as it plays out. The Predator doesn’t just immediately start hunting humans, it learns by killing various predators that populated the countryside 300 years ago. The callbacks and trademarks feel earned and respected not cheap or shoved in to elicit the “Leo Dicaprio points at the TV” meme. The action is visceral and carefully plotted and planned out. I am impressed with the level of restraint the movie holds, not electing for gory kills from beginning to end. The suspense and anticipation are back that have long been gone from the franchise. Props to director Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane, The Boys) for having faith in his vision and not giving in to the urge to popcorn the film up too much. Blockbuster Sci-Fi fans may feel the movie is too slow and “not enough happens” and you don’t see the Predator enough but fans of the original classic will feel right at home as this is probably the closest spiritual successor to the classic that we’ve seen. Ohh, did I mention the movie also has a cute dog companion and I will not share what his fate is in the film, you’ll have to find out for yourself. So sign up for that Hulu free trial (the Disney+, ESPN bundle is a good deal!) or find a good buddy with a login cause the hunt is on.
