Ok first off, I want to talk about the review bombers on this site giving this film 1-star because it features a small ethnic woman as the lead. They're whining about the believability of a hero woman protagonist in a Predator movie, as well as the realism (or lack thereof) of the historic value of the time period. Of a science fiction Predator movie!! If I rolled my eyes any harder, they'd roll out of my head and into Jon Stewart's head.
If the film Aliens had come out today, I can only imagine the review bombs it would be getting: "No way a woman could defeat the Aliens all by herself! Not when there's trained stronger soldiers all around her!" "There's no way a breathable atmosphere could ever be possible in such a short amount of time on that planet. Terraforming takes centuries!! And a woman turning into a badass soldier with no training??!? So unbelievable! Worst movie ever." "I can't believe this woke movie would cast a skinny, no skilled woman as the one to defeat the aliens. Hollywood is trying to emasculate men and turn all our entertainment into woke garbage! Open your eyes! Women can't do the things she does in this movie. Only men can!" It's as if all of sudden, a strong female character is considered ridiculous. As if Kill Bill, Hunger Games, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hanna, Wonder Woman, etc had never been made.
First off, not even taking into account the lead character or the historic value of Prey - this was by far the most beautifully filmed version of all the Predators. The cinematography was gorgeously done with wide shots, flowing landscapes, and long tracking shots. For that alone, it should warrant at least three stars. And the dramatic score with the violins, was also much more than I would have ever expected out of a Predator movie. On a technical scale, this was a well made movie. Very similar style as that of a more colorful version of The Revenant.
Onto the film itself: it did a lot without an overabundance of dialogue. Similar to the first Predator. The Comanche culture was beautifully highlighted and even though I don't know much about it, I felt like the filmmakers were doing their best to honor and do them justice by capturing their traditions. I wouldn't mind spending more time with the tribe and seeing their day-to-day lives. They didn't even need to have a Predator show up to capture my attention.
The standouts of this film were Amber Midthunder and Dakota Beavers, who play brother and sister. Their dynamic and chemistry was believable and made you care for the characters, so much so that it's hard to believe this was the first acting role for Dakota Beavers. He just oozes charisma, and I'm curious to see what he does next.
The action was well done, and you could feel the visceral strength of the Predator in this. In this prequel, I'm thinking they made the Predator a bit less powerful than the Schwartzeneggar version, because this one took place hundreds of years previous to the original Predator. So similar to our technology, this version of Predator has more primitive tech. No full body suit armor or helmet, no blast guns, and a more primitive body-type. This was their native/indigenous alien version of Predator.
And the parallels they drew to "proving your worth" through trials and tribulations was also apparent. This Predator was placed on an unknown planet trying to prove his worth through hunting trials, similar to our young protagonist Naru. She wants to prove herself to her tribe that she is a worthy warrior and hunter. In a way, they're both the same character. In an alternate world, the Predator would be the protagonist and we would watch as he tries (and ultimately fails) his quest for warrior status.
I do have a few nitpicks, and this isn't a perfect movie at all. The CG animals were at times fairly well done and at times, glaringly obvious, so much that it took me out of the film's atmosphere. And that's mainly because the scenery was just so beautiful, that it would be jarring to see a CG animal appear in any scene.
I also had a few issues with this movie failing to show instead of tell. All of Naru's thoughts are said aloud, and basically hand-hold the audience into understanding how she's going to defeat the Predator.
I also wasn't a big fan of the magical cooling flower that hid body warmth. I get it, I complained about the review bombers questioning the historical value of the film. Butttttt, since this is a science fiction movie, I do think I have some reason to question the science behind how exactly that flower works just a little bit.
And lastly, for an R-rated film - at times it felt like they were toning down and making cuts as if someone told them it could possibly be PG-13. It was odd. Sometimes the camera would cut quickly away from any gore. But then other times it would show it. Wasn't sure the reasoning behind that. I actually wanted to see more of how brutal the Predator could be, instead of the quick cuts away.
But overall I was very entertained and this was probably the best Predator movie we've gotten since the first film (Predators came close and would be third on my list). It was well shot, the action scenes were unique and entertaining, and it brought back that feeling of suspense that I think a lot of the Predator sequel movies were missing. It's not a perfect movie, but it is a perfect popcorn movie giving you everything you could want out of a Predator movie. Unless of course you think that only a 250 lb Austrian muscleman could ever defeat the fictional character of Predator. If so, this movie is probably not for you.
*Wish list for the next Predator movie: Taking place in 12th century feudal Japan, featuring samurai warriors fighting Predator to protect a village ala Seven Samurai.
If the film Aliens had come out today, I can only imagine the review bombs it would be getting: "No way a woman could defeat the Aliens all by herself! Not when there's trained stronger soldiers all around her!" "There's no way a breathable atmosphere could ever be possible in such a short amount of time on that planet. Terraforming takes centuries!! And a woman turning into a badass soldier with no training??!? So unbelievable! Worst movie ever." "I can't believe this woke movie would cast a skinny, no skilled woman as the one to defeat the aliens. Hollywood is trying to emasculate men and turn all our entertainment into woke garbage! Open your eyes! Women can't do the things she does in this movie. Only men can!" It's as if all of sudden, a strong female character is considered ridiculous. As if Kill Bill, Hunger Games, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Hanna, Wonder Woman, etc had never been made.
First off, not even taking into account the lead character or the historic value of Prey - this was by far the most beautifully filmed version of all the Predators. The cinematography was gorgeously done with wide shots, flowing landscapes, and long tracking shots. For that alone, it should warrant at least three stars. And the dramatic score with the violins, was also much more than I would have ever expected out of a Predator movie. On a technical scale, this was a well made movie. Very similar style as that of a more colorful version of The Revenant.
Onto the film itself: it did a lot without an overabundance of dialogue. Similar to the first Predator. The Comanche culture was beautifully highlighted and even though I don't know much about it, I felt like the filmmakers were doing their best to honor and do them justice by capturing their traditions. I wouldn't mind spending more time with the tribe and seeing their day-to-day lives. They didn't even need to have a Predator show up to capture my attention.
The standouts of this film were Amber Midthunder and Dakota Beavers, who play brother and sister. Their dynamic and chemistry was believable and made you care for the characters, so much so that it's hard to believe this was the first acting role for Dakota Beavers. He just oozes charisma, and I'm curious to see what he does next.
The action was well done, and you could feel the visceral strength of the Predator in this. In this prequel, I'm thinking they made the Predator a bit less powerful than the Schwartzeneggar version, because this one took place hundreds of years previous to the original Predator. So similar to our technology, this version of Predator has more primitive tech. No full body suit armor or helmet, no blast guns, and a more primitive body-type. This was their native/indigenous alien version of Predator.
And the parallels they drew to "proving your worth" through trials and tribulations was also apparent. This Predator was placed on an unknown planet trying to prove his worth through hunting trials, similar to our young protagonist Naru. She wants to prove herself to her tribe that she is a worthy warrior and hunter. In a way, they're both the same character. In an alternate world, the Predator would be the protagonist and we would watch as he tries (and ultimately fails) his quest for warrior status.
I do have a few nitpicks, and this isn't a perfect movie at all. The CG animals were at times fairly well done and at times, glaringly obvious, so much that it took me out of the film's atmosphere. And that's mainly because the scenery was just so beautiful, that it would be jarring to see a CG animal appear in any scene.
I also had a few issues with this movie failing to show instead of tell. All of Naru's thoughts are said aloud, and basically hand-hold the audience into understanding how she's going to defeat the Predator.
I also wasn't a big fan of the magical cooling flower that hid body warmth. I get it, I complained about the review bombers questioning the historical value of the film. Butttttt, since this is a science fiction movie, I do think I have some reason to question the science behind how exactly that flower works just a little bit.
And lastly, for an R-rated film - at times it felt like they were toning down and making cuts as if someone told them it could possibly be PG-13. It was odd. Sometimes the camera would cut quickly away from any gore. But then other times it would show it. Wasn't sure the reasoning behind that. I actually wanted to see more of how brutal the Predator could be, instead of the quick cuts away.
But overall I was very entertained and this was probably the best Predator movie we've gotten since the first film (Predators came close and would be third on my list). It was well shot, the action scenes were unique and entertaining, and it brought back that feeling of suspense that I think a lot of the Predator sequel movies were missing. It's not a perfect movie, but it is a perfect popcorn movie giving you everything you could want out of a Predator movie. Unless of course you think that only a 250 lb Austrian muscleman could ever defeat the fictional character of Predator. If so, this movie is probably not for you.
*Wish list for the next Predator movie: Taking place in 12th century feudal Japan, featuring samurai warriors fighting Predator to protect a village ala Seven Samurai.