Good example of what can be done on a low budget when there's actually people with some talent behind these smaller, micro money flicks. The creativity and ingenuity of the filmmaker rises above the material, and that's what sets it apart from the typical SyFy channel crap. Nothing that special or too original about the story or plot, but there were some interesting twists and creative choices that kept me interested in the movie. Good visual storytelling, good acting and nice production design, creatures and cinematography. Music was overbearing at times, but very good. Big step above what is usually achieved on this budget range. It has its problems, and the end left me scratching my head a bit, but overall a solid movie.
132 Reviews
Good movie, but it I wish it stayed true to what it really is
susan_perman7 February 2010
I would have liked to have seen the version of Hunter Prey where Collora followed his gut instincts and made a pure art film, instead of trying to make it more commercial or sellable. I see this all the time with indie genre films, particularly ones that don't have a bankable star in them. The producers feel they need an element that can take the place of a notable actor, especially in the foreign markets. What that usually ends up being is some really awful, bad CG ridden, formulaic mess that ends up on the SciFi channel. What we have here, is a film that thankfully isn't that, but what it does end up being is a bit of a confused movie, unable to define itself.
It's good, but it's clunky in places. Sometimes this is a result of performance issues, but sometimes it lies more in the writing and editing choices. There are a few elements of Hunter Prey that simply don't match up or make much sense.
The most glaring example of this, is the score. It's fantastic, but doesn't fit the movie, especially after the first act. It's way too big for a small, personal movie like this. I just felt like the filmmaker was trying to pound me over the head with music that maybe was representing what he wanted to be there visually and perhaps didn't have the budget to do. It seemed like they took the score from a big, popcorn action movie and stuck it on Hunter Prey in an effort to make it seem bigger or more commercial, but all it does, is make the audience wish there was more movie or less music. A more subdued, un-inflected, moody soundtrack would have served this film much better.
I'm predicting this film will eventually become Collora's "Blade Runner" of sorts... An awe inspiring, visual feast with a story that some people will get into and some won't. Like most art films, it will be unsuccessful and commercially disappointing at first, with an audience that slowly builds over time. As his body of work grows and he makes more films, people will come to appreciate Hunter Prey.
It's good, but it's clunky in places. Sometimes this is a result of performance issues, but sometimes it lies more in the writing and editing choices. There are a few elements of Hunter Prey that simply don't match up or make much sense.
The most glaring example of this, is the score. It's fantastic, but doesn't fit the movie, especially after the first act. It's way too big for a small, personal movie like this. I just felt like the filmmaker was trying to pound me over the head with music that maybe was representing what he wanted to be there visually and perhaps didn't have the budget to do. It seemed like they took the score from a big, popcorn action movie and stuck it on Hunter Prey in an effort to make it seem bigger or more commercial, but all it does, is make the audience wish there was more movie or less music. A more subdued, un-inflected, moody soundtrack would have served this film much better.
I'm predicting this film will eventually become Collora's "Blade Runner" of sorts... An awe inspiring, visual feast with a story that some people will get into and some won't. Like most art films, it will be unsuccessful and commercially disappointing at first, with an audience that slowly builds over time. As his body of work grows and he makes more films, people will come to appreciate Hunter Prey.
"Hi Lloyd. A little slow tonight, isn't it?
heeerzzzjohnny31 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
While certainly not a bad film at all, "Hunter Prey" leaves a bit to be desired in the story department. There are two kinds of simple when it comes to cinema; Good simple, where the story and script are very direct and to the point. Uncomplicated, but sound. Then there's bad simple, which is trite and juvenile. Unfortunately, what we have here is the latter of the two. The dodgy and mundane dialogue can be traced back to any low grade, sci fi film or television series of the last twenty years. The performances don't help at all, yet there is something oddly mesmerising about this film. It looks absolutely fantastic. But the attraction and fascination I'm referring to goes much deeper than the brilliant cinematography and design work, which is wonderfully reminiscent of the gritty sci fi of the 70's and 80's.
"Hunter Prey" has Style. Gobs of it, actually. It's directed and put together like a much higher budgeted film. Though obviously designed and shot to mimic the look and tone of films much older, it has a unique filmic quality to it, that is hard to quantify. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, no matter how slow it got, or no matter how inane what the characters were saying, happened to be. It has to be one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.
It has its slow parts and thus could use a bit of a trim, even at a lean 88 minutes, but I liked it quite a lot and I look forward to Collora's next film with great anticipation. Here's to hoping he'll take on a project with a bit deeper and more intriguing story. All of the other stuff like better thesps, more set pieces and so on, will no doubt come with a bigger budgeted film, which he certainly deserves.
"Hunter Prey" has Style. Gobs of it, actually. It's directed and put together like a much higher budgeted film. Though obviously designed and shot to mimic the look and tone of films much older, it has a unique filmic quality to it, that is hard to quantify. I couldn't take my eyes off of it, no matter how slow it got, or no matter how inane what the characters were saying, happened to be. It has to be one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen.
It has its slow parts and thus could use a bit of a trim, even at a lean 88 minutes, but I liked it quite a lot and I look forward to Collora's next film with great anticipation. Here's to hoping he'll take on a project with a bit deeper and more intriguing story. All of the other stuff like better thesps, more set pieces and so on, will no doubt come with a bigger budgeted film, which he certainly deserves.
What a cool movie!
typetoys27 April 2010
When I stumbled upon this flick I am not sure what I expected. A lot of your sci-fi or monster movie titles can really be hit or miss. Well, this was "hit". I really enjoyed this movie. So many times with a sci-fi movie it seems like they try to cram way to much into the movie to make up for poor writing. Not the case with Hunter-Prey. The story was great and it had just enough high quality effects to really make this exciting. I think that is what I liked best was the fact that, because of the writing, the entire story seemed somewhat possible, if not completely believable. I will be keeping my eyes open for a sequel too. The door was left wide open for a part 2, or even TV show.
I really liked it
killingkarloff31 January 2010
but for today's audiences, I'm not sure it's going to play. It's very slow and there's hardly any action, resulting in a great looking, but ultimately uneventful movie for people looking for something like "Avatar" or "District 9". It's really well made, especially for a low budget film, and there's one scene (that I won't spoil) that is pure movie magic. I'm a fan of old movies, so the slowness didn't bother me. The characters were interesting enough and the visual style of the way the shots were composed, kept me engaged in the film. It's much better than anything I've seen on the SyFy channel, but I doubt this will get a theatrical release. "Hunter Prey" will find its audience, it just has to look really hard.
Decent Story, Lazy Props
kensoward17 April 2011
Let me first say I appreciated the story. I found myself wanting to find out more about this deceptive prisoner, and when I found out who/what it was, I was pleased. The scenery was nice and the direction was OK. Erin Gray as the computer voice was great.
Due to the lack of decent props and tech, I was almost ready to turn this one off. I understand a shoestring budget, but you can find college theater students who will work for free and will design better costumes and tech than what we see here. Or at least more talented ones than the director found to make these costumes. The holsters were made out of cardboard,and they were plugging mini-headphone cables into their computer devices, etc. Just extremely weak. And the "storm trooper" helmets I suppose were done on purpose as a "shout out."
The dialogue was decent, except I almost laughed when I realized I might have to watch the entire movie never seeing the actors' faces. There was no need for them to have "digitized-sounding" voices. Modern communication devices even today carry voices quite well. I would think advanced aliens would not have to resort to "walky-talky" type communication.
I couldn't believe some of the logic that was being thrown out there by the computer. I just didn't feel like it was feasible that the computer was suddenly become a rebel of sorts, joining sides with Centuri 7 to somehow break away from his race.
Give this director a little money, and we probably get something remarkable. But I'm not going to give this above a 5, because it doesn't deserve it.
Due to the lack of decent props and tech, I was almost ready to turn this one off. I understand a shoestring budget, but you can find college theater students who will work for free and will design better costumes and tech than what we see here. Or at least more talented ones than the director found to make these costumes. The holsters were made out of cardboard,and they were plugging mini-headphone cables into their computer devices, etc. Just extremely weak. And the "storm trooper" helmets I suppose were done on purpose as a "shout out."
The dialogue was decent, except I almost laughed when I realized I might have to watch the entire movie never seeing the actors' faces. There was no need for them to have "digitized-sounding" voices. Modern communication devices even today carry voices quite well. I would think advanced aliens would not have to resort to "walky-talky" type communication.
I couldn't believe some of the logic that was being thrown out there by the computer. I just didn't feel like it was feasible that the computer was suddenly become a rebel of sorts, joining sides with Centuri 7 to somehow break away from his race.
Give this director a little money, and we probably get something remarkable. But I'm not going to give this above a 5, because it doesn't deserve it.
Great movie, wish I could have understood what they were saying
kirk_vs_the_gorn26 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This was an enjoyable scifi movie, but in the first part when they were in the spaceship crash, you couldn't understand any of the dialog. The music is also to overdone and to loud. It gets better when they get out of the helmets, but I think I would have understood the characters and the story better if the dialog was not so garbled. I don't know if its on purpose or not but whatever. Has the old school way of telling a story.Was kind of like watching the original Star Trek series. A little slow and more about the characters and not the special fx. They were good though. Aliens looked very realistic. Took some twists and turns that were unexpected and surprised me.
Would rather catch Cholera than more Collora
Ax-London24 August 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Help me out here, did I watch a different film to everyone else reviewing this? OK so this is a slow speed hunting chase across a desert movie... its got some lovely camera work in places, but to be honest that's about all, you good see Collora getting excited about some of his shots so he either repeats them or just lingers far too long on them... mostly because there's so little content to the film he has to waste time wherever possible. OK so you'll all start harping on about the low budget, yes that's a good excuse for not having lots of sets, effects etc but is it an excuse for making do with such an awful script, the acting is lame but look what they had to work with! In short if this was made as a short 15 minute film then I would have quite enjoyed it, Collora could have shown us all of his talents in that time... and perhaps more seeing as he'd have less film time to spend his budget on and we wouldn't have had to suffer a feature length amount of time.
SPOILER bit The main problem with the film (other than the rubbish listed below) is the fact that you know straight away that this is all you're going to get, once we're down to two guys you realise the film is going to be two guys and a desert, and knowing there's not enough plot to sustain 90 minutes you know you're going to suffer so I did all the lovely desert shots, and the huge skeleton and ..erm well that's about it, can't distract from the very poor script and lack of plot
So the Bobba Fet guys are really aliens, ooh we didn't see that coming, OK so we did, but please don't waste our time with the 'stabilizing your system to cope with the atmosphere' business to keep us in suspense... just keep the helmets on because they got handy Heads Up Displays in them. Talking of which why is it that Clea can track our man an give a good display on the HUD until the point when they're close up and then its of no use at all at which point we lose a couple of guys... rubbish.... but then the whole Clea thing is total rubbish anyway... so this I pod thing is really important as it can track stuff, sort out your health etc but it gets carried in a useless belt holder that it keeps falling out of (get a cheap arm band I pod holder from Sardonian EBay my friend) and it comes with a battery life of about a day, despite being the size of a early 90s mobile... get a grip. I don't even want to think about how poor all of the chatting with Clea is, the fact she can detect a spaceship coming into orbit but not sense the prey 100yds away with a sensor stuck in his neck etc etc, and it only appears to work when its plugged in (perhaps the battery is in the back pack and really huge!), but can still administer the health support when its not plugged in (despite needing battery power to do so according to the script)... OK so the technology is flawed, no great shakes but its annoying to be distracted from a film by flaws in the plot..lets move on
So we get to the excitement which is the chase... OK the slow ramble through the desert, yes its hot and rocky and all that but you think we could have seen a little more excitement from the actors, they're meant to be being chased/chasing and they leisurely step between rocks etc... that is until the hunter and prey are both badly injured, each in a leg with an assortment of additional arm/shoulder wounds too... the limp for a little bit, and yes the heat is really bearing down etc but then a couple of minutes (that felt like hours in this film) later they're running around like they've never run before.... rubbish... lets move on
Other stuff that was really rubbish... the hunter finding the tranq dart... its bad enough that he's following a non existent trail without any tracking help anymore, but then to find a little dart amongst the rocks...get real When the prey leaves the hunter alive but poorly tied up (he's no boy scout despite being a hero) he then leaves the gun beside him...what? What the hell....? OK so the reason he did this so the Hunter can then have the Prey lined up in a shot later on... but couldn't Collora have helped him find a rifle elsewhere..perhaps of the rescue guys the prey has just killed... really really lame. ...and the hunter gets told by his nostrilled Captain that the prey is the last of a race that they wiped out, but that's all he's told, when he ends up chatting to the prey (in oh so convenient Space language on the oh so convenient Bluetooth that doesn't need the I Pod to make it work bla bla) he somehow knows he's human... the captain never mentioned it...rubbish All the morality between the two was garbage, I've got a wife and kids, I lied I haven't got a wife and kids, I tricked you, you're rubbish etc... so poorly written its atrocious The list goes on, I've bored you enough, perhaps I'm just trying to get some payback for the boredom I suffered, my apologies, rant over
SPOILER bit The main problem with the film (other than the rubbish listed below) is the fact that you know straight away that this is all you're going to get, once we're down to two guys you realise the film is going to be two guys and a desert, and knowing there's not enough plot to sustain 90 minutes you know you're going to suffer so I did all the lovely desert shots, and the huge skeleton and ..erm well that's about it, can't distract from the very poor script and lack of plot
So the Bobba Fet guys are really aliens, ooh we didn't see that coming, OK so we did, but please don't waste our time with the 'stabilizing your system to cope with the atmosphere' business to keep us in suspense... just keep the helmets on because they got handy Heads Up Displays in them. Talking of which why is it that Clea can track our man an give a good display on the HUD until the point when they're close up and then its of no use at all at which point we lose a couple of guys... rubbish.... but then the whole Clea thing is total rubbish anyway... so this I pod thing is really important as it can track stuff, sort out your health etc but it gets carried in a useless belt holder that it keeps falling out of (get a cheap arm band I pod holder from Sardonian EBay my friend) and it comes with a battery life of about a day, despite being the size of a early 90s mobile... get a grip. I don't even want to think about how poor all of the chatting with Clea is, the fact she can detect a spaceship coming into orbit but not sense the prey 100yds away with a sensor stuck in his neck etc etc, and it only appears to work when its plugged in (perhaps the battery is in the back pack and really huge!), but can still administer the health support when its not plugged in (despite needing battery power to do so according to the script)... OK so the technology is flawed, no great shakes but its annoying to be distracted from a film by flaws in the plot..lets move on
So we get to the excitement which is the chase... OK the slow ramble through the desert, yes its hot and rocky and all that but you think we could have seen a little more excitement from the actors, they're meant to be being chased/chasing and they leisurely step between rocks etc... that is until the hunter and prey are both badly injured, each in a leg with an assortment of additional arm/shoulder wounds too... the limp for a little bit, and yes the heat is really bearing down etc but then a couple of minutes (that felt like hours in this film) later they're running around like they've never run before.... rubbish... lets move on
Other stuff that was really rubbish... the hunter finding the tranq dart... its bad enough that he's following a non existent trail without any tracking help anymore, but then to find a little dart amongst the rocks...get real When the prey leaves the hunter alive but poorly tied up (he's no boy scout despite being a hero) he then leaves the gun beside him...what? What the hell....? OK so the reason he did this so the Hunter can then have the Prey lined up in a shot later on... but couldn't Collora have helped him find a rifle elsewhere..perhaps of the rescue guys the prey has just killed... really really lame. ...and the hunter gets told by his nostrilled Captain that the prey is the last of a race that they wiped out, but that's all he's told, when he ends up chatting to the prey (in oh so convenient Space language on the oh so convenient Bluetooth that doesn't need the I Pod to make it work bla bla) he somehow knows he's human... the captain never mentioned it...rubbish All the morality between the two was garbage, I've got a wife and kids, I lied I haven't got a wife and kids, I tricked you, you're rubbish etc... so poorly written its atrocious The list goes on, I've bored you enough, perhaps I'm just trying to get some payback for the boredom I suffered, my apologies, rant over
Why can't the SyFy channel do anything this good?
john-kellington7 May 2010
They have the same budgets, and probably more. Hunter Prey is just the kind of thing that channel should be filled with, but instead all we get is silly, dimwitted, fodder designed for nothing beyond a Saturday evening with beer and burgers. I hope to god this film doesn't wind up on SyFy. Hunter Prey was better than some genre films I've seen that even got a theater showing. It has all the right elements that make a good science fiction film. Great characters and production design, beautiful cinematography, lots of aliens and a good story. What more can you ask for? Hunter Prey delivers the goods and left me wanting more. Bring on the sequel!
Underrated
philipjcowan-312-142985 January 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Definitely far better than the the IMDb.com rating suggests. The ending is a bit flat, otherwise this is a first-class science fiction story.
Although there was obviously a limited budget for this film — there are few actors (none of them well-known) and essentially a single location — the cinematography, the sound quality and the editing are all up to scratch for a major project. The story is good (it kept me hooked) and there is plenty action among some interesting ideas.
If you are a science fiction fan with a mental age above 10, you should get some enjoyment from this film. I would especially recommend it if you find many big budget movies to be nothing more than a relentless cacophony of banality and torture porn.
Although there was obviously a limited budget for this film — there are few actors (none of them well-known) and essentially a single location — the cinematography, the sound quality and the editing are all up to scratch for a major project. The story is good (it kept me hooked) and there is plenty action among some interesting ideas.
If you are a science fiction fan with a mental age above 10, you should get some enjoyment from this film. I would especially recommend it if you find many big budget movies to be nothing more than a relentless cacophony of banality and torture porn.
I think the writers watched a little too much Buck Rogers as kids
sergiosandwieler6 February 2010
In particular, a first season episode called "Unchained Woman" starring Jamie Lee Curtis. Buck crashes on a desert planet and breaks a prisoner out of an underground prison and needs to return her to the Earth defense directorate alive. As they trek through Vasquez Rocks doubling for a desert planet with cheesy moons in the background, they are pursued by an alien android trying to recapture the prisoner. There's even a slithery tentacled creature called a sand squid on this planet, that they ripped off as well in Hunter Prey. They even went as far to hire Erin Gray (who played Wilma Deering on the show) to be the voice of the A.I. in their movie. This looks way better than the Buck Rogers TV show, but the corny acting is just as bad, if not worse. Hunter Prey wasn't horrible by any means, and it's certainly better than any of those awful SyFy channel movies. It looks beautiful, especially for such a low budget movie, but I have to give it a big fat goose egg for originality.
Good, but If you're expecting an action movie, you'll be disappointed...
janjawuty24 August 2010
If you like movies that are more story driven, you'll like "Hunter Prey".
It has the look and feel of one of those made for TV movies of the 70's. I mean that in a really good way. You see, way back when, before all this CG crap, filmmakers had to use ingenuity and talent to craft their films. They had to tell their story through... Well, telling a story.
This is not a film for anyone seeking a fast paced, mindless, mess. It's a film for hardcore sci fi junkies like myself, who grew up on Star Trek, The Outer Limits, and The Twilight Zone.
It's more about the story and characters than special effects.
It has the look and feel of one of those made for TV movies of the 70's. I mean that in a really good way. You see, way back when, before all this CG crap, filmmakers had to use ingenuity and talent to craft their films. They had to tell their story through... Well, telling a story.
This is not a film for anyone seeking a fast paced, mindless, mess. It's a film for hardcore sci fi junkies like myself, who grew up on Star Trek, The Outer Limits, and The Twilight Zone.
It's more about the story and characters than special effects.
Tedious and boring
helmsman347629 July 2010
At its core, behind all the beautiful landscapes, alien creatures, and realistic costume design, "Hunter Prey" is a story so unoriginal and uninspiring, that had Collora not accomplished so much breathtaking imagery to tell it, it would have been an unmitigated bore. As it is, one must strain to retain any interest whatsoever in a hackneyed story we've been told countless times before. It surpasses much of what is done at this budget level, especially for a genre picture that incorporates all the elements that have come to define these films, however there are so few moments worthy of attention here, that one wishes that all Collora's talent, ambition and visual mastery could have been devoted to something more worthwhile.
Hunter Prey review
jessicarotich18 October 2010
Warning: Spoilers
There has been a lot of hype about this film, particularly what it has accomplished on a low budget. Cinematography of the film is breathtaking. Music is a little loud but very stylish. It was difficult to discern the dialog in the beginning of the movie, perhaps that was the intent of the director. The main disappointment of the film to me is the caliber of the acting of the Sedonians. The Sedonians should have taken acting lessons from Collora and perhaps I would have had some sympathy for them. It is clear that Collora is extremely talented, not only as a director but also as an actor. That really surprised me. Hollywood, wake up! It is through his artistry that we will see a real film, one that does not rely on CGI.
A waste of time.
jpurits-604-5592175 September 2011
People comparing this movie to District 9 and Star Wars ? Seriously ? Did you people watch this movie ? I guess the director had all his friends write the reviews. Now for a review from someone who does not know the director or has been paid off by him. LOL
I found this movie rather tedious. Sure the scenery was nice looking, but that I could have gotten fro a National Geographic documentary on Arizona. The dialogue was horrible. The costumes were cheap. The plot was a rip off from the start of Enemy Mine except without the good acting. There was times in this movie that had me saying "Are you serious ?" not in a complimentary way but from being dumb struck at how silly the dialogue was. This movie leaves a lot to be desired and seems to leave common sense completely behind when it comes to script writing. You can make a good sci-fi on a shoestring budget, but it would have to be plot and dialogue driven, unfortunately this move had no budget, no plot and silly dialogue.
Sad to say, I found very few redeeming qualities for this movie and would not recommend it to anyone.
I found this movie rather tedious. Sure the scenery was nice looking, but that I could have gotten fro a National Geographic documentary on Arizona. The dialogue was horrible. The costumes were cheap. The plot was a rip off from the start of Enemy Mine except without the good acting. There was times in this movie that had me saying "Are you serious ?" not in a complimentary way but from being dumb struck at how silly the dialogue was. This movie leaves a lot to be desired and seems to leave common sense completely behind when it comes to script writing. You can make a good sci-fi on a shoestring budget, but it would have to be plot and dialogue driven, unfortunately this move had no budget, no plot and silly dialogue.
Sad to say, I found very few redeeming qualities for this movie and would not recommend it to anyone.
Impressive
omadrianna12 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
A prison transport ship carrying a dangerous, alien convict has dropped out of orbit and crash lands on a barren, desert world. During the crash, the alien deftly escapes, leaving only the four surviving members of the crew to recapture it alive... One by one, the soldiers are picked off by the mysterious creature, until a lone warrior remains, with only his AI counterpart, to face off, one on one, against this deadly renegade alien.
Anyone familiar with Sandy Collora's impressive commercial work or his internet sensation; 'Batman Dead End', which gave the world the first glimpse of a dark, realistic looking Batman, should know he has a unique visual style and can accomplish a lot with a little, so it stands to reason that his first feature film is a stunning visual feast that defies its modest budget to look like a film far beyond its SyFy channel cousins. It's always impressive when a film-maker actually has talent and a knowledge of the craft that enables him or her to rise above the cinematic sludge usually accomplished at this budget level. 'Hunter Prey' manages to make the most of practical spaceship models, prosthetic make-ups, and pristine locations, to produce a solid little movie for a fraction of what the studios spend on craft service for these types of genre films.
Collora's stylistic choice here to return to the gritty, spartan look of 70's cinema, whether an artistic choice or one of a plethora of decisions made because of the lack of budget, is brilliant. Unlike Robert Rodriguez, who adds some scratches and grain to his already over the top, intentionally campy tone in a lame attempt to achieve this effect, Collora aims for the gritty core and realism of the films he admires, achieved through his extensive knowledge of practical FX and hands on approach, to create a film that hearkens back to 'Star Wars', 'Planet of the Apes' and 'Enemy Mine'. The tid-bits of the often referred to world of 'Hunter Prey' that are actually shown on screen, are incredibly realized by very detailed and sufficiently aged costumes, props and some very well done, understated, CG that's used to enhance and expand the already existing landscapes.
However visually stunning, 'Hunter Prey' falls quite short in the story department. It lags in a lot of places, with the characters simply wandering around the desert, seemingly with nothing to do. I get the sense that there was so little actually there in the pages of the script, that Collora shot a lot of these scenes as padding, to help take up time until there was some action or dialogue. When there is, it's shallow, corny and trite, not measuring up in any way to the visual depth of the film. It almost feels like a short film or TV pilot that was stretched to fit into a 90 minute feature. Even Clark Bartram, (the batman in Collora's Dead End) who turns in a good performance, does the best he can with what's there, but in the end it's all just simplistic, generic, falderal. Damion Poitier, who plays the alien faced Centauri 7, has a bit of a tougher time however, with every single one of his lines landing with a resonating, hollow thud, that is so unnatural and clunky, it's hard to watch in certain scenes. Had this film not been so visually and artistically accomplished, it would be difficult to sit through, especially for non-geek audience member.
Another element of the film that left me confused, was the music. It's good, but is also very derivative, and doesn't fit the desolate and solitary nature of the film at all. It sounds like the score to a bigger, more grandiose film, that was used to make 'Hunter Prey' seem bigger and more epic than it really is. The visuals carry that quotient of the film quite well, so I don't understand the creative choice here regarding the score. Again, it's well done and doesn't hurt the film, but something more subtle and moody would have worked better with the material.
I got what this film is trying to do, and it really does accomplish what it sets out to, on many levels. The lack of budget, more experienced actors, and a good script, certainly hinder it a bit, but do not kill it, nor detract from the undeniable talents on display here. All in all, even given its flaws, 'Hunter Prey' is a good low budget movie and a very impressive first feature effort for Collora. One from which I'm sure there are bigger and better things to come.
Anyone familiar with Sandy Collora's impressive commercial work or his internet sensation; 'Batman Dead End', which gave the world the first glimpse of a dark, realistic looking Batman, should know he has a unique visual style and can accomplish a lot with a little, so it stands to reason that his first feature film is a stunning visual feast that defies its modest budget to look like a film far beyond its SyFy channel cousins. It's always impressive when a film-maker actually has talent and a knowledge of the craft that enables him or her to rise above the cinematic sludge usually accomplished at this budget level. 'Hunter Prey' manages to make the most of practical spaceship models, prosthetic make-ups, and pristine locations, to produce a solid little movie for a fraction of what the studios spend on craft service for these types of genre films.
Collora's stylistic choice here to return to the gritty, spartan look of 70's cinema, whether an artistic choice or one of a plethora of decisions made because of the lack of budget, is brilliant. Unlike Robert Rodriguez, who adds some scratches and grain to his already over the top, intentionally campy tone in a lame attempt to achieve this effect, Collora aims for the gritty core and realism of the films he admires, achieved through his extensive knowledge of practical FX and hands on approach, to create a film that hearkens back to 'Star Wars', 'Planet of the Apes' and 'Enemy Mine'. The tid-bits of the often referred to world of 'Hunter Prey' that are actually shown on screen, are incredibly realized by very detailed and sufficiently aged costumes, props and some very well done, understated, CG that's used to enhance and expand the already existing landscapes.
However visually stunning, 'Hunter Prey' falls quite short in the story department. It lags in a lot of places, with the characters simply wandering around the desert, seemingly with nothing to do. I get the sense that there was so little actually there in the pages of the script, that Collora shot a lot of these scenes as padding, to help take up time until there was some action or dialogue. When there is, it's shallow, corny and trite, not measuring up in any way to the visual depth of the film. It almost feels like a short film or TV pilot that was stretched to fit into a 90 minute feature. Even Clark Bartram, (the batman in Collora's Dead End) who turns in a good performance, does the best he can with what's there, but in the end it's all just simplistic, generic, falderal. Damion Poitier, who plays the alien faced Centauri 7, has a bit of a tougher time however, with every single one of his lines landing with a resonating, hollow thud, that is so unnatural and clunky, it's hard to watch in certain scenes. Had this film not been so visually and artistically accomplished, it would be difficult to sit through, especially for non-geek audience member.
Another element of the film that left me confused, was the music. It's good, but is also very derivative, and doesn't fit the desolate and solitary nature of the film at all. It sounds like the score to a bigger, more grandiose film, that was used to make 'Hunter Prey' seem bigger and more epic than it really is. The visuals carry that quotient of the film quite well, so I don't understand the creative choice here regarding the score. Again, it's well done and doesn't hurt the film, but something more subtle and moody would have worked better with the material.
I got what this film is trying to do, and it really does accomplish what it sets out to, on many levels. The lack of budget, more experienced actors, and a good script, certainly hinder it a bit, but do not kill it, nor detract from the undeniable talents on display here. All in all, even given its flaws, 'Hunter Prey' is a good low budget movie and a very impressive first feature effort for Collora. One from which I'm sure there are bigger and better things to come.
Much better than I expected.
poolandrews7 January 2012
Warning: Spoilers
Hunter Prey is set in the future on a distant desert planet where the spaceship Prometheus has crash landed, all aboard but five aboard are dead. Four soldiers in body armour lead by Commander Karza (Isaac C. Singelton Jr.) engage in a shoot-out with the fifth survivor, a prisoner named Orin Jericho (Clark Bartram) who manages to shoot & kill one of his captors & then runs off into the alien landscape. The remaining three soldiers head off in pursuit, an extraction team will rescue them in 100 hours but they must find & capture Jericho, it is of the utmost importance & nothing else matters. Jericho proves a lot more cunning & clever than first thought & picks another two of the soldiers off leaving only Centauri 7 (Damion Poitier), the two chase each other across the harsh alien desert waiting for the rescue team to land which is vitally important for both of them but for very differing reasons...
Co-produced, co-written & directed by Sandy Collora who is also credited as production designer, art director & even has a role in the film as Slyak the bounty hunter & while I wasn't expecting much from a low budget sci-fi film called Hunter Prey I was surprised at just how good it is. A straight sci-fi flick with little action, horror or scares Hunter Prey is a character driven piece although all the macho soldier talk does grate after a while & there are attempts to explore themes such as where we fit in the Universe & our own planets self importance. The script feels like a mix of Enemy Mine (1985), Star Wars (1977) & Pitch Black (2000) with it's various ideas & story revolving around a human & alien, the whole prisoner set free, a cat & mouse chase across an alien world with the script trying to put it's own spin on it with several twist's & turns towards the end. I liked the way the film doesn't reveal who is who at first & the soldiers you think are humans turn out to aliens & their prisoner turns out to be human in a nice reversal of expectation while the script also manages to blur the line between who the villains & who the good guy's are as you find yourself changing opinion a couple of times while watching it. The script tries to be a little bit too clever at the end with various twist's that are alright but start to wear thin, the majority of the film is spent following Centauri 7 chasing Jericho across the alien desert & does become a little bit repetitive at times but enough happens to maintain ones interest. At just over 80 minutes Hunter prey doesn't last that long anyway, sure it takes time build-up the story & set the scene but it's alway at the very least watchable.
Besides a pretty solid script another thing Hunter prey has going for it is it's production design which is fantastic considering the budget, the soldiers uniforms look a lot like Boba Fett from the Star wars films but they look great with battle wear, scratches & a general used appearance. Shot in Mexioc the locations are often stunning, it really does look like a hostile alien planet at times with rock formations, sandy landscapes that last forever, ravines & strange rock structures that give Hunter Prey a great visual style that director Collara exploits as he fills every inch of every frame with something visually interesting or unusual. The alien make-up effects are alright although there's no real blood or gore here. The CGI computer effects are used sparingly but are also impressive, the shots of Jericho's spaceship in space at the end look really good for instance.
Made on a supposed budget of about $425,000 there's a lot here for that money, I suspect that the makers knew the limitation of their budget & simply didn't push it to try & do something that wouldn't work. The production values are great with good effects, a rousing score, nice cinematography with no shakiness or quick editing to be seen anywhere. The acting is solid enough from a small cast.
Hunter Prey is a very polished film that looks like it cost a lot more even if the various individual parts feel quite familiar, overall I was impressed by it's impressive production values & above average script that had lofty ambitions which is nearly achieves. You could do a lot worse, a lot, lot worse.
Co-produced, co-written & directed by Sandy Collora who is also credited as production designer, art director & even has a role in the film as Slyak the bounty hunter & while I wasn't expecting much from a low budget sci-fi film called Hunter Prey I was surprised at just how good it is. A straight sci-fi flick with little action, horror or scares Hunter Prey is a character driven piece although all the macho soldier talk does grate after a while & there are attempts to explore themes such as where we fit in the Universe & our own planets self importance. The script feels like a mix of Enemy Mine (1985), Star Wars (1977) & Pitch Black (2000) with it's various ideas & story revolving around a human & alien, the whole prisoner set free, a cat & mouse chase across an alien world with the script trying to put it's own spin on it with several twist's & turns towards the end. I liked the way the film doesn't reveal who is who at first & the soldiers you think are humans turn out to aliens & their prisoner turns out to be human in a nice reversal of expectation while the script also manages to blur the line between who the villains & who the good guy's are as you find yourself changing opinion a couple of times while watching it. The script tries to be a little bit too clever at the end with various twist's that are alright but start to wear thin, the majority of the film is spent following Centauri 7 chasing Jericho across the alien desert & does become a little bit repetitive at times but enough happens to maintain ones interest. At just over 80 minutes Hunter prey doesn't last that long anyway, sure it takes time build-up the story & set the scene but it's alway at the very least watchable.
Besides a pretty solid script another thing Hunter prey has going for it is it's production design which is fantastic considering the budget, the soldiers uniforms look a lot like Boba Fett from the Star wars films but they look great with battle wear, scratches & a general used appearance. Shot in Mexioc the locations are often stunning, it really does look like a hostile alien planet at times with rock formations, sandy landscapes that last forever, ravines & strange rock structures that give Hunter Prey a great visual style that director Collara exploits as he fills every inch of every frame with something visually interesting or unusual. The alien make-up effects are alright although there's no real blood or gore here. The CGI computer effects are used sparingly but are also impressive, the shots of Jericho's spaceship in space at the end look really good for instance.
Made on a supposed budget of about $425,000 there's a lot here for that money, I suspect that the makers knew the limitation of their budget & simply didn't push it to try & do something that wouldn't work. The production values are great with good effects, a rousing score, nice cinematography with no shakiness or quick editing to be seen anywhere. The acting is solid enough from a small cast.
Hunter Prey is a very polished film that looks like it cost a lot more even if the various individual parts feel quite familiar, overall I was impressed by it's impressive production values & above average script that had lofty ambitions which is nearly achieves. You could do a lot worse, a lot, lot worse.
This li'l B@stard really caught me off guard... I was expecting Cheezy Sci Fi, but surprisingly it was quite good. Rewatchability: High Blu-ray: Excellent A:9 V:10
lathe-of-heaven4 June 2015
Seriously... At first I'm thinking that this is just gonna be a VERY simple 'Oh, we lost the prisoner, lets go get him' type of story. Hunter/Prey, right...? BUT... and it is a BIG BUT like Mariah Carey's... Lo and behold I was gradually and inexorably really sucked into the story and the characters. YES, it was kind of like an extended STAR TREK episode in it's simple setting and story, but darned if the damn thing didn't keep throwing intriguing little curves at me which really kept me going.
Granted, they left a LOT of loose ends after building up our curiosity about certain things and motivations and what was 'Really' going on, perhaps... but still, as simple as it was, I was amazed at how the story and developments just kept drawing me in more and more. Obviously, I guess they fully intended for the story to be continued. So, the 'Ending' is REALLY kind of up in the air. But, MAN... lines like when the guy asks Centari 7 why he didn't shoot him and he replies, 'I'll tell you when I see you...' DAMN...! And then they never frigg'n explain it. GRRRR... And when Clea says to Centari 7, 'I know what's going on, but I can't tell you because it may influence what you do...' And they never really explain that either... GEEZ...! But, those were the kinds of things that REALLY grabbed my attention and really made me wonder, 'What the HELL is going on...?!!' and needless to say, fully kept my interest.
With this simple of a premise, this could have EASILY turned out to be really stupid and lame (like lots of others) This could have been screwed up SO easily a million different ways, but, somehow they seemed to keep a firm hand on it, and I felt, definitely kept the audience interested. Oh, and BTW... these people saying that this is like 'ENEMY MINE'. FWIW, I liked this film WAY more than that sappy, touchy- feely, over-rated film (as another reviewer also strongly stated here earlier)
Sooooo... I don't know if they ever did a sequel or continuation of the story, but I REALLY hope so! Because this one really DID catch me off guard and proved to be far more intriguing and entertaining than I first thought it had any right to be...
Granted, they left a LOT of loose ends after building up our curiosity about certain things and motivations and what was 'Really' going on, perhaps... but still, as simple as it was, I was amazed at how the story and developments just kept drawing me in more and more. Obviously, I guess they fully intended for the story to be continued. So, the 'Ending' is REALLY kind of up in the air. But, MAN... lines like when the guy asks Centari 7 why he didn't shoot him and he replies, 'I'll tell you when I see you...' DAMN...! And then they never frigg'n explain it. GRRRR... And when Clea says to Centari 7, 'I know what's going on, but I can't tell you because it may influence what you do...' And they never really explain that either... GEEZ...! But, those were the kinds of things that REALLY grabbed my attention and really made me wonder, 'What the HELL is going on...?!!' and needless to say, fully kept my interest.
With this simple of a premise, this could have EASILY turned out to be really stupid and lame (like lots of others) This could have been screwed up SO easily a million different ways, but, somehow they seemed to keep a firm hand on it, and I felt, definitely kept the audience interested. Oh, and BTW... these people saying that this is like 'ENEMY MINE'. FWIW, I liked this film WAY more than that sappy, touchy- feely, over-rated film (as another reviewer also strongly stated here earlier)
Sooooo... I don't know if they ever did a sequel or continuation of the story, but I REALLY hope so! Because this one really DID catch me off guard and proved to be far more intriguing and entertaining than I first thought it had any right to be...
completely missed what it wanted to achieve
ay-ce11 September 2010
I am personally surprised by the high reviews this film has achieved. I admire the film maker and all those connected with it for creating a film on such a low budget with what they wanted to achieve, but I feel, as I'm sure they feel, they did not achieve even close to what they wanted to. Remake this in 15 years time with some love. You could blame the budget, or you could blame the lack of art direction. There is no art in this low budget film, there is an awful location choice, there are bad camera angle choices (sunflare is not cool, emptiness is) , there is minimal story. This film screams of trying to be an even more intelligent Enemy Mine, but does not come close in terms of art or intelligence. The director had two decent actors, some budget for decent costumes and some minimal model special effects... but it was all wasted, the actors could have easily given so much more I am sure, the costumes could have been better (why are they roman?), there seems so many flaws with this film, the budget should have been spent on art direction and story. If you want to do 'cult', then do 'cult', do not half ass it like this effort. Go crazy, be unique, or don't bother. This film seems like a compromise. As a compromise its OK, if your starved of sci-fi like it seems we are these days, then it may be worth your time.. but really, your gonna be disappointed, it is nothing like people would have you believe. It is poor, I wish it was not, but it is.
One of the best films at AFM this year.
kaelsghost9 November 2009
Science Fiction is one of those genres that seems to ebb and flow over time. The late-1960s through the early-1980s, undoubtedly saw its unprecedented high point, with the explosion of such visionary films such as "Planet of the Apes", "2001", "Star Wars", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Alien". Films that transported us to different places, introduced us to otherworldly beings, and portrayed the human race as perhaps not the smartest or strongest life forms in the universe. This is the essence of "Hunter Prey", the feature directorial debut of director Sandy Collora.
A team of futuristic, military commandos, transporting an alien prisoner, crash-land on a barren, hostile planet. A handful of the soldiers survive, along with the prisoner. Their orders; Bring it back alive. The military men have a lot technology and capabilities on their side while they hunt down their quarry, while the prisoner is left to his wits to elude them on this wasteland of a planet, which is mostly devoid of life. The cat and mouse game of these two characters, trying to outsmart one another, against a backdrop of interplanetary war, makes for an interesting film that cleverly, without exposition, paints a picture of a much larger universe, without actually showing it. Consequently, this is not an action movie. There's action in it that's exceptionally well shot, but there are no huge, epic battles, space dogfights or explosions that some might anticipate from watching the trailer, which doesn't quite represent it as what it truly is, which is a great looking, well written and directed character piece that showcases the storytelling ability and undeniable visual talents of this up and coming filmmaker.
The alien characters in the film seem somewhat understated, which in this case is a smart choice, letting the performances of the actors and the story, shine through. Cool aliens, armored costumes, spaceships and high tech hardware, matched with plenty of laser fire and explosions are the staple of any science fiction film worth its salt, especially with today's audiences, but the real key to the success of any good movie is the story, and this is the real gem of "Hunter Prey".
Shot in the Mexican desert in seventeen days, on a shoestring budget, the filmmakers utilized the red one camera system, resulting in an incredibly film-like, cinematic experience that was very well suited to the panoramas used all throughout the film. I didn't sense any of the "cold" feel of traditional digital productions, yet everything felt very detailed and polished. The director's choice not to tweak the colors, blow out the highlights, and follow the current stylistic trends of his contemporaries, is truly what sets this film apart and makes it unique. You won't find any quick cuts or shaky-cam shots to obscure both the physical nature and the psychological elements of the struggle between the two main characters."Hunter Prey" is pure, bold, no frills, film-making that doesn't rely on gimmicky camera tricks, flashy editing or millions of dollars worth of CG shots, to keep the audience engaged.
One of the most pronounced aspects of the picture is the use of dramatic landscape shots to underscore the utter desolation of the planet, the plight of the characters, and the fight for survival. The planet itself, becomes a character in the movie, complete with it's own voice and ominous, yet beautiful presence. The sweeping visuals of desert sands combined with rich orange-brown planets in the backgrounds are matched perfectly to the lush and wonderfully thematic, Goldsmithian score by emmy nominated composer, Christopher Hoag. It's been a long time since I've heard a film score this traditional and "Hunter Prey" is the perfect movie for it... Director and composer are in perfect sync here, resurrecting the orchestral language of late 60's and 70's sci-fi cinema, which is such a welcome breath of fresh air, opposed to the aloof, understated, electronic soundtracks of most contemporary, independent genre films.
The only real flaw in this movie, is the pacing. I'm not quite sure if the problem here is editorial or more a result of the limited budget, but after the opening scene, which establishes the characters and sets up the plot, the film meanders for a little bit, and I found myself getting antsy for more interaction. For the entire first act of the film, the commandos remain in their armored helmets, which there's a reason for cinematically, but it results in both hunter and prey not quite engaging each other yet on a personal level. However, this is where Collora's roots in art direction, production design and cinematography come to bear, as the scenes are beautifully dramatic and impactful, defining the landscapes and atmosphere, as the story continues to develop. Once the characters come into more visceral contact with each other in the opening of the second act, the pace starts to pick up, resulting in the film finding its rhythm and not letting up until the end.
This is a very ambitious movie. The filmmakers are really going for it here, swinging for the fences throughout every aspect of the process, attempting to make a movie that because of the budget and nature of its production, has really no right to be what it is. It succeeds on so many levels, and represents the very best of ultra low budget, independent, genre film-making. The acting is good, the production values are polished, the score is incredible, and the visual effects were tastefully done and not overbearing. There's a lot of talk going around AFM about this little film. I saw it digitally projected on a huge screen and it was stunning. "Hunter Prey" is a solid piece of work, from a filmmaker that I'm very excited to see more from in the near future. A comment I heard outside the theater after wards, pretty much says it all: "I can't wait to see what this guy does with a real budget"
A team of futuristic, military commandos, transporting an alien prisoner, crash-land on a barren, hostile planet. A handful of the soldiers survive, along with the prisoner. Their orders; Bring it back alive. The military men have a lot technology and capabilities on their side while they hunt down their quarry, while the prisoner is left to his wits to elude them on this wasteland of a planet, which is mostly devoid of life. The cat and mouse game of these two characters, trying to outsmart one another, against a backdrop of interplanetary war, makes for an interesting film that cleverly, without exposition, paints a picture of a much larger universe, without actually showing it. Consequently, this is not an action movie. There's action in it that's exceptionally well shot, but there are no huge, epic battles, space dogfights or explosions that some might anticipate from watching the trailer, which doesn't quite represent it as what it truly is, which is a great looking, well written and directed character piece that showcases the storytelling ability and undeniable visual talents of this up and coming filmmaker.
The alien characters in the film seem somewhat understated, which in this case is a smart choice, letting the performances of the actors and the story, shine through. Cool aliens, armored costumes, spaceships and high tech hardware, matched with plenty of laser fire and explosions are the staple of any science fiction film worth its salt, especially with today's audiences, but the real key to the success of any good movie is the story, and this is the real gem of "Hunter Prey".
Shot in the Mexican desert in seventeen days, on a shoestring budget, the filmmakers utilized the red one camera system, resulting in an incredibly film-like, cinematic experience that was very well suited to the panoramas used all throughout the film. I didn't sense any of the "cold" feel of traditional digital productions, yet everything felt very detailed and polished. The director's choice not to tweak the colors, blow out the highlights, and follow the current stylistic trends of his contemporaries, is truly what sets this film apart and makes it unique. You won't find any quick cuts or shaky-cam shots to obscure both the physical nature and the psychological elements of the struggle between the two main characters."Hunter Prey" is pure, bold, no frills, film-making that doesn't rely on gimmicky camera tricks, flashy editing or millions of dollars worth of CG shots, to keep the audience engaged.
One of the most pronounced aspects of the picture is the use of dramatic landscape shots to underscore the utter desolation of the planet, the plight of the characters, and the fight for survival. The planet itself, becomes a character in the movie, complete with it's own voice and ominous, yet beautiful presence. The sweeping visuals of desert sands combined with rich orange-brown planets in the backgrounds are matched perfectly to the lush and wonderfully thematic, Goldsmithian score by emmy nominated composer, Christopher Hoag. It's been a long time since I've heard a film score this traditional and "Hunter Prey" is the perfect movie for it... Director and composer are in perfect sync here, resurrecting the orchestral language of late 60's and 70's sci-fi cinema, which is such a welcome breath of fresh air, opposed to the aloof, understated, electronic soundtracks of most contemporary, independent genre films.
The only real flaw in this movie, is the pacing. I'm not quite sure if the problem here is editorial or more a result of the limited budget, but after the opening scene, which establishes the characters and sets up the plot, the film meanders for a little bit, and I found myself getting antsy for more interaction. For the entire first act of the film, the commandos remain in their armored helmets, which there's a reason for cinematically, but it results in both hunter and prey not quite engaging each other yet on a personal level. However, this is where Collora's roots in art direction, production design and cinematography come to bear, as the scenes are beautifully dramatic and impactful, defining the landscapes and atmosphere, as the story continues to develop. Once the characters come into more visceral contact with each other in the opening of the second act, the pace starts to pick up, resulting in the film finding its rhythm and not letting up until the end.
This is a very ambitious movie. The filmmakers are really going for it here, swinging for the fences throughout every aspect of the process, attempting to make a movie that because of the budget and nature of its production, has really no right to be what it is. It succeeds on so many levels, and represents the very best of ultra low budget, independent, genre film-making. The acting is good, the production values are polished, the score is incredible, and the visual effects were tastefully done and not overbearing. There's a lot of talk going around AFM about this little film. I saw it digitally projected on a huge screen and it was stunning. "Hunter Prey" is a solid piece of work, from a filmmaker that I'm very excited to see more from in the near future. A comment I heard outside the theater after wards, pretty much says it all: "I can't wait to see what this guy does with a real budget"
George Lucas in Love?
bandofthelost7430 January 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Or George Lucas in Lawsuit? When I was watching this movie, I couldn't stop thinking about what George Lucas would think of it. "Hunter Prey" has got to be the closest representation of a Star Wars-like universe, than anything else I've ever seen. Possibly too close. I seriously wonder what his immediate reaction would be? Would he realize that Sandy Collora actually understands what the Star Wars universe should look and feel like, or would his insecurities get the better of him and spark some sort of legal action? Years ago, I read somewhere that Collora was removed by Lucasfilm security from some Star Wars event or something for trying to give Lucas a bronze likeness that he made himself of the director as a gift. Classy move there, George.
The Star Wars prequels were the greatest example of cinematic blue balls in the history of motion pictures. Never again will something be more wildly anticipated, or a bigger disappointment. "Hunter Prey" represents what the future of the Star Wars franchise could be if Lucas let other directors have a crack at playing in his world, like he did in the past. "Hunter Prey" was good, but a live action, Star Wars TV series directed by Collora would be amazing.
The Star Wars prequels were the greatest example of cinematic blue balls in the history of motion pictures. Never again will something be more wildly anticipated, or a bigger disappointment. "Hunter Prey" represents what the future of the Star Wars franchise could be if Lucas let other directors have a crack at playing in his world, like he did in the past. "Hunter Prey" was good, but a live action, Star Wars TV series directed by Collora would be amazing.
Oh dear
ropelawshiel26 May 2021
All the high reviews, the accounts were taken out ten years ago, and they all only have this film as a review, Mmmmmm. And this film came out ten-ish years ago.
It is like an extended bad episode of some Star Trek clone. Very bad all round, I advise you avoid.
It is like an extended bad episode of some Star Trek clone. Very bad all round, I advise you avoid.
A bit slow, but very well executed and visually brilliant
monster_skwad10 May 2010
First thing is I must say, this film looks so stunning and captivating, it's like watching one of those discovery channel nature shows, just on an alien world. I was blown away at the level of design and attention to detail in absolutely everything in this movie, especially for the low budget. This director has a great eye. The locations were awe-inspiring and lent themselves well to the story. I give films like this a lot of credit. It's hard to be ambitious in this genre without the money and the means. Most who try, fail miserably where "Hunter Prey" succeeds.
Something which really stood out to me while watching this film, was the sense of the director wanting to tell a larger story and make a bigger movie. I could actually feel the filmmaker striving to be James Cameron only with Roger Corman's checkbook.
"Hunter Prey" takes a little while to get going and parts of it are very derivative, but once it does, it delivers on a level that few films in this budget range can. 8/10
Something which really stood out to me while watching this film, was the sense of the director wanting to tell a larger story and make a bigger movie. I could actually feel the filmmaker striving to be James Cameron only with Roger Corman's checkbook.
"Hunter Prey" takes a little while to get going and parts of it are very derivative, but once it does, it delivers on a level that few films in this budget range can. 8/10
7 (Compared to other MFTV movies, a 5 otherwise)
thekarmicnomad26 February 2012
This is a great little sci-fi short story about a solder chasing down a dangerous escaped prisoner.
From the very start it is obvious the budget of this movie is very tight. But the production is handle with great skill and -most importantly- care. They obviously couldn't afford much in the way of set but instead of trying to recreate Mars from papier mache and dodgy cgi it has been shot on location in a desert somewhere, which works just fine.
The makeup for the aliens is convincing which is where it counts for a character based movie.
There is some action but the film is mainly about the two opposing solders and the motivations for their actions.
If you have an hour or two to kill on a random Wednesday and you like Sci-fi and this comes up on TV go for it. This movie has a lot of heart but don't expect Avatar.
From the very start it is obvious the budget of this movie is very tight. But the production is handle with great skill and -most importantly- care. They obviously couldn't afford much in the way of set but instead of trying to recreate Mars from papier mache and dodgy cgi it has been shot on location in a desert somewhere, which works just fine.
The makeup for the aliens is convincing which is where it counts for a character based movie.
There is some action but the film is mainly about the two opposing solders and the motivations for their actions.
If you have an hour or two to kill on a random Wednesday and you like Sci-fi and this comes up on TV go for it. This movie has a lot of heart but don't expect Avatar.
Low budget film with no ending.
spyroskonst14 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
After reading all these good users reviews in IMDb, i thought i'd give a chance & watch this film. I didn't expect action, cgi effects, but really good script.
PROS: The truth is the actors get the job done, makeup is extremely good considering the films budget, music is also pretty good, and as for the script it keeps you till the end of the movie.
CONS: This film has only one flaw, and for me it ruined the whole movie, and that's its ending. Basically, it ends in a moment you didn't expect & as a viewer i expected to see at least 10-30min in order to clear things up & end with a conclusion. Any conclusion would be accepted at this point it ended.
Personally i hate films with no ending, letting the viewer thing whatever anyone wants, especially on films like this where possible scenarios left so wide open, making me thing that producers & writers are planning to make a sequel, which of course i will not fell on the same trap again & won't bother to see. If thats the case, the why bother seeing it from the first place?
PROS: The truth is the actors get the job done, makeup is extremely good considering the films budget, music is also pretty good, and as for the script it keeps you till the end of the movie.
CONS: This film has only one flaw, and for me it ruined the whole movie, and that's its ending. Basically, it ends in a moment you didn't expect & as a viewer i expected to see at least 10-30min in order to clear things up & end with a conclusion. Any conclusion would be accepted at this point it ended.
Personally i hate films with no ending, letting the viewer thing whatever anyone wants, especially on films like this where possible scenarios left so wide open, making me thing that producers & writers are planning to make a sequel, which of course i will not fell on the same trap again & won't bother to see. If thats the case, the why bother seeing it from the first place?
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