By returning the franchise to its primal roots, Prey is easily the best Predator movie since the original.
After 2018’s lackluster entry, The Predator, my hope was that the long-suffering Predator franchise would finally be at an end. 1987’s original action/sci-fi hybrid, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger and Carl Weathers, has produced five completely forgettable sequels. Two of those were Alien vs. Predator offshoots and both were awful. So, I was surprised that a sixth film in the series was announced last year. To say my expectations were low is an absolute understatement. Prey, however, turns the series in a positive direction.
Set in the Northern Great Plains of North America in 1719, the movie centers around a Comanche woman named Naru (Amber Midthunder.) Eager to prove herself as a hunter, Naru tries to convince her brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers,) to let her take on a mountain lion that’s threatening their camp. Soon, though, Naru learns that there is something much more dangerous to worry about. An alien Predator (Dane DiLiegro) lurks in the nearby forest. Not only does she have to convince her tribe of its existence, she also has to figure out a way to save them when they don’t believe her.
One could make the case that Prey simply takes the plot of the original Predator and sets it in an earlier time period. There are striking similarities in the way that the protagonists in each film discover their respective adversary. But Prey eliminates all of the testosterone-fueled, chest-beating machismo and replaces it with a more sympathetic, focused, and engaging character in Naru. Amber Midthunder’s performance showcases her versatility as an actor with many scenes conveying plenty of emotion with little or no dialogue. Physically, she’s just as much of a badass as anyone in the original movie.
Fans of the Predator series will find quite a few references to the earlier movies scattered throughout the film. Thankfully, newcomers can easily jump into this entry without any problem. The scenes where the Predator assesses the hierarchy of Earth’s food chain provide all the exposition necessary to understand its motivation. Prey is essentially a soft reboot as much as it is a prequel to the original.
Currently, Prey is only available on streaming services. (Hulu in the United States or Disney+ internationally.) While I can understand Disney’s reluctance to release the film to theaters after the dismal reception of The Predator, it’s a film that begs to be seen on as big a screen as possible. The cinematography by Jeff Cutter is varied and impressive. Director Dan Trachtenberg and writer Patrick Aison (who collaborated on the original story with Trachtenberg) unleash plenty of adrenaline-filled action sequences. The special effects, including an incredible Predator suit, are also top-notch. I can only hope that Disney eventually releases the film on the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format so home viewers can watch it in the best quality possible.
By returning the franchise to its primal roots, Prey is easily the best Predator movie since the original. Faint praise to be sure, but it is worth watching.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
