Movie Review: PREY
The Predator is one of cinemas most iconic monsters so it’s weird how aside from the original (and some may say Predator 2) that hasn’t been a good movie featuring the alien since. Well, I’m pleased to say that Prey is by far the best Predator movie since Arnie yelled ‘Get to the Chopper!’
Excellent Pacing and Plot
The decisions made by movie studios has always confused me. Why do some movies get the cinema treatement whilst others are consigned to being straight to DVD or streaming services? Prey is criminally one of those movies, it blows all of the most recent attempts at a Predator movie out of the water.
The setting for the movie is 1705 where we join a Commanche tribe. We join Naru, a young woman who wants to prove to her family that she can be a hunter. Naturally the rest of the tribe scoffs at this due to women not being allowed to be hunters, but thanks to the status her father had in the tribe they tolerate her often bad attempts.
As the movie starts we see her practising and failing several times to bring down a deer and other animals, and its her brother who shows her how its done. Some people have instantly slated this movie accusing it of being ‘woke’ simply because there is a female lead. I’m pleased to say that Naru is far more like Ripley from Alien than little miss perfect Rey from Star Wars.
We learn that Naru is smart and determined. She’s determined to prove to her tribe and herself that she can be a hunter. Whilst out training she witnesses a strange phenomena in the sky, a phenomena that marks the arrival of the Predator.
Visceral, Bloody action
If you want gore, a bad ass Predator and some of the best kills in the franchise than Prey delivers in spades. The design of the Predator is also great, with its more basic animalistic style. There’s a scene where it fights a Grizzly Bear with its bear hands that was awesome and highlighted just how intimidating the Predator really is.
There’s plenty of action and all of it is believable. The way the Predator dispacthes an entire team of European hunters is especially well done. The Commanche also get their butts kicked with dozens being picked off in a particualry tense scene that makes you genuinely root for Naru and her brother.
Prey deserved to be put into cinemas and it’s frankly a crime that it was just dumped onto the Hulu (Disney+ in the UK) streaming service rather than getting the attention it deserves. It’s a solid movie that is well shot, well acted and is full of action that does one of cinema’s most iconic monsters justice. The soundtrack was excellent too and it easily stands up there with the best this franchise has to offer.
My final verdict for Prey is a solid 8/10. It’s well worth a watch.
