In the US and Star (through Disney Plus) internationally, the long-awaited Prey is now available.
The new take on the Predator formula has given the franchise a second chance, even if it's only a small one. You can find all the other movies on streaming.
Our review of Prey redefines the future of the film franchise while honoring the past in clever ways.
The franchise has grown larger than anyone could have predicted, with five "solo" installments and two Alien vs. Predator films in which the most famous spacefaring hunters of all time clashed. Video games and comic books are helping keep the flame of the hunt alive for newer generations and hardcore fans.
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Disney-owned 20th Century Studios wants to keep the franchise going one way or another despite the ups and downs of the series. Alien and Predator are expected to be part of Disney's adult content strategy.
If you're interested in seeing more Alien movies, be sure to check out our list of the worst Alien movies.
After more than three decades, the solo Predator franchise has escaped modern-day settings and gone back in time to tell a short but effective tale of survival that just happens to feature a predator.
The original plan was for the film to be marketed as an original story up to a certain point close to the film's release. The premise was still interesting for fans despite the fact that the cat got out of the bag before shooting started.
The hunter becomes the hunted in the new comic book.
The film is set in the Great Plains of North America in 1719. A vicious game of cat and mouse starts between the two and plays over the course of an impressive monster feature that harnesses the spark of the first two films and then does its own thing.
Naru shares a lot of screentime with other members of her tribe, including her brother Taabe, played by newcomer Dakota Beavers. The first 40 minutes of the film are fairly easy to watch. A predator arrives on the planet and learns about the most dangerous animals he can hunt. Man is the most attractive prey.
Prey is filled with Chekhov's guns, elements that seem unimportant at first but completely define how key scenes play out later. The idea of leaving fluff out of short stories is something writer Patrick Aison took to heart while crafting the impressive script.
There isn't need to be a lot of characters or convoluted mythology in a blockbuster. The secret sauce of the first two films was that they kept things simple and didn't ask for a lot of expansion.
Prey is a mean and lean film. The goal was to tell a story through action, similar to what George Miller did with Mad Max:Fury Road. While the film takes its time setting up the story and themes, and getting us to care about Naru and Taabe, it doesn't stop once the predator starts hunting down humans.
Trachtenberg and Aison made the correct decision when they decided not to keep the predator hidden. There are some really interesting solo scenes with him. The core tenets of this species are present, so beating around the bush with too much suspense was not a good idea.
There is less "hit and run" tactics and more of a warrior-like approach to brutalizing humans as a result of the design of the feral predator.
The film has to look great to be memorable, and Trachtenberg and Jeff completely nailed the look and visual flow of the film.
First of all, the lighting when shooting outdoors was natural, something that is really noticeable during sunrise and night time scenes, and then there is a conscious effort to play around with the cameras and keep the choreographies clean, with smart framing choices.
The film has a few drawbacks, but one of them is the fact that the computer-generated characters can look different when they interact with a lot of animals. When coupled with the gorgeous natural environments, the overall package is a genuine "old school" feel. Alan Silvestri's unforgettable Predator soundtrack has its own identity, as evidenced by Sarah Schachner's atypicalyet tense and adventurous score.
Naru is the franchise's most interesting main character. Prey has given us a hero who can stand beside Ellen Ripley, SarahConnor, or Furiosa.
Midthunder sells the entire part, even though the writing is great and Naru is as vulnerable as anyone on screen. It is a joy to watch the hunter-prey dynamics change over the course of the story.
It would be unjust to end the review without mentioning the importance of DakotaBeavers' Taabe and Naru's dog companion, Sarii. The support that Naru needs to grow and soar above other heroes is provided by their roles. The culmination of all the pieces of the script is very satisfying.
Prey feels like a rebirth of a sci-fi franchise that had been in abeyance for a long time. We could talk about how it did in theaters all day long, but at the end of the day, we got an excellent film that opens up new, exciting possibilities without forgetting what made it great.
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