In 1719 in the Great Plains, Naru, a young Comanche woman trained as a healer, dreams of becoming a great hunter like her brother, Taabe. While tracking deer with her dog, Sarii, she witnesses bright lights in the sky which she interprets as the Thunderbird, a sign that she must prove herself, despite the resistance of her family and fellow tribe-members.
Of course, we know that those lights are actually a Predator spaceship, and the hunt that Naru and her brother are about to commence a far more dangerous hunt than they could ever imagine.
And that's without even factoring in the arrival of another, hitherto unknown threat: European fur traders who have no more compunctions about killing a couple of Comanche than they do about slaughtering herds of Buffalo ...
I consider the original Predator to be one of the great "must see" science fiction films, but the franchise has rather struggled since that first entry. Other movies in or related to the franchise have attracted at best mixed reviews.
Prey finally reclaims the heights achieved by the original film. It is an excellent new entry into the Predator franchise. It smartly sets out to capture the feel of the original while featuring enough of its own distinctive elements to set it apart, as well as action set-pieces that update the (by modern standards somewhat limited) fight choreography of the original.
The film is anchored by Amber Midthunder's excellent performance in the lead role of Naru. She has great on-screen charisma and makes the most of all the opportunities the narrative gives her to shine. And there are plenty of those opportunities. The script-writers have recognised that the key to creating tension is to give us characters about whom we care, rather than simply empty spectacle. They smartly ties the whole narrative tightly into Naru's personal journey. Every fight thus carries immediate, identifiable and important stakes.
Prey also does a good job of handling the fact that it is the latest entry in a well known franchise. It includes many small call-backs to the original, giving long time fans those 'I got it!' moments which evoke well-liked associations with the original, while keeping them incidental enough that first time viewers won't feel like they are missing anything, and also without devolving into an obvious pastiche of the original.
And that's without even factoring in the arrival of another, hitherto unknown threat: European fur traders who have no more compunctions about killing a couple of Comanche than they do about slaughtering herds of Buffalo ...
I consider the original Predator to be one of the great "must see" science fiction films, but the franchise has rather struggled since that first entry. Other movies in or related to the franchise have attracted at best mixed reviews.
Prey finally reclaims the heights achieved by the original film. It is an excellent new entry into the Predator franchise. It smartly sets out to capture the feel of the original while featuring enough of its own distinctive elements to set it apart, as well as action set-pieces that update the (by modern standards somewhat limited) fight choreography of the original.
The film is anchored by Amber Midthunder's excellent performance in the lead role of Naru. She has great on-screen charisma and makes the most of all the opportunities the narrative gives her to shine. And there are plenty of those opportunities. The script-writers have recognised that the key to creating tension is to give us characters about whom we care, rather than simply empty spectacle. They smartly ties the whole narrative tightly into Naru's personal journey. Every fight thus carries immediate, identifiable and important stakes.
Prey also does a good job of handling the fact that it is the latest entry in a well known franchise. It includes many small call-backs to the original, giving long time fans those 'I got it!' moments which evoke well-liked associations with the original, while keeping them incidental enough that first time viewers won't feel like they are missing anything, and also without devolving into an obvious pastiche of the original.
The film also looks great on every level. It has solid special effects, varied and well-executed action choreography, and makes excellent the use of the Canadian wilderness.
Hunt this one down.
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