A savage otherworldly tracker is confronted by a Comanche warrior woman who will not let herself be underestimated. Prey, however, reboots the Predator with an axe-throwing, girl power storyline set three hundred years ago on the American plains frontier. This latest installment, if you include the abominable Alien vs. Predator films, is more of a low tech approach to entertainment glory. It still rocks invisible camouflage and snarling dreadlocks but mostly eschews futuristic weaponry for eviscerating implements. She outwits her mighty foe through cunning and courage mixed with anger. Therefore, Prey is a good sci-fi thriller that brings some fresh blood into a stale franchise.
Naru (Amber Midthunder) is resistant to her place in the tribe in 1719. The teenage Comanche refuses to do women’s work anymore. Naru thinks she can become a great hunter from her skills as well. Other young warriors laugh and dismiss her as naïve. However her elder brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) warns her not to be too ambitious since she might get killed or seriously injured while at it. Her mother Sumu (Stefany Mathias) taught Naru how to recognize useful plants; she has even made her daughter gatherers of crops.
Naru pleads to go along on a hunt for a mountain lion known for being vicious. Once she notices that there are tracks passing through unfamiliar beasts on their way towards campfire lightening up the distance ahead, intent upon approaching them soundlessly as possible; this causes Naru’s curiosity about entrails and skins of dead animals around it since when they were just cubs deep inside woods.The wilderness has something else stalking within it. From close range and in person contact with this strange creature left me horrified.Naru cautions hunting party members about being vigilant.Taabe’s concerns about cougar seem correct. She is not content with being left behind in despair while her brother’s life is in danger. The enemy that they are dealing with is unlike anything else that we would expect of him.
Director/co-writer Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) regarding the protagonist’s growth has been done so well. The Comanche do not have any frame of reference or knowledge of extraterrestrials. Naru, therefore, literally does not know what is happening around her yet she must watch the Predator (Dane DiLiegro) in action to understand its capabilities. It can’t be beaten by a straightforward attack because of its size, strength and cloaking ability. Arrogance and overconfidence are used as weapons by Naru because she is not perceived as a threat at all.The Predator also misjudges how determined Naru could be just like anyone else.
Prey recovers from a somewhat strained first act. This heavily illustrates the importance of Naru’s gender as a foundation for the plot line. Patriarchal belittling is overdone while fighting against tribal norms here.Naru’s story thankfully picks up steam when blood starts gushing out through his wounds.Naru will have to demonstrate that she can survive multiple threats and surpass them all.A welcome subplot involves disgusting French trappers who join in on the killing spree.Therefore, these attempts to deal with the predator enlightened her about it.
As Prey progresses, its visual effects get better.CGI animals in the beginning look like they were pulled from the Buck Hunter arcade game.Trachtenberg saves his budget for beating up on Predators.Scene against French trappers through fog was magnificent.We are thus prepared for an explosive climax during which finally predator will experience its own medicine.
The success of this movie rests squarely upon Midthunder’s shoulders.She makes every aspect of her character remarkable.Naru acts differently among her family members but becomes an absolute bad ass when she confronts the merciless Predator.She has the spirit to kill a monster.I just can’t wait for Naru to appear in another movie.
Davis Entertainment and 20th Century Studios present “Prey”.
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