Prey

A while back, or in fact a very long time ago, I revisited the generally forgotten 2010 action flick, Predators, which tried to resurrect the Predator franchise but to no avail. It had some fun moments but just couldn't capture the spirit of the first film or be distinctive enough to try something different like Predator 2. However, franchises never truly die in Hollywood despite the best efforts of 2018's The Predator and in 2022, Prey released in cinemas, which already has a sequel in the works so maybe there was something here.

Set in 1719 America, a young Comanche female hunter wants to prove she's as capable as the male hunters in her tribe but finds signs that there might be trouble nearby in the Great Plains of a dangerous predator. Seeing this as her opportunity, she makes the perilous journey into the wilderness and soon finds that there is something not of this world hunting her.

Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Prey spices-up the franchise with its exciting concept as our heroine only has the tools and weapons of their era to utilise in their defence. No mini-guns, grenade launchers or Austrian bodybuilders here this time, and it all makes for an exciting premise as we see Amber Midthunder's Naru go against the iconic hunter.

And Prey offers some entertaining set pieces, particularly in the first half when a grizzly bear enters the scene but, maybe it was the tight $65million budget as this film does run out of steam towards the end over the course of 99 minutes. I feel the real issue lands somewhere in the setup as Naru chooses to engage in this adventure when perhaps it might have been better if she was forced into battle if say her tribe was under immediate threat.

It's just an idea but there is something missing in the story here to really make it all come together in a thrilling way. The action pieces also feel a tad clunky at times as they go from one to the next in a way that didn't flow quite naturally and, sadly, the film drops the ball in the final showdown where the prey meets the hunter. This should have been a thrilling finale but some odd choices from the director made it feel weak and removed much of the tension leaving me to feel unsatisfied. 

I still enjoyed most of Prey and Midthunder does a very good job acting alone for much of the film but the overall story feels underdeveloped to really make me want to revisit this in the same way as I do with the original. Nonetheless, Trachtenberg does just enough to inject some life into the franchise and it will be interesting to see where it goes next. This is far from the jarringly bad disappointment of The Predator but is still one that will quickly be forgotten not long after watching.