Nature also proves a cruel adversary, but she’s ready for that as well. ![]() She uses brains and brawn in equal measure to handle all of her foes, dispatching them with gory efficiency. Naru deserves to be added to the list of tough characters who can hold their own against the Predator. “Prey” is a worthy successor to Ah-nuld’s original, even though there are no “choppas” for anyone to get to in 1719. So we’re not sorry when they start getting splattered. Even though they agree with Naru that something otherworldly is out there, the trappers are even more villainous than the Predator. Soon she realizes it’s man, that other evil predator, who is responsible. When Naru stumbles upon a field of skinned buffalo, she prays over them, thinking that this is the monster’s handiwork. There’s also a callback to one of the original film’s best lines: “if it bleeds, we can kill it.” Bleed it does, with a neon green blood that, at one point, Naru uses as war paint.Īdding another element of danger (as well as fresh meat for viewers hungry for Predator-based carnage) is a slew of uncouth French fur trappers. So begins a series of expertly crafted chase scenes, with our antagonist employing familiar and new ways to eviscerate its victims. As it yanks the bear from its pursuit, lifting it up for the kill, the invisible Predator is painted into view by an outpouring of blood. The scene with the bear is so cleverly staged that one wishes “Prey” hadn’t given us a good look at the Predator beforehand. ![]() Naru finally gets to see it when it ruthlessly guts the bear that was chasing her and her faithful mutt. “Something scared off that lion,” she tells Taabe, but he is in no mood for her claim that it is a “monster from childhood stories.” Meanwhile, the Predator works its way up the animal chain, teaching a pugnacious wolf a lesson about selling woof tickets by pulling out its spine. Naru notices a skinned snake and prints that do not belong to a known entity. Their bond adds to our worries once the real danger appears. They have an easygoing sibling relationship that Midthunder and Beavers create almost immediately in their first scenes. While on the hunt to find a lion that’s been prowling about, Taabe barely tolerates Naru tagging along. Perhaps it might have something to do with that blazing streak of fire she saw in the sky earlier. Naru is the one who first notices that there’s a new creature on their land. She’s twice as tough as she looks, and three times more observant than the others. Naru is teased by the guys, who state that hunting is men’s work, but we learn she can hold her own in a fight. This gives the creature a kindred spirit of sorts in Naru ( Amber Midthunder), a young warrior who wishes to hunt like the males in her tribe, including her brother, Taabe ( Dakota Beavers). The Predator’s modus operandi is the same, however: it is a hunter and it’s looking for trophies of prey. This one is fitted with slightly retro versions of the weapons wielded by the late actor Kevin Peter Hall in the first film. ![]() “Prey” bills itself as an origin story of the first Predator alien to appear on Earth. Plus, this deserves a theatrical release.īut I digress. This is not to say that streaming services are bad, just that I always feel itchy recommending movies you need a contract to see. Was it because director Dan Trachtenberg’s sci-fi actioner didn’t have any major stars (besides the Predator, of course)? Was it because the screenplay by Patrick Aison takes place in 1719, making this a period piece? Or was it due to the fact that the protagonist is a woman and her kin are Native Americans, both of which buck the trend for movies like this? Considering the recent cancellations of films scheduled for upcoming release, I suppose I should be thankful that “Prey” can be seen anywhere, including on services to which I do not subscribe.
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