3 out of 5

Directed by: Dan Trachtenberg

With a little more experience behind the camera, and being a little more scrupulous with what appeared in front of it, Predator prequel Prey could really have landed with a greater impact, one equal to the strength of its concept.

I do wonder: had co-writer and director Dan Trachtenberg had his original wish of this being a stealth prequel maintained – dang studio ruining that early on – what might’ve changed? Some questionable tension- / mystery-undermining reveals early on feel tacked on, and there’s kind of a tonal vibe throughout that struggles between a studio flick and something a bit more daring and contemplative, which is what prompts my opening criticism, to a degree: that I never quite felt immersed in the experience.

Prey takes our standard Predator setup – teethily-gawed alien hunter lands, flips his invisibility suit on and off to make the coolest reveals, wants to play ‘the most dangerous game’ with humans – and sets it in early 1700s North America, pitting earlier versions of Predator-tech against the warriors of a Comanche tribe, and in particular Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young woman butting against tribal gender traditions which would prefer her gathering and cooking, and thus facing skepticism when she tells tales of this strange beast she’s seen. From thereon out, the film resembles most of those in the franchise, with the discoveries of how to best the beast, but by setting this dynamic in a culture that’s willing to liken a Predator to a demon in their mythology, and treat its traps and weapons as curious to which they must adapt, it balances the tables fascinatingly, bringing meaning to the title.

It’s a brilliant wrinkle. And it’s certainly entertainingly presented, with fun uses of the environment for action scenes, and a fair sprinkling of “cool” Predator inflicted gore, and a great dog. I just wish it was more convincing, or more indulgent, instead of being split down the middle.

Part of this is subjective, and surface level, but the movie “went for it” with some CG work and choreography the team, in both cases, couldn’t quite pull off. We hopefully know by know that generally timelines and budget are to blame for, at least, the former; however, there was a sense of pointlessness to where this impacted my experience the most – several scuffles involving animals – as I could think of a half-dozen ways those scenes could’ve been trimmed or excised to not require full-on bear / wolf / etc. models, that might’ve tightened up pacing or tension. Which makes me wonder if, again, this was a studio thing, as there’s an awful lot of “showing” done in the movie (i.e. “Add more action!”) that even giant budgeted flicks would have trouble executing well. Similarly, the constant (and early) shots of the Predator’s ship and camouflage just don’t work against the very naturalistic setting and lighting, besides acting as spoilers.

As to the choreography, we’re still in the wake of John Wick convincing every film they need to do something like the fights from that series, and maybe that just wasn’t in Trachtenberg’s / his stunt coordinator’s / etc. wheelhouse, as the flow of these scenes felt clunky and a bit slow, with the editing often not serving the fluidity well either. Things are more thrilling when the camera backs up and lets scenes breathe, this all applying to Dane DiLiegro’s in-suit take on the Predator, which is more agile and lithe here. It’s a cool shift, but it doesn’t feel like we got the fullest realization of it due to the way things are shot and chopped.

Midthunder is a solid lead. She has to carry most scenes with only body language, and the actress threads a thin needle between fear, frustration, confidence, and determination. Interactions with her tribe (such as her brother, Taabe, played by Dakota Beavers) can feel a bit read-the-line stiff, and the same goes for much of the rest of the cast – where I’m imagining people who needed a stronger hand to shape the scene, and Trachtenberg, perhaps, just hasn’t emerged as that yet.

But! Lookit at all of this negativity I’ve lumped on this film, and then consider: it remains interesting, and fun. And it seems likely (from other reviews) that some of the things that hindered my immersion may not matter as much to another, and with that roadblock lessened or removed, you have a really brilliant concept, beautiful scenery, and an upper-tier addition to a long running franchise.