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Prey is the prequel to the popular Predator franchise that it seems like no one was expecting. The trailer hit the internet recently and was met with surprisingly positive expectations for the full movie. This is a surprise because Predator is notorious for being possibly the most unnecessary franchise in pop culture. There have been 5 sequels since the original’s release in 1987. None of them have been met with anything even close to a positive reception. So it’s been amazing to many longtime fans to see a movie coming to the series that seems to have an original and interesting direction. Does it live up to the hype though? Is Prey the redemption that the Predator franchise has been desperately needing?
A Prequel To Predator
Every Predator since the original has tried to build on it in some gimmicky way. Whether that be Super-Predators, weird alien dogs, or having one fight a Xenomorph. What Prey does right is, and contrary to the other films, is to strip everything back. This film is set in the early 18th century enabling them to forego the flashy explosions for a more visceral action film. And it really shows through this movie’s fantastic fight scenes. Whether it’s the Predator tearing through a horde of French colonizers, or a one-vs-one direct fight between the Predator and a Comanche. Every fight scene feels meticulously thought out and brutal.
Prey also benefits from possibly the most straightforward story since the original. None of the overly-convoluted nonsense with the long, tedious, and oftentimes confusing explanations of many previous films. It’s a simple film where everything reinforces the idea of hunters and the hunted. It means the narrative isn’t necessarily super engaging or memorable. But, it’s a Predator movie. Nobody’s watching for in-depth social commentary on colonial America. We’re here to see impressive action from both the Predator and the Comanche village this film follows, and we get that in spades.
Final Score For Prey
Prior to this year, many fans of the original Predator film were asking why it was ever made into a franchise. Prey finally gives that question a solid counterargument. It gives fans of the sci-fi/action IP exactly what they want, and even some things they didn’t realize they wanted before. The story is nothing to give much thought to, and the third act follows a formula that’s a little too familiar for the films at this point. But it pulls off the formula in the most entertaining way we’ve seen since the classic original. It can only be hoped that this is a good sign of what’s to come from the films in the future.
The final score for Prey: 8 out of 10.