Aside a misstep with ‘Predators’ in 2010, this has been a largely enjoyable franchise. The original classic, the rollercoaster sequel. I even liked the generally hated last outing where The Predator tried its hand at comedy. How will Prey do with our alien friends. For starters we rewind time by a few hundred years. These films have always been pitched mostly in the present day, but here we’re thrust into the world of Native American Indians. Living off the land, hunting. This is how we find Naru (Amber Midthunder) stalking deer on The Great Plains with her dog, just before an alien ship cuts through the clouds. She’s young, eager to prove herself. “Why do you want to hunt?” her mother asks. Although she doesn’t say as much, it’s the patriarchal society, an absent father… perhaps a slightly annoying big brother, Taabe (Dakota Beavers). Inviting herself out on a hunt for a lion with him, she soon finds signs of more than a big cat, before things go pear shaped and she finds herself back in a tent at the village, tail between her legs. I’m all for trying to expand on a story, but you’ve got to be careful with stuff like this. Predator films are switch your brain off action films and nice as the set up is, it plods. The landscape is gorgeous though, backed up with a score of generic sweeping strings, as Naru sets off with her dog to prove her hunting skills. She practices with her axe, wanders around. The Predator does much the same. Killing wildlife, collecting trophies as he does. I know that we’ve rewound 300 years, but killing wolves is hardly the sort of thing that has excited previous Predators and honestly it’s dull to watch. The effects have improved, but even that’s at a cost, it feels a little soulless. Or maybe it’s the characters. Either way it takes a good hour to find any kind of foothold and when it does it’s down solely to the Predator. It suddenly remembers that it’s an action franchise and the monster looks fantastic. His tech is superior of course, but feels retro with a rusted cyberpunk aesthetic. He looks more primal, but has all the signature traits. Although a bit unbelievable from where she started, come the inevitable finale with Naru and the Predator, we’re finally treated to what you’d expect of a predator film. The only issue is the choice to set it at night, where half the action is lost. It’s not bad, but it’s not great. Please, no more of this. I think the Predator should be left alone now.
6/10
Comentarios