1: The Film is to Short
Minus credits the film clocks in at about 1 hour and 33 minutes and I feel this should have had at least 20 more minutes. I do like that it wastes zero time in getting to point but at times it feels like there's never a chance to breath and that does take me out of the film a bit.
2: The French are too Cartoonishly Evil
They're not the worst in the series and I do like how their integrated into the film but they feel like villains in a 80's Saturday Morning Cartoon. I just can't take them seriously.
3: I Prefer the Origin of the Flintlock from the Comics More
Yeah, the pirate who original owned the flintlock that was given to the protagonist in Predator 2 was MUCH better in the comic as it gave a sense that this weapon MEANT something to the Elder Predator and that giving it to Glover's character was more then a simple trophy. But here, it's REALLY lackluster as it's just a minor plot point in a much larger plot. Still there are other films on the way so maybe my opinion will change as we see how the Predator gets a hold of the Pistol.
4: The Predator's Face
I get what the filmmakers were going for and I'm all for giving Predator's different faces to show that it's not a planet of hats but this design just looks goofy to me. This is a problem I've had with all the Predators minus the first film but this was the one I had the most trouble taking seriously as it's not terrifying just silly looking.
But that's about it so let's head on over to what I did like about this movie.
1: The Rest of the Predator's Design
For all my issues with the face of this Predator everything else in this look is AMAZING! I love the mask, how the clocking tech looks when it flickers even more then the other film and the shield. This is just a great look and I like how it's NOT yet another attempt to copy the look of the Jungle Predator. As much as I love Wolf his design was still just another version of the classic predator design while this one felt new while still looking like a Predator. After the AWFUL mask of The Predator this was a great new look for the iconic monster.
2: Naru
While I feel her performance is a bit to stoic in some scenes I honestly think Amber Midthunder did a otherwise great job and seeing that she is on her own for most of the film with her only companion being a dog she did a good job conveying what her character was going through. Also I would say that Naru has a really engaging arc and what I like about the film is that she DOESN'T succeed at everything she does. She screws up a few times but she learns from her mistakes and gets better.
3: Back to Basics
Predator as a franchise is kinda interesting to me because it's a series that always tries new things. Predator 2 takes the idea of the original but puts it in a city during a gang war with the heroes learning just what they're dealing with. Alien vs. Predator, obliviously, pits the Predator against the Aliens from the Alien series and even has them team up with the humans to battle the Xenomorphs. Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem is about the Predator trying to cover up the existence of either alien race which gets out of hand quickly. Predators is about the Predators taking humans from earth and landing them on another planet to hunt them. And The Predator is just stupid.
So, it's nice to get a film that is more like the original. Sure, it's not super original but that's not always a bad thing and since we've gone over 4 decades of trying new things, it's good to revisit the roots.
4: Fantastic Atmosphere
One thing that I think this film does better then all the sequels is the atmosphere. One of the reasons the first Predator film stood out is that it took THE Action Hero, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and basically put him in a slasher movie with a monster that could potential beat even him. Sure the first act was a standard 80s action film but the second act was a straight up slasher film only the people you'd assume would be in no real danger found themselves up against a monster that was their better in every way.
Only after learning it's weakness does Schwarzenegger's character start fighting back but even then the film is tense and does a fantastic job at building suspense.
After the first film the series leaned more into action with little horror and while that's fine it did feel like something was lost by basically taking what made the first film so great and putting it to the side. Prey, by contrast, follows what Predator did and let's the film build suspense. Again, it's hindered a bit by how fast paste the film feels but it still let's the horror build. Even in moments of levity or action the Horror and the atmosphere is the real focus of the film.
Even my second favorite film in the series, Alien vs. Predator (which has some good moments of atmosphere) still leaned more on the action side of things and while I felt it was well handled there Prey just had, IMO, better buildup and payoff.
5: The Puppy LIVES
Yes, I'm counting this as a positive. There is a dog in this film and he lives and even helps out in such a way that doesn't come off as contrived. And any film that doesn't kill the pup gets a +1 Bounce from me!
So, I'm defiantly recommending this one. Go check it out if you can. It's got a simple yet fun plot, a solid lead and some great horror and action.
