Review: ‘Prey’ reinvents the myth of Predator in a fun and visceral way

After an all-around successful screening at San Diego Comic-Con, critical acclaim and comments from the director himself, ‘Prey’ came with high expectations and the weight of carrying the ‘Predator’ franchise. on his shoulders, and does him justice? Of course yes.

After working on series like ‘The Boys’ or’ Black Mirror ‘,’Prey ‘is the second film from director Dan Trachtenberg.after the excellent ‘Cloverfield Avenue 10’, and the fifth chapter of the saga that began in the Eighties, with the Arnold Schwarzenegger tape.

Here’s how we got to ‘Prey’, which was released via Hulu, in the United States, on Star + for Latin America and on Disney + for Spain and the rest of the world. The story is set 300 years after the first “Predator” movie, in a Comanche nation in the United States.

The story of ‘Prey’ stars Amber Midthunder as Naru and Dane DiLiegro as the new Predator. Additionally, the cast also includes Dakota Beavers, Stefany Mathias, and other native talent making her debut in her first major production.

‘Prey’ the legacy of ‘Predator’ and its ambitions

From the way, ‘Prey’ represents a return to the roots of the franchise ‘Predator’, and not just to put aside the modernity of big cities or super advanced technology. Except to once again set a group of defenseless humans against an unknown threat that surpasses them in strength and weapons.

Director Dan Trachtenberg has found a way to bring the franchise back where only the hunter and the victim matter, leaving aside any gimmicks, mysticism or ambiguity in the Predator’s origins, to focus solely on the here and now. But I’m already explaining and haven’t said what ‘Prey’ is about.

The story of “Prey” follows Naru, a young woman from a Comanche tribe who wants to become a hunter, but in the community this is a male-only job. Even so, and despite this, she demonstrates her skills not only in combat, but also in intelligence and strategy to prepare for confrontation.

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With very few elements, Dan Trachtenberg manages to calmly begin the story of ‘Prey’, presenting the drama of the characters, their intentions and aspirations. And when the public knows them well, they hit the gas and now they have what everyone was waiting for.

The director said he took inspiration from Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ‘The Revenant’, as well as from ‘Mad Max: Fury Road’, and although there is a part where I understand the reference to the film with Leonardo DiCaprio, it is rather the story of Charlize Theron as Furiosa resonating in “Prey”.

Well, in a franchise starring hormones, a female character was only relevant in the technical tasks, but with Naru things change, since she herself is an active part of the plot continuing to move forward, and it is only thanks to her that the things happen. things in history.

Even so, “Prey” has flaws, rather, script errors, which, while not a burden, are there and worst of all, they are obvious. For example, the situations in which Naru could have died are too many, and he is almost saved by a Deus Ex-Machina, or the hand of the writer who put his character in a situation and did not know how to take him. out of it.

However, although these technicalities are known, they do not affect your enjoyment, because Dan Trachtenberg does a great job with the pacing and direction of the film, plus the fact that it only lasts 1 hour and 40 minutes, it doesn’t make for something heavy to enjoy in. very short time.