Prey (Dan Trachtenberg, 2022)

[Mr Sausage]

Predator is a terrific 80s action film with a premise so simple, it's hard to believe it's never produced a decent sequel. After the silly complications of the universally loathed The Predator, this film refines the series back to its basic working elements: humans confronting a harsh wilderness with a monster waiting in it. Subsequent films in the franchise tried to explain and explain the Predator's society and culture, but, here, the creature is only present as an expression of character and theme. The movie is primarily a old-fashioned, character-centred wilderness adventure. Taking place in the 18th century, it's about a young Comanche girl who wants to undergo a rite of passage centred on ritual hunt. So an archetypal feminist story with familiar elements like the successful warrior older brother, the elders who encourage traditional gender roles, etc. These elements, familiar as they are, are successful in their uninsistence. There is no exaggerated patriarchal villainy, no tendentious scenes, no speechifying, no obviously anachronistic expressions of value. Everything is there to set up a character's journey. In an era that seems to favour baroque, complicated story telling, it's refreshing to get an adventure film whose approach to story and character is so efficient. The characters, themes, and story are all properly set up within 20 minutes without ever feeling rushed or underdeveloped. Even the more picaresque wilderness adventure moments turn out to serve some plot purpose. It's good conventional storytelling. Tho' the characters are types, they're used effectively, with the film grounding itself in their experiences, personalities, relationships, and world to an extent modern action movies are indifferent to. There is no breathless rushing between hectic, jumpy action scenes with a minimum of development or set-up. Coherence in plot, theme, character, visuals, and action is the goal here. Everything is efficiently told and properly set up; the action scenes take as their basis not just character, but culture, too, as culturally specific fighting strategies play off against each other. Prey is a fun movie whose virtues are no longer the norm in Hollywood filmmaking. And we have an historical rarity: a good Predator sequel. Only took eight tries and thirty-five years, but here we are.

[Finch]

I'd like to see the Comanche dub the cast recorded (presumably, the French characters would switch to Comanche in that dub when addressing the Native Americans). I liked the film too though the hype probably left me a bit disappointed, and I wish that at least for the confrontations involving humans they'd used more practical effects. I hope Disney will consider a UHD/BD for this film as it might sell unexpectedly well and it doesn't deserve to be relegated to streaming only.

[Mr Sausage]

I'd like to see the Comanche dub the cast recorded (presumably, the French characters would switch to Comanche in that dub when addressing the Native Americans). I liked the film too though the hype probably left me a bit disappointed, and I wish that at least for the confrontations involving humans they'd used more practical effects. I hope Disney will consider a UHD/BD for this film as it might sell unexpectedly well and it doesn't deserve to be relegated to streaming only.

Is it only a dub, or did they shoot each scene in both languages? Frankly, I wish the movie had gone the Mel Gibson route and been entirely in Comanche/French. The English sprinkled with Comanche is weird.

Happily, I heard no hype about the movie, so I could enjoy it for whatever it happened to be. I only heard of the film from the boneheaded, incoherent political ramblings the trailer inspired in some random basoonist and decided I didn't want to know what the internet in general made of a sequel to a male-driven action movie with a female lead and largely Native American cast.

[Finch]

My understanding is that they shot it in English and the Comanche dub was done in post.

I'd have preferred a Comanche/French track myself but presumably they were worried that subtitles for the entire film would have turned the target audience away. Hopefully the alternative dub will be made available.

[Finch]

^ Apparently, it has, and you just need to switch languages on Hulu/Disney+

[The Curious Sofa]

I watched a little bit of the dub and then switched to the English version as it has all the problems that come with a dub (lip movements don't match, the acoustics of a sound booth, stiff performances). Then again, I wasn't a fan of the film either, which the Slant review compared to a Disney princess film, which is about right.

[Mr Sausage]

Is it? Because it sounds more like a veiled gendered insult to me. You know, the implication that a story about a woman struggling for self-actualization in a world of traditional gender roles is frivolous and inconsequential. How princessy of our heroine to not just want to stay home and cook and clean.

[The Curious Sofa]

Is it? Because it sounds more like a veiled gendered insult to me. You know, the implication that a story about a woman struggling for self-actualization in a world of traditional gender roles is frivolous and inconsequential. How princessy of our heroine to not just want to stay home and cook and clean.

I‘m all for rebooting macho-centric franchises with female protagonists but the way this was rendered is as flat as a Disney self-actualization ballad. She gets constant push back from the male characters, so there is never any doubt of where this is going. The predictability bored me to tears and that includes the most basic of “strong female character” tropes. Also, lots of obviously animated animals...

[Mr Sausage]

Yeah, the feminist story is programmatic, but at least the story and characters are properly rooted in it, unlike the shoehorned in girlboss feminism of recent Disney remakes. If you remove the feminist storyline from Prey, you throw away the whole story. Can't say the same for the recent Beauty and the Beast.

But that Slant article is absolutely making a gendered insult, and a risible one, too, since it overtly implies that feeling restricted and stunted in traditional gender roles is something you'd only find in a Disney princess fantasy.

[beamish14]

And we have an historical rarity: a good Predator sequel. Only took eight tries and thirty-five years, but here we are.

I’ve always preferred Predator 2 to the original. Maybe I’m just a sucker for films that are loony urban environment hellscape satires like Demolition Man and Robocop

[Glowingwabbit]

But that Slant article is absolutely making a gendered insult, and a risible one, too, since it overtly implies that feeling restricted and stunted in traditional gender roles is something you'd only find in a Disney princess fantasy.

I enjoyed the film for something I hadn't heard about and had zero expectation for (especially having unfortunately sat through recent sequels). I'm pretty much with you Mr. Sausage on most points. I even decided to check out the article in question, and yeah the guy isn't even trying to hide anything even in his choice of adjectives like "muscular" filmmaking. A really garbage take.

[The Curious Sofa]

Yeah, the feminist story is programmatic, but at least the story and characters are properly rooted in it, unlike the shoehorned in girlboss feminism of recent Disney remakes. If you remove the feminist storyline from Prey, you throw away the whole story. Can't say the same for the recent Beauty and the Beast.

But that Slant article is absolutely making a gendered insult, and a risible one, too, since it overtly implies that feeling restricted and stunted in traditional gender roles is something you'd only find in a Disney princess fantasy.

The actual story is the same as every previous Predator movie, the historical setting and female protagonist feel like icing to me as so little of it is explored. I disagree that the quip "Naru (Amber Midthunder), who has a problem redolent of many a Disney princess" (Chuck Bowen - Slant) implies that dealing with women feeling restricted in traditional gender roles is something exclusive to Disney fantasies. I read it as the film approaching the issue with the simplistic attitude of a Disney movie. It's crafting a modern discourse onto a historical setting to make it "relevant" to modern audiences, my least favourite approach to historical subject matter. I didn't go into Prey expecting McCabe and Mrs Miller but the enthusiastic reviews still made me expect a little more, which admittedly is my bad.

[Mr Sausage]

You’re confusing premise with story. The one thing you can remove from the film while the story remains intact is actually the Predator itself. You can easily replace it with an overlarge mountain lion gone amok and still have the exact same film. That’s one of the things I liked about the movie, that it understands the monster is only there to advance the characters and theme. It avoids Ridley Scott’s mistake.

Your take on the Slant review seems wilfully obtuse to me.

[Persona]

This is being overhyped in certain sectors but I enjoyed it. A simple film with a decent premise, a solid amount of craft, some fun beats, and a likable protagonist. Shouldn't be such a rarity to get all those things in one movie but feels like it is, these days.

Probably the first franchise movie I've really liked since, uh, Fury Road?

[Persona]

Oh and I watched the Commanche version. I liked it. More immersive for me even though the dub is obvious.

[Kracker]

Even though its a dub the Comanche is the only way to watch it. The lip sync is annoying but every time they spoke perfect English it took me out of the premise of the film.

For me, this movie completes a great trilogy: Predator - Predators - Prey.

I do really like Predator 2, its a classic by now, but I like the recurring theme of those three movies. The sequels so that you actually can make the same movie again if you do it right. Also I like the lack of continuity between the (good) sequels, you could have Predator 2 after Prey and it works just fine.

[hanshotfirst1138]

God, I wish this could get a Blu-ray release...

[Finch]

4k and BD and DVD on Oct 3

Bonus Features*

Making of Prey: Step behind the scenes of Prey as the cast and crew explore the genesis of the project, how they gave authenticity to the story, the intense physical training the cast endured, and the effects work that brought the iconic Predator back to the screen.
Prey FYC Panel With Cast & Crew: Go deeper into Prey with a lively panel discussion featuring director Dan Trachtenberg, actor Amber Midthunder, producer Jhane Myers, director of photography Jeff Cutter, film editor Angela M. Catanzaro and creature effects designer Alec Gillis.
Alternative Opening Scene: Check out a scene that didn’t make the cut with commentary by Dan Trachtenberg.
Deleted Scene: Big Warrior, Little Warrior: Check out a scene that didn’t make the cut with commentary by Dan Trachtenberg.
Deleted Scene: Treetop Chase (pre-vis): Check out a scene that didn’t make the cut with commentary by Dan Trachtenberg.
Audio Commentary: Play Movie With Audio Commentary By Dan Trachtenberg, Amber Midthunder, Jeff Cutter & Angela M. Catanzaro.

*Bonus features vary by retailer and are exclusive to the Blu-ray

[Monterey Jack]

Always nice to see a movie prised from the grip of a streaming service.