Depredador: La Presa

Firstly let's be honest, no matter what they do they will never match the original or even the 1990 sequel. Not that they are"classics", more just the fact they are very much of their time and I'm sure most people view those two films through rose tinted glasses. Especially the original Schwarzenegger film.

Yeah I like Prey, it's a solid action film that holds your attention throughout even if it's a little predictable what the outcome would be. But predictable doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. Some great action scenes and the story has a few nice and subtle links to the past movies.

Way better than the two Alien crossovers and ahead of 2018's The Predator, although that may be because setting this 300 years ago gives it a new perspective.

Worth watching, out of the 7 "Predator" movies I'd say this falls smack bang in the middle but films like this are what they are, either you're gonna like it or you don't.

I think Prey did an excellent job at crafting a fresh new story. Let's face it, predictor sequels and spin-offs have felt more like a money grab. But here there's a real story that cleverly weaves a number of story lines together to spin up this intriguing edition.

Amber Midthunder more than holds her own and keeps the pace moving. And the movie does a great job at leveraging the historical context for maximum effect.

Big thumbs up from me.

I first saw this almost two years back n loved it. Revisited it recently.

This one deserved a theatrical release man.

This is the fifth film in the main series and seventh in the overall franchise. It is a prequel to the first four films.

This one is set in 1719, nearly 268 years before the events of the first film.

This one has mind blowing action scenes n superb cinematography.

The movie is filled with lots of tension n has lottuva fierce animal attack scenes n has a masterpiece climax.

It has lots of dismemberments, gory kills and some awesome hand-to-hand combat.

This one has some of the best kills in the franchise.

Taabe's combat with the predator was mind-blowing. This guy single handedly, without technology almost beated the Predator. I always felt the Predator was a big cheater using his camouflaging behaviour.

Confession: I'm the guy who watched the original Predator way too many times thanks to the magic of VHS...but then never watched a single sequel afterwards. As far as I'm concerned "Predator" = jungles and body butter. So I fully admit that I have limited context here. That said, this movie kicked butt. I cared way more about Naru and her brother (not to mention her dog) than I did about anybody in the original. I found the cinematagrophy breathtaking, I found the characters compelling, and I'm kind of all in on seeing what happens when we transport modern franchises into different historical/cultural contexts. Plus, the callbacks were delightful. Nobody's going to give this movie an Oscar, but I'd rather watch a story like this than most movies with capes and poorly staged action sequences. I was sucked in from moment one, and Amber Midthunder completely captivated me for the whole runtime. It's nice to know that movies like this can still surprise me, not to mention make me stand up and cheer.

Criticisms first: The most unbelievable thing about this movie is the yo-yo tomahawk, not the 7 foot alien. This is something an 8 year old thinks of, tries it, then realizes that their imagination wrote a check that reality can't cash.

A trend in sequels lately is frequent and in your face callbacks to the original, like in Top Gun: Maverick (great movie, but too much in my opinion). There's a few in this movie that could've been done without. I just like a sequel to stand on its own more. Some people will disagree, just my preference.

Aside from that, it's probably the best Predator sequel to date. The bar is pretty low, but I really enjoyed it. It's not the woke movie early reviews says it is, just don't expect oiled body builders wielding machine guns. The Predator in this movie is big fan service and not the big headed clunky versions in previous sequels, but a deadly, agile, killing machine.

Great soundtrack too, it's got hints of Last of the Mohicans vibes.

For a period piece too, it's pretty accurate...except for the yo-yo tomahawk. I'd love to see a follow up!