While working in a dam in Africa, the American hydraulic engineer Tom Newman (Peter Weller) brings his family to spend a couple of days in the Leopard's Rest Lodge. His fourteen year-old daughter Jessica (Carly Schroeder) is having friction with her stepmother Amy (Bridget Moynahan) since she does not accept the divorce of her parents. On the next morning, Amy, Jessica and her brother David (Connor Dowds) go in a game drive with a ranger while Tom goes to the dam. While driving off-road, David asks the ranger to stop the jeep to go to the "toilet", and unexpectedly they are attacked by a group of starving lions that kill and eat the ranger. Amy, Jessica and David are trapped in the jeep and stalked by the wild lions. When Tom returns to the hotel and finds that his family has not returned from the game, he asks for help to the experienced hunter and guide Crawford (Jamie Bartlett) and together they seek Tom's family.
Fortunately I had not even glanced the IMDb Rating and some reviews in IMDb and I had just followed the suggestion of a friend of mine when I decided to buy this DVD. The tense and underrated "Prey" was a great surprise, with a suspenseful and simple but well acted story. Carly Schroeder perfectly performs the annoying character of a typical American teenager; the gorgeous Bridget Moynahan has also a great performance in the lead role of a young stepmother that tries to resolve the relationship problems with Jessica. But the edition of the impressive sequences with the starving lions is very realistic and well-done. In my opinion, the greatest flaw of the story is the absence of a radio in the safari jeep to communicate with the base in emergency situations. Further, I expected more from the experienced Crawford and the two local hunters, and I liked the open conclusion. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Caçados" ("Hunted")
