Prey

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.

This felt more like a Disney toned-down for family version. Too much nonsense with the tribal dynamics and Naru's empowerment issues. The first half of the 99 min runtime was just dragged out with a lot of dull filler and too much gender correctness. Only the last half got a little exciting but got ridiculous at the end to see a little girl with an axe do better than the Terminator did against an advanced alien with high-tech gadgets. I just wasn't buying what the script was selling.

Although casting and performances were decent, the all-young cast seemed like they were missing uploading their Instagram stories instead of hunting. They just weren't convincing enough, except for the brother and, well, the Predator. I'm not sure if it was poor cast direction or part of the script or both, but either way, I wasn't emotionally invested in the characters at all and had trouble taking them serious. However, the cinematography and score were decent. This film is not what I expected, or wanted, but still an ok one-time watch if you're a fan of the franchise. Just don't go in thinking this will be a revelation of an origin story, because it's far from that.

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!

I was only going to rate this until I decided to read some of the comments. This was easily the best one since the original. Not even close to me. I was hopefully when Shane Black did a "reboot" in 2018 I believe. I was disappointed. This was taking the franchise back to the basics and that was a good think! If you liked what Rogue One meant to Star Wars then this story will connect with you. I loved the cinematography. It was beautiful. The acting was really good. Don't worry that the lead actors aren't more well known. I was really not expecting much to be honest. The sequels since The Predator have been let downs. I only watched because the trailer had me with taking it so far back in time. At an hour and forty min it wasn't too short or too long. It was the perfect run time. I hope that you like Prey as much as me and that you rate and leave a comment. Happy hunting!