REVIEW of Prey: Comanches vs Predator, the viewer wins

Cult film by John McTiernan, predator introduced a new cult movie monster in 1987, featuring an alien hunter fighting against soldiers led by Arnold Schwarzenegger. A franchise was born, with a rather interesting sequel, because it was very different, a Predators forgettable and more recently The Predatorreally bad, not to mention the two crossovers Aliens vs. predatorwhose name makes fans cringe predator and D’Alien…

But here it is again predator featured in Preya prequel produced by 20th Century Studios for broadcast on Hulu and Disney+and especially directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Laneepisodes of The Boys and black-mirrorthe fan movie Portal: No Escape). Return to the past for a mortal combat between a predator and Comanchesand the result is a resounding success!

Prey is indeed a feminist film, featuring a true independent warrior.

Prey takes us back to 1719, in a tribe of Comanches, in America therefore, alongside Naruyoung woman who intends to become a real warrior despite her culture forcing her to remain a simple healer at the camp. Despite the tensions with the rest of the clan, led by her brother, she regularly leaves to explore the horizons in the company of her dog and begins to see surprising things in the region, such as skinned bison or a disembowelled bear before her eyes. by an invisible creature. We are not going to say too much about the scenario of Preywhich remains quite basic and predictable, with a first third a bit long in its rhythm. Recipe predator is preserved, with an invisible threat, but very present, shots in thermal vision and reverse shots on a not so empty forest, intense encounters with the creature which reveals itself little by little and finally an epic duel. It’s agreed, already seen before, the film decides not to bother with a complex story and ambiguous relationships to offer us a simple struggle between humans and predator for survivala return to basics that echoes the long duel between dutch and the alien in the first movie, and it works.

Prey also shines with its sober and intelligent stagingperfectly managing the suspense to introduce a primitive version of the predator, a timeless monster that hunts not for fun, but for sport and glory, and not just humans. Yes, animal lovers, some scenes are heartbreaking. The staging is up to expectations, sublimating the magnificent natural and immaculate landscapes, the lighting is controlled, Prey offers wide and poetic shots that are rare in this kind of productions, but don’t forget to get closer to the center of the action when necessary. But if the costumes of the Comanches like du predator are impeccable, the digital special effects would have required a little more care, no doubt the fault of a somewhat tight budget. But it is rare and Prey also knows how to be bloody, in the pure spirit of the franchisewith mutilated bodies and broken bones, the film is as a reminder classified in the 18+ category on Disney+and this is obviously justified.

Of course, impossible not to talk about Amber Midthunder, especially noticed in the series Legion and who embodies here a Naru particularly interesting. A woman submissive to her condition as a healer in a highly codified Comanche society, she dreams of emancipating herself and becoming a hunter, the predator will give him this opportunity. Prey is indeed a feminist film, featuring a real independent warrior, without ever sinking into the quasi-commercial cliché, as may be the case in other productions. It’s hard not to make a small connection between Naru and the princesses disney modern as Merida, evolving in a male environment, but eager to make their life as they see fit. A very well written, intelligent, shrewd and strong heroine, perfectly embodied by Amber Midthunder, always right in her game and sometimes knowing how to be even more terrifying than the predator himself. Once again, the extraterrestrial creature is only a pretext for an intense duel where the Human must surpass himself to survive.

Finally, know that Prey is fully dubbed in Comanche, the original version being in English with a few words of Comanche only. An interesting decision, showing the interest of the producers for this Native American tribe and which obviously fits very well with the atmosphere of the film. The acting of the dubbing actors and actresses is convincing, but the lip synchronization is less so in the dialogues filmed in reverse shots. Not enough to really shock the viewer, even if in France, dubbing is well anchored in our culture and better controlled. But let’s not sulk our pleasure, the comanche is rarely highlighted in this way, and for immersion, this version is a significant plus. The producers also originally wanted to shoot directly in this language, before falling back on English.

Prey is a great surprise. Franchise predator had been steadily losing quality for years, forgetting what had made the critical and commercial success of the first part. Despite a broadcast directly in SVoD, this new part has everything of a great violent action film, offering a head-to-head between two strong characters in a violence and a unique atmosphere, all carried by a careful realization. Despite a start to the film that takes a bit of time to settle in, there’s nothing else to throw in, enough to delight fans of the franchise.

Note : 4 out of 5 stars

You can watch Prey on Disney+, the subscription costs €8.99 per month or €89.90 per year.

Clint008 Writer – Tester