Yesterday, I set up an account on Hulu.com so I could watch the newest Predator sequel, Prey. Needless to say, it was $6.99 well-spent!
Before I watched the movie last night, I constantly pointed out on my social media accounts how I wished that this film (which was directed by 10 Cloverfield Lane's Dan Trachtenberg) was shown on the big screen instead. After viewing Prey, I made the assumption that a lack of recognizable names and star power in this sequel is why Disney (which took over the rights to the Predator franchise from Twentieth Century Fox a few years ago) did not release this movie in theaters nationwide.
That should not be the case anymore.
While there are no recognizable names like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Adrien Brody (who starred in 2010's Predators, my second favorite sequel in the series), Prey most likely made stars out of Amber Midthunder—who plays the Comanche protagonist Naru in the film—and Dakota Beavers, who portrays Naru's brother Taabe.
The fact that Prey's cast consists of genuine indigenous actors who played Native Americans on screen is a remarkable attribute of this movie... Something that would not have been done decades ago.
And based on her scenes in the movie (including a moment where Naru wades through mud as she searches for Predator in the forest), it's clearly obvious that Midthunder went through tons of training to make her role as a devoted Comanche hunter all the more believable.
In regards to the Predator itself, the design of this film's antagonist is one of the best in the series! The mask and armor that this Predator (played by Dane DiLiegro) wears is obviously more primitive than those of the modern-day alien hunters that Schwarzenegger, Brody and Danny Glover (in 1990's Predator 2) battled in their respective flicks. But the weapons used by the Predator in Prey—such as laser-guided spears—are just as deadly and highly-efficient!
It will be interesting to see where the Predator franchise goes from here. We watched as Native Americans took on an extraterrestrial trophy hunter 300 years ago in Prey... What will be the next time period where we see humans trying to prevent a towering alien life-form from extracting their skulls and spines to keep as a memento?
Happy Tuesday.
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