PREY (2022)
Oh Predator, you ugly old rascal. It was once a straightforward idea in which two disparate genres, action and horror, collided suddenly. The burliest '80s heroes stumble their way into a monster movie without realising, that's it. And yet this concept was apparently too simple to follow up in a franchise that has seen some real lows, last gracing us with a mystifyingly bad Shane Black effort. But since nothing can be left alone when brands need to exploited forever we're back in familiar territory, and so is the mandible faced killer. The hideously mutated appendages of that prior instalment have been cut away. But are the results a real return to form or is this simply a competent thrill ride after so many disasters?
The reality is that this is an entertaining movie with a simple story, nothing more. In a way this is similar to the release of Bumblebee after so many nightmarish Michael Bay Transformers films. A sense of relief washed over an audience who had been so badly treated for so long. There has been a lot of positive press surrounding Prey's release, but perhaps its all been rather overstated. Dan Trachtenberg was an interesting choice but this doesn't capture the claustrophobic suspense of 10 Cloverfield Lane. Predator's editing magic and its special effects wizardry are missing here. So is the screen presence of its core ensemble. That kind of lighting in a bottle has long since faded, and nobody makes an action movie of that scope these days.
The same sentiment can be applied to the creature effects. One of Stan Winston's greatest creations has seen a few poor re-designs over the years, so this time around there's direct attempt to make it threatening again. But it's a weird CGI faced creep under what is initially an eerie bone mask. The film is a bloody affair, but there's little grit involved. There are a lot of computer generated animals and there's no attempt to make the cloaking device feel less advanced than the one from previous outings. The famous thermal vision is also too modern looking. This lack of attention to detail sometimes makes it all seem like a rushed low budget affair. Some of the gadgets are at least missing, replaced by low-fi iterations. But a lack of consistency is present throughout.
Still, praise is due where it counts. The villain of the story is shown too early, but it does have a mission that can be followed without dialogue. The prequel's Eighteenth Century setting might not be depicted in all the alien technology, but there is a sense that the hunter is learning about life on a new planet. Observation and tracking skills are part of the story as a whole, which is very appropriate. When the information gathering ends and the hunt begins there are some great set pieces. Again the digital effects are not all great, but there are some satisfying action beats. There are no plasma weapons or nuclear blasts, but there are some grisly new additions to the creature's arsenal.
The hero of the story Naru (Amber Midthunder) is a Commanche native who is also learning new things. She's trained as a tracker and a healer, but wants to join her brother Taabe (Dakota Beavers) to win hunting trophies and gain her rite of passage. There's no revelation when she sees that this tribal way of life isn't all it's cracked up to be, even when violent French trappers who kill only for profit arrive on the scene. But there's at least a sense that she's out of her depth during a hunt for a lion, and later a bear. Her medical knowledge, and that of the local fauna, are a good juxtaposition against the more brutal party members. It's slightly odd that a violent sci-fi film full of gory deaths is also about the power of education, but it comes together in a satisfying underdog story way.
Which is fun when one of the most best characters is Naru's pet, the Dingo Sarii. Together they overcome the odds and use brains against brawn, which seems trite but is never over played. They aren't exactly full of charisma, but their sibling rivalry is interesting to see. The rest of the cast are even less memorable and most of the other hunters, either from North America or France, are basically cannon fodder. After seeing how local animals behave the alien visitor is here to test their mettle. But the mixture of hunting tricks and traps from each side adds a few fresh elements to the story. There are some good ideas and it's a very stripped down tale, one that never overstays its welcome.
The style of the cinematography, and the low-key strings in the score, may be too clean and forgettable. They should have leaned into the Alan Silvestri tunes more heavily, and used the classic opening title typeface. But that's more of a personal nitpick. It's all still a relief after its bloated predecessor. It does occasionally start to feel like a 'Predator versus Medieval Knight' or 'Predator versus Batman' style fan film. Still, in terms of the tone and the theme it's never silly, even if a few dumb callbacks to 1987 make it into the dialogue. Make no mistake the overall script is just written in the 'same but different' style reboot approach. But after the sequels tried adding so many strange misguided additions a story actually about hunting again is welcome.
3/5
BONUS REVIEW
CARTER (2022)
Meanwhile here's a film that could have used more way more clean and simple photography. I was excited to see that the director of The Villainess had a new release. He clearly had some fun ideas and the Korean take on Nikita was interesting to see play out. However this is anything but simple, even if the script is basically all about moving from once thing to another without pausing for depth or characterisation. How can the rescue of a child by an amnesiac spy be complicated? It's hard to explain when so much of it is due to visual noise and a total lack of pacing. So while this is a compelling direction for an action movie there are a lot of things holding it back from greatness. Some will find it exhilarating, others will find it exhausting. Those prone to migraines need not apply.
It sits somewhere between Hardcore Henry and The Bourne Ultimatum, but turned up to eleven. Before they throw in a lot of nods to things like Escape From New York and Train to Busan. This is a tale of viral outbreaks, missing scientists, military coups and stolen memories. All filmed by what feels like an algorithm. Someone out there fell in love with snap zooms and thought the next step was to copy Google Street View. Every minute of the film is stitched together with a dozen camera moves even where a phony 'one take' edit isn't necessary. The opening in which Carter (Joo Won) is forced to fight a crowd of naked bath house customers is the litmus test for potential viewers. After this there are few pit stops as the story moves from endless chase scenes and gun battles. Those hoping for a brisk running time like Prey will be worn down by the time they realised a whole hour is left on the clock.
In some ways this no-holds-barred approach is to be commended. Nobody else is using insane GoPro drone footage like this. On the other hand many impressive stunts and action beats are dulled by poorly implemented green screens and wonky digital cuts. The whole 'and then this happened' approach to storytelling is always a problem and it reaches new heights here. When it's paired with a style that never avoids showing the artifice it's hard to be invested. Sometimes the camera swoops around without motivation at all - moving from the same fight and back around again. The results are frustrating, although it's clear to see why adrenaline seeking world cinema junkies will find this all so arresting. For me it's hard to get behind a story that uses the CGI window crash from Quantum of Solace and turns it into a whole new genre of action.
3/5
