Prey

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.

-Great visuals and music -Very atmospheric feel...the wilderness feels like a character of its own which makes it the most immersive movie of the franchise -I could be very critical of the script and the fact that there are not much memorable characters/not much nuance but this is a predator movie not call me by your name 2 ... -Very satisfying action (some of my favourite in the series ) apart from one scene with bad cuts (Naru vs the other comanche guys) -Also good pacing and length..doesn't overstay its welcome and I'd watch a sequel... I recommend.

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!

As a lifelong fan of this franchise I am admittedly biased. Since the revolutionary classic first film, Fox/hollywood have made 4 sequels all of which I have thoroughly enjoyed/ still critiqued. A perfect sequel hasn't been made imo and may never be, but I can say this new film has the closest effective wilderness ambience/suspense to the first film and that warrants great praise.

I was skeptical with a few things judging by the trailer but seeing the final product I can say that no matter the logic holes in the mismatch of Pred vs prey , the film is executed quite well. The settings are phenomenal and amplify the overall product. Dan Trachtenberg has a keen eye for detail as seen in 10 cloverfield lane and shows it once again. The costume design captures a completely different timeframe awesomely as well as shows a new more prehistoric predator that might be the coolest visually yet. Music and sound is crisp and powerful and adds so much. The acting is bare bones but for the story it has to be as far as context.

It's a shame that this had to be only streaming as it should have been in theater. The scenery is fantastic. But regardless it's a surprising return to roots as far as the back to basics setting and suspense aspects. It's another welcome sequel and should be seen by any predator fan or action fan.

I think Prey did an excellent job at crafting a fresh new story. Let's face it, predictor sequels and spin-offs have felt more like a money grab. But here there's a real story that cleverly weaves a number of story lines together to spin up this intriguing edition.

Amber Midthunder more than holds her own and keeps the pace moving. And the movie does a great job at leveraging the historical context for maximum effect.

Big thumbs up from me.