The Screen Addict | Predators & Prey

After having had the great pleasure of reconnecting with my old Yautja friend in Prey (2022) last Friday, I had an appetite for more screen time with the legendary alien hunter and decided to revisit Predators (2010) next. This Robert Rodriguez produced – Nimród Antal directed third installment in the Predator franchise – if you don’t count AVP: Alien Vs. Predator (2004) – doesn’t get anywhere near enough love.

The idea of the Yautja bringing prey to their planet instead of the other way round, is a clever spin on the formula. That element is elevated even further with the fact that the hunted are actually all predators in their own milieu – a yakuza member, a cartel hitman, a sniper, a serial rapist, and so on. The Yautja as hunters who are constantly evolving and working to improve their skills makes perfect sense to me.

Predators features some lovely throwbacks, homages and references to John McTiernan’s Predator (1987) and Stephen Hopkins’ Predator 2 (1990) but also decidedly ups the ante with more hunters and new species.

Basically the only minor issue I have with Predators is the casting of Adrien Brody. The guy is obviously a great actor, but for me he just feels out of place in this film. I can think of at least 10 other actors who would have been a better fit.

Speaking of actors – it had completely slipped my mind that Mahershalalhashbaz Ali (yes, that’s his full name) is in this film. Way before House of Cards and waaay before striking double Oscar-gold.

The Predator franchise (like the Terminator and Alien films) always felt very neatly arranged to me – I would rank ‘em favorite to least favorite exactly in the order of release. Prey really throws a sturdy spanner in those works though.

The premise is brilliant in all its simplicity – some 400 years ago, a young Comanche tribeswoman is struggling to prove her worth as a hunter in a patriarchal society. Little does she know it is not the wolves, bears or mountain lions that might kill her, but something far more dangerous.

First of all – the idea that the Yautja have been hunting us for ages is awesome and again, makes perfect sense. Setting the story during the exploration of The New World and telling it from the point of view of indigenous people is a further stroke of genius. This is unmistakably a tale about hunters.

But the most pleasant surprise of the show is definitely the Predator itself. You would think a design that is already perfect doesn’t need an upgrade, but you’d be wrong. This is without a doubt the most fantastically vicious incarnation of the otherworldly hunter yet, and the fresh design truly sets the film apart from the rest. Obviously nobody will ever best Team Schwarzenegger - McTiernan, but this is a valiant attempt.

And last but not least – Prey finally addresses a fascinating story element from Predator 2 that had me wracking my brain since 1990. I can’t mention it here without spoiling the fun, but let’s just say that some questions are answered but not without raising a whole set of new ones.

Nevertheless – solid recommend.

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Twitter (X): Robin Logjes | The Screen Addict