TV COLUMN: Does the Predator prequel live up to it's name

With the rise and rise of streaming platforms and the explosion of the Marvel universe, there is certainly no shortage of prequels, sequels and potboilers doing the rounds.

With such considerations in mind, it was with trepidation that I sat down to watch Prey, the newly released prequel to Predator, which is available to stream on Disney+. The film is set in 1719, in the Great Plains of North America. The story follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a young Comanche warrior and her family and community.

Naru’s people have a symbiotic relationship with the land. This way of life is under threat, however, with the presence of the French Canadian Voyageurs. This group are depicted as a merciless band of brigands, slaughtering the bison that Naru’s tribe depend on and causing mayhem wherever they go.

Into this febrile environment comes the Predator. As the alien stalks its prey, it becomes apparent that it will only fight an opponent that it sees as a threat, whereas the fur traders seem content to attack everyone in sight, regardless of strength or ability. This leaves the viewer pondering an awkward question: just who is the ‘bad guy’? Is it the Predator, or the colonising humans?

The Predator starts off by fighting and then mutilating snakes, mountain lions and bears (a nod to fans of the Skinwalker Ranch documentaries?). It appears to be working its way through the food chain until it finds a worthy adversary to battle with. Not content with slaughtering animals, the creature then graduates to humans. It finds little difficulty in defeating the fur traders with their flintlock pistols. Next in line are Naru and her tribe, who become locked in a battle for survival with the unwelcome visitor.

Fans of the original with Arnold Schwarzenegger will remember the terrifying scenes where the large alien stalked its human prey, aided by translucent camouflage and advanced weapons. In Prey, the concept is similar but with the difference being that the humans fighting the creature have to make do with much more primitive weapons. As such, the emphasis is on their ingenuity and skills, rather than how many bullets they have left in their magazine.

The fight and action scenes in the film are very impressive, making less use of special effects and instead placing an emphasis on good choreography, the athleticism of the actors involved, and skilful tension building. The most beautifully shot parts of the film are reminiscent of scenes from Into The Wild and the action sequences are on a par with those in Mel Gibson’s excellent Apocalypto.

Naru, her brother Taabe and several other warriors from her tribe are all shown to be skilled fighters. What is left in no doubt, though, is that the culture she is living in is a patriarchal one, where women are expected to do the domestic duties, with men as the providers and hunters. Naru’s attempt to break this mould are met with derision.

To underestimate Naru’s abilities, however, can prove fatal for both man and Predator. As she says herself: ‘You think that I am not a hunter like you and I am not a threat. That is what makes me dangerous.’

This is a very good reimagining of the Predator film. Prey will be grist to the mill for those left jaded by superhero franchises. It would have been nice if the movie had explored the world of the Predator more, i.e. why it has landed on earth, and what it is doing here. With future instalments of this prequel mooted, fans will hopefully have ample opportunity to find out.