Prey review

PREY: 

LATEST PREDATOR FILM TAKES THE FRANCHISE BACK TO ITS ROOTS WITH THRILLING RESULTS! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** ½ out of 4

HULU/20^TH CENTURY STUDIOS

Amber Midthunder in Prey

 

            One of the most iconic extraterrestrial killers (aside from the Xenomorph!) in film history is back in Prey, the latest installment of the Predator franchise and prequel to the original 1987 Arnold Schwarzenegger classic. With the exception of 2018’s The Predator, I’ve really enjoyed the Predator films and appreciate how each installment is different from the other while still feeling like they’re still set in the same universe. 

            The first film is basically a survival film in the jungle with soldiers going up against a deadly foe that cannot be seen. Its 1990 sequel, Predator 2 takes on more of a police murder-mystery approach, even right down to casting Lethal Weapon’s Danny Glover as a disgruntled police lieutenant solving a serious of murders caused by the Predator in the streets of Los Angeles, whereas the 2010 film, Predators goes back to the survival in the jungle plot and follows a group of people stranded on the Predators’ planet…I would describe the 2018 film, The Predator, but it is so incredibly dumb and the decisions made are so baffling, that it’s borderline self-parody, despite the usually great, Shane Black helming it. 

            Which brings us to Prey, the first film in the series to not have Predator in the name and chronicles the very first human encounter with the infamous Predator. The film is directed by Dan Trachtenberg (10 Cloverfield Lane) who despite only directing one film prior to this is quickly becoming a master at playing with audience’s expectations in his movies, this is no exception. 

            Prey is a very well-crafted, thrilling, and surprisingly clever movie that simultaneously brings the Predator franchise back to its roots while also taking it in a new direction. It’s easily the best film in the series since the original, though I may still prefer the 1987 Predator just a little bit more. 

            The film is set in 1719 and revolves around Naru (Amber Midthunder-Hell or High Water, Legion, Roswell, New Mexico), a skilled Comanche warrior striving to prove herself as a hunter. But when a mysterious humanoid alien that hunts for sport appears, she must fight to protect her people from the otherworldly threat as well as from a band of ruthless French fur traders who are attacking her tribe and slaughtering the wild Buffalo they need for survival. 

            The film also stars Dane DiLiegro (Monsters of California, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3) as The Predator and Michelle Thrush (Pathfinder, Blackstone, Red Snow) as Aruka. 

            Overall, Prey is a worthy installment of the Predator franchise that succeeds where the lesser entries failed. The plot is consistently interesting, the violent kills are a lot of fun, and it doesn’t skimp out on good character development, I appreciate how nobody is there just to be killed by the Predator. 

            You really grow attached to this hunter girl and her tribe in this movie and you feel the tragedy and heartbreak whenever someone is killed off. It helps that this is a movie where people are fighting the Predator without any guns, technology, or firepower, which adds a level of urgency and terror to the situation. 

It’s basically what Arnold Schwarzenegger had to resort to in the latter half of the first film, using his wits, resources, and surroundings to fight for survival. The biggest difference is that the characters here are limited to these tactics from the very start and not as a last resort. 

Hell, this is kind of like a Predator version of James Cameron’s Avatar the more I think about it. A tribe of people armed with bows, arrows, and spears going up against a threat with advanced technology, it does have a similar vibe to that movie…minus the save the rainforest message and with a lot more bloodshed. 

Speaking of which, the Predator kills are very entertaining to watch and as gloriously over-the-top as ever. This Predator wields more primitive versions of the technology that would later be used by Predators in the earlier films to kill his victims, there’s a great sequence where he swings a beartrap around to decapitate someone as well as a scene where he uses an alien net gun that dices another character into a log, and unlike other Predators, he’ll fight with his bare hands before bringing out his arsenal and the sound design during these kills is absolute perfection despite this film not being released in theaters. 

The cinematography is phenomenal and adds to the epic scope of the film, from the shots of the Great Plains to the camera work during the action scenes, not once did I look at this movie and think it was a direct-to-Hulu movie. Because of how the film looks and how it’s shot and directed, it makes me wish I was watching this in theaters and will never understand why Disney/20^th Century Studios decided to put this on Hulu instead of giving it a theatrical release. 

Prey is a long overdue return to form for the Predator franchise that encompasses just about everything fans of the series enjoy while also doing its own unique thing. If you’re looking to check out the Predator films, this ain’t a bad starting point as it stands on its own extraordinarily well and retains various references and callbacks to the other films. 

The plot is interesting, the action is exciting and bloody, and the characters are very engaging, this is a solid installment of the Predator franchise that goes back to basics with thrilling and entertaining results. Thankfully, with no stupid sequence with humans taming Predator dogs anywhere in sight! 

Three Thousand Years of Longing review

THREE THOUSAND YEARS OF LONGING: 

GEORGE MILLER FANTASY IS VISUALLY STRIKING BUT SOMEWHAT MESSY! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

MGM

Tilda Swinton and Idris Elba in Three Thousand Years of Longing

 

            Director, George Miller (Mad Max franchise, The Witches of Eastwick, Babe: Pig in the City) gives his take on an Aladdin-style fantasy for adults in his new film, Three Thousand Years of Longing. I’ve always respected Miller as a filmmaker as he’s got a vast library of movies, he’s done post-apocalyptic action films with the Mad Max franchise, a comedy where three witches go up against a devilish Jack Nicholson, a family movie about a talking pig and his adventures in the big city, and an animated film about a dancing penguin, what can’t this man do? 

            So yeah, I’m a huge fan of Miller’s work and Mad Max: Fury Road is also among my all-time favorite films. Naturally, I was curious to see what his next film was going to be. 

            The film definitely caught my attention when I first saw the trailer, it looked like a chaotic, imaginative, and visually striking assault on the senses that only Miller could bring us…and this came out after my senses were already obliterated a few months prior with Everything Everywhere All at Once. Upon seeing the film, I was quite entertained by it…but I wouldn’t consider it one of George Miller’s finest. 

            The film is a visual marvel that’s bursting with imagination and unique characters, creatures, and environments. But in terms of its story and pacing, Three Thousand Years of Longing is a little sloppy. 

            The film follows Alithea Binnie (Tilda Swinton-Adaptation, The Chronicles of Narnia, Marvel Cinematic Universe), an academic who stumbles across an ancient Djinn (Idris Elba-Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Suicide Squad, Sonic the Hedgehog 2) while in Istanbul and offers her three wishes in exchange for his freedom. So, an excited Alithea jumps at the idea of her getting three wishes from a Djinn like Aladdin, right? Not exactly! 

             She doubts the Djinn’s existence and because she is a scholar of story and mythology, she knows all the cautionary tales of wishes gone wrong. The Djinn pleads his case by telling her various stories of his past, eventually beguiling her and makes a wish that surprises them both. 

            Overall, Three Thousand Years of Longing might hold the record for George Miller’s most ambitious and unconventional film throughout his career. It has a lot of his signature visual flair and imaginatively crazy sequences, but unlike something like Mad Max: Fury Road where it’s an energized, adrenaline-pumped thrill ride from start to finish, this one is surprisingly restrained, which may turn casual moviegoers expecting a consistently wild fantasy done in the style of Mad Max off. 

            This is a more dialogue-heavy film compared to Mad Max: Fury Road as most of the George Miller craziness is told through stories by the Djinn to Tilda Swinton’s character, and that it will constantly flip-flop from these otherworldly and visually stunning fantasy environments to Swinton and Elba talking to each other in a modern-day hotel room. To the film’s credit, I was thoroughly invested in the Djinn’s stories done like an anthology film, but when it’s Elba and Swinton in the hotel room? Not as much. 

            It’s mostly because Tilda Swinton’s delivery in this film is so dry to the point where she reacts to the magical Djinn in the same way she probably would if the hotel chef overcooked her breakfast. You could argue that it’s kind of the intention by having her react to something whimsical like it’s an annoyance, but it makes it difficult to connect with her as a character, though she and Elba do work wonderfully together when they’re onscreen together, I just wished there was more relatability to her character in this. 

            Like when I reviewed Beast a few days ago, Idris Elba is giving his all as the Djinn and does an excellent job shifting from being quiet and down to Earth to loud and intimidating. Whether he’s playing as Asgardian, a father fighting a lion, or the voice of a super-strong cartoon echidna, this man always makes an impression whenever he shows up. 

            As visually stunning and ambitious the film is, the narrative and pacing aren’t that great. The first half is an intoxicating and chaotic experience reminiscent to classic George Miller fare, but the second half once Swinton and Elba leave the hotel, it loses that momentum from earlier and it drags with a lot of exposition and fades to black (Was Miller channeling Lord of the Rings when the film was being edited or something?). 

            Had the plot and characters been fleshed out more, I think it would have been a much stronger film. But as is, it’s still an interesting and bizarre movie, it just loses some of that kinetic energy and drags in the later half. 

            Three Thousand Years of Longing is probably George Miller’s most divisive directing effort. On one hand it’s a visual feast for the eyes and imagination, but on the other the story and characters aren’t quite as developed compared to some of his previous films, I’d say it’s worth checking out once on the big screen. 

Orphan: First Kill review

ORPHAN: FIRST KILL: 

ESTHER MAKES A TERRIFYING RETURN…AND WE ARE GLAD TO WELCOME HER BACK! 

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

PARAMOUNT+

Witness Esther’s beginnings in Orphan: First Kill

 

            Esther (Isabelle Fuhrman-The Hunger Games, From Up on Poppy Hill, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions) is back to cause more terror in Orphan: First Kill, the prequel to the 2009 horror film, Orphan. Talk about a film that appeared out of nowhere and surprised everyone, I doubt many people were expecting a follow-up to Orphan in some shape or form especially not one all these years later. 

            I actually revisited the first film prior to watching this one and it’s a solid horror movie with a lot of effective scares, excellent performances from Fuhrman and Vera Farmiga, and a downright brilliant plot twist that I dare not ruin here for those with the desire to watch it. It’s not a perfect film and the critical reactions are divisive, but like Jennifer’s Body (Another polarizing 2009 horror movie), it’s a lot smarter and well-crafted than you would expect, especially given it was released the same year that gave us the Friday the 13^th and My Bloody Valentine remakes, Final Destination 4, and Saw VI. 

            Now we have this prequel film released on Paramount+ and select theaters with Fuhrman reprising her role as Esther, but in the director’s chair this time is William Brent Bell-The Devil Inside, The Boy 1 and 2, Separation) replacing Jaume Collet-Serra from the first film, chronicling the events that led up to the first movie. I was interested, but also expressed some concern regarding the idea. 

            This is a prequel, not a sequel to a 2009 film that’s being released over ten years later with the same actress (Now an adult) reprising the role she portrayed as a child, how does this work? Why de-aging of course, but unlike films like Tron: Legacy, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, or Avengers: Endgame, they don’t use any CGI to de-age Fuhrman which is quite incredible. 

            So, is Orphan: First Kill a worthy follow-up/prequel to the first film? Honestly, yes! Granted, I don’t think it’s quite as scary or suspenseful as the first film, but in terms of pure chaos and craziness, I was very entertained by this movie and despite taking place before the events of the first movie, it shows that both Fuhrman and the Esther character have evolved a lot over the past thirteen years. 

            Set two years before the events of the first film, Esther orchestrates an escape from an Estonian psychiatric facility and travels to America by impersonating the missing daughter of the wealthy, Tricia (Julia Stiles-10 Things I Hate About You, Bourne franchise, Dexter) and Allen Albright (Rossif Sutherland-ER, Timeline, Reign). However, when an unexpected twist arises that pits her up against a mother who’s willing to do anything to protect her family, Esther realizes that maybe the family she’s staying with hides a much more terrifying secret than anything she could ever do. 

            The film also stars Hiro Kanagawa (Smallville, Godzilla (2014), The Age of Adaline) as Inspector Donnan. 

            Overall, Orphan: First Kill is the kind of film that shouldn’t have worked, and yet it totally does. It isn’t quite as scary as its predecessor, but it does a great job at establishing elements of Esther’s personality and backstory that would later be adopted (No pun intended…okay, a little bit!) into the first film while also exploring the character and making her more three-dimensional, basically humanizing a murderous child and it’s done extraordinarily well. 

It’s like if Don’t Breathe 2 was done correctly where they turn a despicable villain from the earlier film into sort of an anti-hero, but even the movie knows not to turn Esther into a hero because of the events that are going to follow this movie. She is still cunning and deadly and will remain that way, but with little bit of humanity in the end. 

            Thirteen years later, Isabelle Fuhrman still knocks it out of the park as Esther and it’s wonderful that she retains the exact same level of commitment and energy in her mid-20s that she had when she was 10 in the original film. Also, the tricks the filmmakers use to de-age her such as makeup on Fuhrman, the supporting cast wearing platform shoes, raising the sets, and various camera shots are very effective and creative even though her true age does shine through, this was done entirely practically which blew my mind as I was watching it and that it puts several big-budget blockbusters with CGI de-aging effects to shame. 

            The film also does a great job tying back to the first film with a lot of callbacks and references. We see where Esther gets her interest in painting as well as an origin to her iconic blacklight painting, origins to that old book she carries around and her scars, and the film ends exactly where the first one starts. 

             This probably sounds very strange, but Orphan: First Kill succeeds at exceeding expectations in terms of its narrative. At first, you think it’s going to be a retread of the original film as it hits the same beats as its predecessor, but as it goes on, the film takes an unexpected turn leading up to an insane final act that’s nothing but blood-soaked fun and easily the highlight of the entire film. 

            Orphan: First Kill is significantly shorter than its predecessor which clocked in at slightly over two hours whereas with this, it’s just over 90 minutes. One of the few flaws I had with the first Orphan is that the runtime was unnecessarily long and felt a lot could have been trimmed down, this one is short and sweet but at times, some of the plot points and character motives seemed rushed or quickly glanced over, I felt they could have been developed further than what we got. 

             Orphan: First Kill stands among Ouija: Origin of Evil and Annabelle: Creation as one of the best horror movie prequels that nobody was asking for but ended up being a delightfully twisted surprise to everyone. Whether you’re streaming on Paramount+ or going to the theater, you’ll definitely want to pay Esther a visit. 

Beast review

BEAST: 

IDRIS ELBA BATTLES A LION IN THIS GRIPPING, BUT DISPOSABLE THRILLER!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

Idris Elba in Beast

 

            Idris Elba (Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Suicide Squad, Sonic the Hedgehog 2) goes up against a savage lion in Beast, the new film from Baltasar Kormákur (2 Guns, Everest, Adrift). It’s the kind of film where if you’ve seen the trailer then you know what you’re getting into, and it gives exactly what it advertises. 

            For what it is, I had a good time. Undeniably flawed and probably not something I’d see again, but for a one-time viewing, I was exhilarated and impressed by the technicals…and not just the effects on the lion. 

            The film follows Dr. Nate Samuels (Elba), a widowed husband and father who takes his two daughters to the Mopani Game Reserve in South Africa for a vacation and meet up with his close friend and wildlife biologist, Martin Battles (Sharlto Copley-District 9, The A-Team, Elysium). But things take a dark and terrifying turn when a rogue lion and poachers survivor begins stalking the family. 

            Basically, what starts off as a journey of healing suddenly turns into a bloody fight for survival as Nate, Martin, and the daughters will need to use all their wits and resources to outrun the carnivorous predator and escape with their lives. Aaaand…that’s about it! 

            Yeah, this isn’t a very story-based film, nor does it have that many characters. At its core, Beast is essentially a monster movie except replace the otherworldly creature with a lion. 

            If you’re going into this expecting the Idris Elba equivalent of The Revenant with a lion, you’ll be very disappointed. It is not that kind of film at all, it’s a fun popcorn movie where Idris Elba fights a lion, and it gets the job done. 

            What’s interesting about this film is that the main star is not Idris Elba nor is it the lion, it’s the camera. I’m not kidding, the camera work in Beast is phenomenal with a lot of long, continuous shots that look like they were done in one take, a little bit of shaky-cams, and almost first-person perspectives, just the way the film is shot and edited makes it feel like you’re right in the middle of the action. 

            The acting is great particularly from Idris Elba and Sharlto Copley, As always, Elba is bringing his A-game to his performance and it’s great to see Sharlto Copley in a movie again. I enjoyed Copley’s work in Neill Blomkamp’s movies as well as his take on Murdock in the film adaptation of The A-Team and for a supporting role, he manages to make just as big an impression as Elba. 

            The action is exciting and intense, from the sequences where the lion tries to break into a car that Elba and his daughters are inside that are quite scary to the flat-out absurd final confrontation where Elba punches said lion in the face. Honestly, the scene where Elba punches the lion in the face perfectly sums up whether or not you’re going to like this movie, if you want to see Heimdall from Thor and human Knuckles the Echidna punch a lion in the face then you’ll probably enjoy it, if not, then you’re better off going to something else. 

            There are a few things that don’t work in this film though like some of the characters making dumb decisions like in a crappy horror movie. Also, they do the whole trope where the children don’t get along with their dad because their mom died, but in the end, they learn to love him again which isn’t done poorly or anything, it just felt like a clichéd dramatic element to get the plot going. 

            If you’re looking for a dumb, fun popcorn movie where Idris Elba fights a lion, then Beast may be up your alley. It’s a short and sweet survival thriller with a lot of intense action, suspense, and the right amount of stupid. 

            However, if you want the smarter alternative to this movie then I suggest checking out the 2016 Blake Lively film, The Shallows where she’s stranded in the ocean with a killer shark out to get her. Sure, it doesn’t have a scene where she punches the shark in the face, but it is a lot more grounded and restrained compared to Beast…plus it too has one of the most awesome images I’ve ever seen in a climax. 

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