Finally, a Predator movie worth watching since the original. This week the movie Prey premiered on Hulu. It’s an origin story of The Predator in the world the Comanche Nation 300 years before. It was before America settled the west and the only Europeans here were French fur trappers. When a young female Comanche warrior faces her right of passage to become a warrior she encounters a Predator, that’s the basis of this fantastic story. So, imagine having to kill a Predator with axes, bows and arrows, and a colonial powder pistol where you only have time to load one shot. Can the Predator actually be defeated? Let me just start off by saying that as much as I like the original Predator movie where even with machine guns, soldiers were still unequipped to kill the Predator, the odds are even worse for a young Comanche Warrior and that makes for a great film.

This movie was great. The action was phenomenal. However, this movie is really made by the performances of Amber Midthunder and Dakota Beavers who play commence brother and sister. But the stand-out performance is from Amber Midthunder who we’ve seen in shows like the Roswell, New Mexico. She is a force to be reckoned with in this movie. Her character is also the only one who understands how the Predator operates and it’s that knowledge that will help her defeat the predator. Yes, that’s a bit of a spoiler, but the Predator is always defeated in these movies so not really.  What makes the stories worth watching is how Naru, Amber Midthunder’s character,  takes down the predator. In this film, it’s her cunning and sheer will to live that makes her the ultimate warrior. No offense to Arnold Schwarzenegger in the original Predator movie, yes, he was great, but she is better in this film.

The basic story is about Comanche Indians going out on a hunt and the men not thinking she is capable enough, but she is the last survivor that not only traps the Predator but is able to kill it with its own technology. This is more than an action film. It slowly draws you into the rituals that help make lawyers in the Comanche Nation so you’re getting that mystique and mythology. You get a true hero’s journey with the character of Naru. The movie is not very long, it’s only about 90 minutes, but it doesn’t feel like a short movie at all and the action doesn’t overtake the drama among the characters, especially between the brother and sister. Absolutely loved the pacing all the way up until the end. I wasn’t bored at all.

There isn’t really anything to complain about with this movie. It works on so many levels. It’s a great action movie. You get this great mythology about the Comanche Nation. I feel like in a lot of ways they pay tribute to the nation and didn’t paint them as stereotypical native Americans as in some films. It makes you want to know more about that Nation, kind of like Dances with Wolves makes you want to know more about the Sioux Nation. If I have one minor critique, there should have been more backstory with the main characters and the tribe. We should have seen more of the everyday life of this Comanche tribe and how Naru becomes the warrior we see by the end of the movie, but at the same time, you get just enough to make you connect with them and the main characters. Overall, having Native Americans battle a Predator and hunt it down while not being it’s Prey is a brilliant idea. When it comes to an origin story, this one is perfect. It’s sad that some of the characters have to die, but that’s typical in any Predator movie. However, it doesn’t take away from the fantastic action. This is a movie that should be watched if you’re a fan of the Predator movies. But if you’re just a fan of a great action movie where a young warrior hunts the “hunter” then check it out. It’s a great movie for Hulu, but this is movie would have been a great one to see on the big screen and maybe they’ll make a sequel. Amber Midthunder gives a fantastic performance and makes you want to see her more in action movies. She was perfect casting. This is a movie worth watching, not just once, but a few times. I honestly have to say this is the best Predator movie since the original. And as a gamer, I would want to play this story in a video game.