Plot
In 1719, in the Northern Great Plains, the progressive and critical thinker Naru longs to be more in her family. Believing she has been sent a vision of a Thunderbird, she heads out on her believed quest. However it is actually an alien Predator out for its own hunt. Now a vicious battle of wits and muscle begins between them.
Direction
Dan Trachtenberg directs, and I really enjoyed what he brought to the table. It was a super fast paced film with some great action sequences.
Variables such as The Predator’s camouflage technology is improved due to improvements in CGI. I also loved the distorted sounds/muffled noises during some of the tense moments of the film.
There is beautiful scenery throughout, which matches the timeline – and I loved the score that played throughout.
predators camouflage is improved with technology
distorted sound/muffling during tense momnets
Cast
Amber Midthunder plays Naru. She is physically impressive, but emotionally a little wooden and struggles with some of the heavier themes and dramatic moments.
Dakota Beavers plays Taabe.
Breakdown
Unlike all the other Predator movies to date, which have been set in modern times, this iteration is set way back in the time of the Native Americans, in the year 1719.
It is reportedly very authentic in its portrayal of the Native American peoples, (something to which I am quite unfamiliar – especially such things as the face paint etc). One nit pick I had was that the characters spoke in mostly modern American English, with modern American accents. While I get that the modern audience wouldn’t go for a movie with completely ESL spoken film – I feel it would have been far better if they had taken this liberty. The dialogue feels too modern too, which is a little jarring in an early 18th century set film.
I particularly liked the narrative that Naru ,a woman has a more progressive outlook on life. She wants to be more than “just” the medicine woman who is brought along to tend to the wounded (I would also like to point out how contrasted this was to a film I reviewed not long ago, where a wounded soldier was put on a stretcher that we never saw being made… here, we get to see them actually make it. Great pacing!).
Early in the film, Naru believes she has spotted a Thunderbird (something I had to Google) in the sky – (but we the audience know that it is a Predator spaceship), which she heads on on a ‘vision quest’
Naru’s tribe meanwhile are on the hunt of a lion that has caused injury to one of the tribe members, but actually it is the Predator itself…
While the base of the film is just Naru v Predator – it has some good slow build for the big showdown, this includes making Predator a solid antagonist (with him stalking the ‘natural’ predators likes snakes and even a grizzly bear!).
The attacks are brutal when they do happen (especially in the sequences of Naru’s tribe, and later when it is attacking the French – and no, that’s not Ryan Reynolds), and some of the choreography is off the charts impressive. Midthunder, who performed a great deal of her own stunts is phenomenal in her physical ability.
Naru’s ability to understand Predator’s technology, and her eventual take down of it is all done well (her working out how its helmet worked with deflecting bullets). This was one of the best human v predator finale’s so far!
Her eventual return to her tribe following the (sniff) death of brother Taabe, hits just the right amounts of emotions. Well done!!
Overall
With an intriguing setting, some breathtaking scenery and some of the best action sequences in (this) franchise – this is a clear near best in the franchise.
The only real down in Midthunder’s wooden performance (which she makes up for in her action sequences).
Trachtenberg will direct the next films in the franchise too.
4/5
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