Prey

Posted on August 21, 2022 by Craig M

Viewed – 19 August 2022 Disney+

I’ve always been a fan of the original Predator, and also consider Predator 2 a decent sequel. However I haven’t bothered with any of the other movies. Yet I had been hearing good things about this movie so thought I’d give it a watch. In the early 17th century, a tribe of Native Americans find themselves hunted by a mysterious creature. A gutsy female in an attempt to prove herself as a hunter unwittingly becomes the only person who can take on this new threat.

Predator vs Apache Indians is certainly a novel concept, and is given a feminist twist with the central protagonist having to outwit not just an alien but also her male counterparts. With a backdrop of foreign invasion onto American soil, not just from the Predator this could have been a intriguing depiction of the plight of native Americans suddenly faced with a unique enemy … but with all the Natives speaking perfect English I soon realised this was that kind of movie.

Thankfully the portrayal of the Predator is spot on, brutal and cool, making favourable comparisons to the first movie. It’s also suitably gruesome in parts – although the editing means it never gets that grisly. Amber Mudthunder is great in the lead role and proves a capable badass in some well choreographed fights. I also found her quite likeable and I’m intrigued to see what she’ll turn up in next. Her character did feel a tad one-note though, with little more to her than wanting to be a ‘hunter’. Yet this was still a Predator movie in its tone, and was well shot, tense and at times exciting. It can’t touch the original but I still had a good time with this.

Verdict: Good

Wind River

Posted on February 17, 2018 by Craig M

Viewed – 13 February 2018 online-rental

I’m easily attracted to a movie when it stars someone I’m especially appealed by. So with this starring two actors I am increasingly impressed with, namely Hurt Locker’s Jeremy Renner and Avengers: Age of Ultron’s Elizabeth Olson … this was a no-brainer.

Renner plays a hunter and expert-tracker living on a wintery Indian reservation where some years previous a teenage girl died under mysterious circumstances. As he was married to the mother of said girl at the time, he feels personally involved when a similar death occurs when a young girl’s body is found. With the possibility of the death being a homicide the local Sheriff call in the FBI in the form of a rookie female agent played by Olsen and soon she’s teamed up with Renner to figure out just what happened.

This realistic and gritty drama has strong turns across the board and a solid mystery that kept me gripped. The backdrop of Native American racial issues and paranoia whilst not that unique was engrossing also. Add to this some striking cinematography and hard-hitting revelations and action in the final act and I came away rather impressed. If you’re after a thought-provoking, non-Hollywood-glossed evening’s entertainment this will surely satisfy and if anything further cemented the growing reputations of it’s leads. Recommended.

Verdict: 4 /5

The Revenant

Posted on January 30, 2016 by Craig M

Viewed – 28 January 2016 Cinema

(updated: 06/08/2016) Director Alejandro González Iñárritu is quickly becoming one of my favorite film makers, and I can’t say I’ve yet seen a movie that hasn’t impressed me in some way. After all his last effort, Birdman was my movie of the year for 2015. So him teaming up with one of my favorite actors, namely Leonardo DiCaprio seemed a marriage made in heaven.

the-revenant

DiCaprio plays frontiersman Hugh Glass who whilst out with a group of men to gather supplies and food for their village, is attacked by a Grizzly bear and almost killed. Despite his comrades choosing to help and carry him back home, the journey proves too tough so Tom Hardy’s conflicted frontiersman and Glass’s half Indian son along with another of the men choose to stay behind and find a less treacherous way around a mountain to get back home. Only problem is Hardy is only out for himself and double crosses Glass, abandoning him. Glass then has to survive against the odds to find a way back home in a harsh and unforgiving wilderness.

Superlatively filmed with no end of eye-catching skill, Iñárritu delivers a gritty and powerful experience that leaves little to the imagination. DiCaprio gives more a truly physical performance than a typical acting one and has only smatterings of dialogue throughout. Yet he is convincing as hell as he faces off against the elements; stampeding buffalo, hostile Indian tribes and nature itself whilst tending to wounds that would normally kill the average man. I was thoroughly gripped by Glass’s plight and even though his journey is long and ponders life, death, love and family among all the survival stuff, I wasn’t bored. However, the grueling tone felt hard going and it gets fairly gory in places, meaning some scenes were quite unsettling. It’s also rather vague with the details, who’s who, when the story is actually set etc. Yet as Glass faces one problem after the other, the drawn out sequences and almost dream-like feel seemed necessary to get the full effect. Hardy is also very good despite a difficult to understand accent, but his character was probably one of the more interesting he’s taken on for a while. However above all else I’d call this Iñárritu’s show – his eye for poetic imagery, stunning cinematography and amazing detail even made such things as running water look gorgeous – and boy can he film a battle sequence!

It’s not a movie to expect it’s point to be reached all that quickly. It’s also quite unconventional as far as it’s performances go. Yet it’s a story that needs to slowly unravel and linger on things, which granted won’t be for everyone. But if like me you can appreciate real film making with real meaning, then this is simply essential viewing.

Verdict: 5 /5