Prey

This film pretty much sums up the problem with modern B-movie making. If Prey were made in the seventies, you could bet your bottom dollar that it would have been a gritty exploitation classic; but here in 2007, it's merely a predictable horror yarn where you can pretty much guess everything that's going to happen. The plot concerns a woman and her husband's two kids that get trapped in the middle of the savannah when their safari car breaks down and their guide is killed by lions. From there, it pretty much stretches the climax of Cujo out over eighty odd minutes. There are a few subplots, which involve things such as a family struggle as the daughter doesn't like her father's new wife, and the father himself sets out to save his family 'at all costs'. The film lays all it's cards on the table right from the beginning as we are let into the secret that not a single one of the 'beautiful' central cast is going to come to any harm at all, and that's very annoying as all you actually want to see is them getting eaten alive!

It's annoying that this film is terrible as there's actually a basis for a decent film in the middle of all the sap. There aren't that many horror films about big game, and a seriously good film could be made out of the idea of a bunch of people being stuck in Africa's lion territory. Director Darrell Roodt, who has a lot of experience in making films that nobody sees, fails to make the audience believe that his central cast are in any danger throughout the film; and this is a major flaw as a movie with one selling point needs to make sure that it makes that selling point count! The film doesn't have any atmosphere; the locations look nice, but nothing is made of it and really, anyone with a video camera could have made this film. Peter Weller is the only 'draw' where the cast is concerned, and he's not a big enough draw to ensure that the movie doesn't fail. To be honest, I don't like him much anyway. It doesn't take long for the audience to guess how this film is going to end; and indeed, that is exactly how it does end. The ending made me cringe for all the wrong reasons. There's a fair bit of blood, but other than that; this film has nothing in the way of positive elements, and I don't recommend it!

This film contains extremely graphic(realistic)violence and is probably not appropriate for preteens. The play on words of the title is the cleverest thing about the film. Otherwise, the film is predictable. The main characters get into and stay in jeopardy by doing dumb things. The middle of the film consists of repeated episodes of attacking and waiting. There are two reasonable outcomes to the situation the family. About half way into the story I got curious about whether the screen writers would find a third possibility. That helped me stick with it to the end. The close up photography of the lions is worthwhile and the work of the lion trainer is impressive. It's a movie to watch on an afternoon when you have nothing better to do.

Not bad of a movie! Still, has a lot of common with Cujo, the Stephen King adaption. Attacks of big pussycats (okay, there had to be some kind of difference, wasn't there) on a car (jeep) where a woman (duuuuhhh) is trapped with her child (in this case children)... No way out, no food, no drinks... dehydration near... damn... The lions did their job fantastic! And I must say the stepmother was not bad of an actress... only thing I found a bit exaggerated... three hunters (by all means) are killed... and each time they get to kill at least one lion but still another takes revenge... The Male Lion is the real actor in this movie! The way he blew up in that jeep... great! All by all, not a bad movie, but had no new elements! It's worth a Seven, I won't give it more, but certainly won't give it less either!

True story or not (and I'm sure plenty of the facts are manipulated) There is nothing in Prey that we have not seen before. Its generic formula and a certain lack of credibility/scientific accuracy certainly do some damage but they don't make the movie unwatchable.

It certainly could have been worse. For a start, it places a certain value on character, something that many b-movies care little for. There is no obvious reason why we should be rooting against the Newman family, who get screwed while on an African safari.. Their guide is attacked and killed by a lion while escorting the youngest Newman on a pee break. The hapless family is forced to hide and wait in the lousy little tour jeep, until Mr. Newman shows up (he's working construction on a local dam) Meanwhile, three hungry lions are waiting patiently outside.

So the film doesn't have us disregarding the protagonists, that's a start. another advantage is the lions being real. There is no five cent CGI in this picture to distract us. Well, some of the blood is clearly digital, but most of it is make up. The movie does have it's share of gore, yet nothing too unrealistic or severely overdone. Prey is shot in a heavily saturated colour scheme and because blood is the only red in the film, it really stands out. (although it is certainly not the only film to try this). The acting quality is nothing to be proud of, but it suspends disbelief enough. As long as it doesn't sound like the characters are reading off a teleprompter, I'm fine with that.

So where then does the movie go wrong, well in the same way that many of these films have, it has been done before. Prey is one in a million, and the only possible distinction for one to see is its protagonists being a lion, not a common creature feature creature. If lions sound interesting, my recommendation would be the Ghost in the Darkness.

Call me crazy, but a pride of lions being the pinnacle of evil instead of the usual axe-wielding psycho is kind of refreshing. That's where the good stuff I have to say about this one ends. I think this movie is actually the director's cut of the Lion King...you know, the violent part of Simba's life that couldn't be shown in a Disney movie.

This movie is almost like a real-life version of movies like Anaconda, Jaws or Cujo where innocent people are being stalked by a predatory animal that is purely bent on killing them. Like I've already noted, I really like the idea. Being out in the middle of nowhere and not at the top of the food chain is a scary thought to me...which is why this movie sparked my interest.

However, it didn't deliver like I hoped for. Check it out if you'd like but don't get your hopes too high.