Prey, the fifth installment in thePredatorfranchise, is due sometime this summer, though no specific release date has been announced. Dan Trachtenberg will be directing the prequel film, set three hundred years in the past. It stars Amber Midthunder, Dane DiLiegro, and Stefany Mathias in a story that may finally address the ending ofPredator 2, where an elder Yautja hands Harrigan (Danny Glover’s character) a flintlock pistol from 1715 with the name “Raphael Adolini” inscribed on the side.
It is unfortunate that we are only seeing this intended entry now, which carries with it far more promise than anything we’ve seen in the last thirty years from the franchise. It wasn’t until 2004 that the Predator finally returned to movie theaters facing off against Aliens in the PG-13 crossover event,Aliens vs. Predator,which suffered from disinterest by the creative minds of either franchise resulting in the quality benchmark falling much lower than fans deserved.Aliens vs. Predator: Requiemdid even more damage to the brands with a B-movie formula unfitting for either icon, color grading issues (the film is entirely too dark), and low-level directorial talent, far from the ranks of Ridley Scott, James Cameron, John Mctiernan or Stephen Hopkins. High-profile actors like Sigourney Weaver, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bill Paxton, or Danny Glover were apparently out of reach as well.
While both theAliensandPredatorfranchises attempted to heal their wounds after the disappointing battles,PredatorsandThe Predator(Predator 3and4) arguably failed to recover the franchise’s former glory. Often regarded with a raised nose in Hollywood,Predatordoes not have the same distinguished rankasAlien. The shameless alpha male vehicle from 1987 is often reduced to a marketing ploy by established critics and Hollywood executives alike as combiningRamboandAliensto manufacture a box office hit.
Unfortunately, this assessment dismisses some of the brilliance found in the first twoPredatorfilms that go beyond the stellar big studio execution. The contrast between barbarism and technological prowess, comparable toStar Trek’s Klingons, is a fascinating concept to explore and distinctly different from thebio-engineering horrors ofAlien. The Predator is a highly sophisticated creature yet clearly loyal to its own cultural values, which seem to revolve entirely around hunting and killing. Maintaining an ambiguity around who and what they are has also been part of its charm, but with all the less than stellar entries, this latest effort may be the Swan Song of the franchise.
Spiritual Interpretation
Another important missing component we haven’t seen in thePredatormovies since 1990 is mankind’sspiritual interpretation of the creature. Subtle in the original, it is found in Sonny Landham’s performance as Billy. The Native American mercenary clearly has a sixth sense about the creature and its intentions. Anna, the one native of the Central American jungle, refers to it as “the demon who makes trophies of men.”
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Spiritual meaning is again a major theme inPredator 2,where the writers, likely inspired by the creature’s dreadlocks, decided to incorporate Jamaicans and Rastafarian religious interpretations. The character known as King Willy refers to the creature as a demon hailing from “the other side.” While these may seem like minor details, framing the creature in this light significantly elevates its status in the film, especially for audience members who view the world through a more spiritual lens.Preystands to have a distinct advantage over the last few entries with a somewhat unavoidable spiritual framework setting the film 300 years in the past. If executed well, the film could spark notes of the original’s third act, a final showdown between human and Yautja, where the entire film shifts into a kind of pure survival mode.
Is This Goodbye?
While it probably should be the last time we see the Predator, it is unlikely that sequels and reboots will ever stop for any established property. Should the franchise move to series form, it is possible the Predator could be further exploited in more creative ways. TheAliens vs. Predatorconcept remains a compelling idea despite the missteps. Sometimes these ideas need to be made incorrectly first before a quality version can surface. WithDisney owning rights toAliensandPredator, it’s quite possible we may see their cosmic effort to make the concept work.
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Another wild idea tossed around by fans is exploring Predators (orAliens) in a kind ofNational Geographiccapacity. While a narrative without humans may seem like a risky proposition, you would be unlikely to find a fan that wouldn’t watch a six-part docu-series on the culture and rituals of either alien species. While there is certainly more creative fruit to be mined from these strange worlds, the apatite for original content becomes more and more palpable. It’s also possible we may begin seeing bizarre crossovers that tend to be exclusive to the world of comic books. If YouTube fan films are any kind of indicator, it may not be too far off that we see a legitimateDeadpool/Predatorcrossover,Aliens vs. X-Men, etc. At the very least, let’s hope Stan Winston’s other creative offspring get a little more love in the coming years.Pumpkinhead,The Relic,Invaders From Mars,andLeviathanall featured amazing creatures that fans would love to see return in encore performances.
