For decades “Predator” has been a black sheep in the monster-movie family. The creature was instantly iconic, but the franchise has always struggled to capitalize on the original classic film. At their best, the “Predator” sequels have been entertaining big-bad-beast yarns but at their worst — which is 60% of the time — they’ve been ill-conceived, shoddily produced and more than a little embarrassing.
Dan Trachtenberg’s “Prey” is the sort of shot in the arm every long-running movie series dreams of. It goes back to basics, reminding us of what made the central concept so captivating in the first place while placing it in a new and exciting framework.