Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

BeSummers Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

Fatma Suarez The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

Atli Hafsteinsson A woman and her step-kids trapped in a safari car in the territory of lions who soon make it their business to get at them. The plot sounds similar to Savage Harvest, which, while more over the top, still achieves much better what it sets out to do than Prey.PROS - The cinematography on these lions is on a level that even eclipses The Ghost and the Darkness (the quintessential lion film) at times. The lions' beauty is captured like it rarely is on film, and not once does anything about the lions look fake. If there is a reason to see this film, this is it.Real edge-of-your-seat stuff at times, and the climax is quite unexpected and satisfying.CONS - These characters seem to lack proper reason. When you're short on water and it rains, and you've got bottles, most people would try to fill the bottles with rainwater. Not these people. And the way they get into the mess is also one you can't really help but blame them for.In The Ghost and the Darkness, we really believed there was something about the lions that had them ravage the railroad construction site in Tsavo. In Prey, however, nothing is really preventing these lions from seeking other prey. A smart hungry lion would recognize that to just wait around a jeep is not a good idea.Shaky camera. It works in certain forms of cinema, but not here. The filmwork on the lions often suffers due to the hand-held camera, because it goes all over the place. Thankfully these moments are the exception rather than the rule. No, the foremost problem is...The death scenes are completely unrealistic. Here, The Ghost and the Darkness still wins out. Nothing about the way the lions kill people in Prey looks even remotely believable. As in, splatters of blood splashing up from the ground as if someone popped a balloon full of red liquid. A victim's bloody hands scraping the car window when the lion is attacking him from behind. That kind of non-realistic.This makes Prey a pretty mismatched film. It has some exquisite lion filmwork, and some terribly cheesy scenes when we really need to believe in the lions' menace. 5 out of 10, purely for the cinematography, but if you want a good and thrilling movie about man-eating lions, see The Ghost and the Darkness. If you need an alternative to that, 1981's Savage Harvest is a reasonable choice.

Woodyanders A family on vacation wind up being stalked by a pride of savage and hungry bloodthirsty lions after they get lost on an African game reserve. Director Darrell James Roodt, who also co-wrote the compact script with Jeff Vadlow and Beau Bauman, relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, makes good use of the vast and desolate African tundra, creates and sustains a substantial amount of nerve-rattling tension, and stages the ferocious lion attack scenes with considerable aplomb. The sound acting from the capable cast keeps the picture humming: The gorgeous Bridget Moynahan as gutsy stepmother Amy, Peter Weller as concerned father Tom, Carly Schroeder as snotty and whiny daughter Jessica, Jaime Bartlett as gruff hunter Crawford, Connor Dowds as sweet son David, and Marius Roberts as amiable ill-fated ranger Brian. Moreover, the filmmakers deserve extra props for using real lions for the most part instead of hokey CGI creations and add an inspired touch of irony by presenting two poachers as near heroes. Michael Brierley's sharp widescreen cinematography boasts plenty of nifty lion POV shots and gives the movie an attractive polished look. Tony Humecke's spirited shuddery score does the heart-racing trick. An enjoyable Grade B item.

Samiam3 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.

jtf9 It was slow, predictable & ridiculous, it's like so many movies you've already seen but only this time, the acting and storyline is 100x worse.If you've seen Jaws, you've seen this, just switch out the sharks with lions, add terrible acting and ridiculous scenarios. Normal people with half a brain would easily find a way of escape, but not the victims in this movie. I found myself angry and irritated watching the stupidity in action.I can't believe anyone invested money to whomever wrote and directed this pile of trash Don't waste your time with this one