What’s It About
A young couple is compelled to leave their Christian missionary station in the Kalahari Desert after being threatened with death by an extremist militant gang; after crashing their aircraft, they must battle man and beast for their lives.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
This is not Dejavu; it’s another movie titled Prey, and it has absolutely zero to do with those other predator or lion movies out there. This one stars Ryan Phillippe and Mena Suvari as Andrew and Sue, chilling in Africa doing their missionary thing when things go south real fast, thanks to some terrorists en route to their position. Meanwhile, Emile Hirsch plays Grun, a guy who agreed to fly out Tyler and a couple of others from this hotspot in a plane sketchier than a two-dollar bill. As luck would have it, they crash land right into a lion’s Airbnb – I mean, a wildlife preserve in the Kalahari Desert, and now they’re stuck dealing with not just terrorists but also a bunch of hungry lions. The guy running the show, Mukunda Michael Dewil, decides to split everyone up, which feels more like a lazy way to drag the movie out than anything clever. This is the first time a lion decides to munch on someone, and we don’t even get to see it. Spoiler: that’s pretty much how all the “action” goes in this flick. Hirsch’s character is partly why everyone’s in this mess since he was too busy playing smuggler with some ivory rather than making sure the medical supplies got through. Classic move, right? The characters are about as likable as a pop quiz on a Monday morning, with the so-called heroes being as dull as dishwater. Fast forward to the end, and it’s just a mess of cliches and missed opportunities, including a finale that’s as exciting as watching paint dry. The promotion team gave the impression that there were “real” lions in this movie, but we only got some National Geographic stock footage and zero real interaction. In essence, Prey is a masterclass in how not to make a thriller. The acting feels like everyone’s just waiting for the wrap party, the story’s all over the place, and the supposed action scenes. Non-existent. They should’ve just called it Delay because that’s all they do with the storyline and the excitement. And Ryan Phillippe, man, you need to find a new manager. If you’re down for a lion movie, rewatch “The Ghost and the Darkness” or even give “Beast” a shot. At least those movies know how to deliver some actual thrills. “Prey”? More like Prey, you don’t accidentally watch it.
OUR RATING – AN UNBEARABLE 2