Hunter Prey

Sony Pictures

R4 DVD

Don’t expect any deep moments of philosophy from this film. What you get is a great fiction story somewhat in the simple linear style of Star Wars but with twists and turns at the end that make it far less innocent than it looks.

The alien spaceship Prometheus has crash-landed on a desert planet. The ship’s computer has sent out a distress call but it will be some time before help arrives. Meanwhile the earthman prisoner the ship was carrying has escaped and a group of soldiers is tasked to recapture him. One by one the Earthman picks them off until only he and the alien Lieutenant are left. We learn a little of the history of the war between their planets as they talk by radio while hunting each other. The Earthman is important to the aliens because he knows the whereabouts of a freighter full of explosives heading for the alien home planet. He is also important to a bounty hunter who sees a lot of money to be made. Nobody suspects that the alien is also important to the Earthman. The relationship between the hunter and hunted shifts constantly.

The film is beautifully crafted, pinpoint sharp and well lit. The CGI is seamless and is not overused. The sets, costumes and weapons are well made and credible. Even the dialogue is sensible and the alien speaks English, not some form of pidgin English designed to sound trendy. The film was made for under $500,000 but there is no evidence of budget shortcuts - a tribute to the crew.

This all makes it easy to concentrate of the plot. The result is a very enjoyable film. Director Sandy Collora, despite his relatively short career in directing films, has produced a film as good as the great days of SF films in the 1980s.

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