Weekend Watch: Prey, The Sandman

A franchise has new life and a comic book classic finally journeys to screens.

Image Credit: Hulu

Welcome to the latest edition of Weekend Watch, in which I recommend (or occasionally warn against) movies or TV shows I’ve been checking out. This week, an iconic franchise gets a shot in the arm (plus a few other limbs) and a comic book classic finally goes live-action. Follow James on Twitter: @jamwhite

Ever since John McTiernan’s 1987 franchise kick-off, the Predator movie series has struggled to find a fresh take on the concept of an intergalactic hunter terrorising humans before ultimately meeting its match in one hero. The direct sequel, Predator 2 shifted the locale from the sweltering jungle to the stifling streets of Los Angeles, but while it has plenty to recommend it, it didn’t quite hit the target.

Then came the various attempts to reinterpret the idea. Robert Rodriguez produced a solid stab with the Nimród Antal-directed Predators in 2010, though that attempt to force new life into the story didn’t lead to another run. The less said about the crossover Alien Vs. Predator movies, the better. Even Shane Black, a man with burnished Predator credentials (he did script polishing and appeared in the original) couldn’t successfully switch things up with The Predator.

Hopes were not necessarily high, then, when the announcement came that Dan Trachtenberg, director of 10 Cloverfield Lane, was working on a prequel. Even with Trachtenberg’s own directorial success (outside of the big screen, he’s been behind the camera on episodes of The Boys and Black Mirror), the concern was that that lightning was staying well away from that bottle.

I’m here to tell you that Trachtenberg crushed it. With a script by Patrick Aison, Prey is one of the most delightful surprises of the year. Channelling the spirit of the first film while offering its own unique setting and story, this movie more than puts to rest any worries I might have had about its existence.

In place of the usual burly blokes threatened by the extraterrestrial trophy hunter, Prey is set 300 years ago and stars Amber Midthunder as Naru, a member of the Comanche Nation who longs to break out of the gender roles her family and tribe are looking to impose. Itching to go on her first proper hunt and prove her (already considerable) warrior skills, she gets far more than she bargained for when a Predator arrives on the planet.

Soon, she’s facing brutal nature, disbelieving older male tribe members, French colonial fighters and, of course, the alien danger.

One of the cleverest aspects of the movie is how it portrays this Predator’s tools. While there are some familiar gizmos (cloaking technology etc) this is also a creature from a much earlier time in the species’ existence, and its weapons are themselves more primitive. That leads to some outstanding action moments, the Predator taking out victims in a variety of bloody ways.

The most significant advantage here, though, is Midthunder, who gives Naru heart, spirit, vulnerability and, when the moment calls for it, a steel spine and a quick brain that helps her figure out the situation. Along with faithful hound Sarii, she’ll have you rooting for her to succeed… Or at the very least, survive.

Are there issues? The occasional pacing stutter and one or two moments where budget or timing didn’t allow for finessing of the effects work, but that takes nothing away from a film that boasts spot-on casting (everyone around Midthunder, be they a friend, her family or the dreadlocked foe is fantastic) and superior direction.

My one big gripe about Prey is one that has been shared by many colleagues: the fact that it’s going directly to streaming. This film deserves to be seen on the big screen, with a crowd, as the darkened space and the focus that encourages connects perfectly with a movie that benefits from you paying attention. The visuals and the sound design are superb – a lot of thought and careful construction has gone into both.

If Prey leads to further Predator spin-offs with this much verve and invention, the film series will last be in a very healthy place. But if this is the only instalment to emerge, I’m glad we got this one at least.

Prey is on Hulu in the States and on Disney+ in the UK from today.

Image Credit: Netflix

If making a new Predator movie was a big challenge, that pales in comparison with the decades Neil Gaiman has spent working, worrying and waiting for someone to commit the resources to properly adapt The Sandman to screens.

Created by Gaiman alongside Mike Dringenberg and Sam Kieth, The Sandman defies easy description. It’s a sprawling comic book world that draws from DC Comics’ history, myths and legends to create a fully formed, original fantasy series that has grown in scope and scale through spin-offs and audio adaptations. But all attempts to turn it into a movie have failed, partly because you really can’t distil something like this down to the length of a movie or two. Or three. A streaming service with a healthy budget and an offer of creative freedom certainly feels like the story’s natural home if it was going live-action at all.

In its early going (the series adapts the first two volumes of the comics’ run), it’s effectively the story of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams (Tom Sturridge), who creates the dreams and nightmares that impact humanity’s sleep and influence them in the waking world. He’s one of the Endless, the powerful anthropomorphic embodiments of concepts such as Desire, Death (more on her in a moment) and Destiny.

When he’s imprisoned by a magician (Charles Dance’s Roderick Burgess) in 1916 for 70 years, he returns to his realm to discover discord and destruction. Some of those creations have left the realm to explore the world; especially the Corinthian (Boyd Holbrook), a nightmare who has teeth where eyes should be and his own plans for both Morpheus and humanity.

The initial episodes chronicle Morpheus’ quest to retrieve the magical tools he lost when he was imprisoned, and the stories that focus on Sturridge’s mumbly, moody character work decently to set the narrative up in a way that newbies won’t be lost and those that know the source comics inside and out won’t be turned off.

Is it perfect? No. But that’s part and parcel when you’re adapting any source material, and particularly something as sprawling, complicated and beloved as Sandman. It’s always tough to compare what was birthed on the page with the live-action version, yet the team, led by executive producer David Goyer, show-runner Allan Heinberg (Gaiman was a consultant and co-wrote the pilot), and directors including Jamie Childs and Louise Hooper) have done stalwart work to make it as close as possible while changing and updating some necessary elements.

The episodic nature (by design) means that the quality can vary between the different instalments. I found episode 4, ‘A Hope In Hell’ to be one of the bigger disappointments, the story of Morpheus’ encounter with Lucifer (a game, but never that convincing Gwendoline Christie) much weaker compared to some of the standout efforts.

For me, the highlight was episode 6, ‘The Sound Of Her Wings’, in which Kirby Howell-Baptiste brings Death to life with all the cheeky, knowing and soulfulness of the original comics version fully intact. And that episode also featured the story of Hob Gadling, the man who gets (and sometimes regrets) his wish for immortality, meeting up with Morpheus every 100 years. It’s a beautiful story, one shot through with meaning and commentary about life and humanity changing. Not only does it let Sturridge show off another side to Morpheus, but Ferdinand Kingsley really brings Hob to life, experiencing the ups and downs that his long existence has to offer.

Also great? ‘24/7’, for very different, much darker reasons. David Thewlis is at the heart of that episode and brings a supremely creepy yet humane quality to John Dee, a man with links to Morpheus’ struggles. As the series moves along to its next storyline, the continuity ramps up, which gives a further sense of cohesion.

A few stumbles aside, this is a faithful, glorious adaptation of very tricky source material. I’m happy for Gaiman and anyone who loves the comics, and I’m hoping that those who don’t know the stories will discover something they’ll grow to enjoy.

The first, 10-episode season of The Sandman is on Netflix now. I’ve seen the whole season.