Sometimes You Just Have to Know What to Expect

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MOVIE REVIEW
THE PREY: Legend of Karnoctus
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Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Year Released: 2022
Runtime: 1h 33m
Director(s): Cire Hensman, Matthew Hensman
Writer(s): Matthew Hensman, Gustavo Sainz de la Peña, (story)
Cast: Nick Chinlund, Adrian Paul, Kevin Grevioux, Fahim Fazli, Adolfo de la Parra, Justin Arnold, Masika Kalisha, and Danny Trejo
Where To Watch: Debuts on Cable VOD June 7th and Available on Digital Platforms July 7th

What can I say, this is just a movie meant to have fun, and at times, it succeeded. It’s important to remember that you have to be realistic with your expectations in films like this. I probably would’ve been upset if I had gone to the theater to see this and expected top-tier performances and next-level CGI. Instead, I noticed that Danny Trejo (MACHETE, FROM DUSK TILL DAWN, and 421 other acting credits) was in the film and instantly knew what it would be. Sure, a 2 out of 5 stars isn’t going to cement it as one of my favorite films ever. However, I importantly never thought it would.

The film was meant to be an homage to the monster flicks of the 80s but came off more like a hybrid between that and the B-monster movies of the 60s. Ultimately, it was still an interesting take and a nice break from many of the more serious and intense films I’ve watched lately.

All of that is to say that this was precisely what I was expecting, a fun time meant to be enjoyed and allows you to turn your brain off. There are fantastic cringe-worthy moments throughout the film that will make even the most hardened of faces smile (except Trejo’s because A. He's not in the movie very long, and B. I’m not sure if he’s capable of smiling.)

One of my biggest pet peeves is seeing a “monster” when the film would be better without it. While I referenced CGI earlier, this movie took pride in being a practical effects extravaganza. The monster and the gore were all “real,” and I appreciate that; however, if your monster isn’t going to be terrifying, I would rather not see it. This goes for big-budget blockbusters, such as in A QUIET PLACE; that film would’ve been better had I never seen the “scary.” Indeed, sometimes less is more.

While I don’t think I would’ve wanted to go into this expecting a blockbuster, I could most definitely see this as a fun time during a midnight showing with a crowd full of people enjoying it for what it is.

To no surprise, initially, the role of Reid was supposed to go to Michael Clark Duncan. However, with his passing in 2012, he was replaced by Kevin Grevioux, who did a great job playing Michael Clark Duncan.

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