Customer Reviews

Hunter Prey

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Director Sandy Collora brings this simple, but well-realized tale of alien intrigue to another level by infusing it with the mood and flavor of 70's Sci-Fi. It has it's slow parts, but overall, an astonishing achievement considering the budget and the skeleton crew who crafted it. Collora's cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking, and the unobtrusive digital effects help lend a uniquely stark feel to this often eerie film. For a first feature, this is an amazing piece of work, and one can only guess what Collora could do with a real budget.

I really enjoyed this film. The story develops slowly in the beginning, but the captivating landscapes and cinematography keep you engaged. As the characters develop and the story takes off, you're hooked. There are also several twists that I didn't see coming. Another unique characteristic that you don't find in low-budgets of this type is the music/score. It really moves the story forward and sounds fantastic on a home theatre system. Amazing that the producers, director, cast, and crew pulled this off at this level of quality given the resources (or lack thereof). I highly recommend this film.

With low budget science fiction movies it is generally a gamble with the odds already set against you. I don't know what it is about science fiction that draws out the idiots who think they can make a quick buck slapping on some crappy sets on a mediocre script with lousy special effects when there are hundreds of other idiots doing that same thing. There is a glut in the market of these cheap films, and it's hard to tell which ones are worth your time. If you are a true blue rocked to the core sci-fi fan Hunter Prey is one of those worthwhile movies.

I strongly recommend going into this movie with no idea what it's about. But if you must have a synopsis here's the best I can do without revealing too much. A ship crashes and some soldiers are tasked to retrieve an extremely dangerous escaped prisoner. That's all you need to know. Trust me. You get the most out of it that way.

What I like about this film is how it deviates from your normal Sci-Fi in regards to how the story is layed out. Hunter Prey begins with putting you in the middle of a shootout with absolutely no idea what's going on. From there the story starts to unfold and you get more and more information on what's really going on. This sort of gradual reveal works really well with this plot. Especially when you get some intelligent dialog, good cinematography, and pacing that's slow enough to give you time to soak in all the atmosphere.

As this mystery unfolds the real reasons this movie shines start to come through. This movie rides on the writing for the main players. Character development is subtle yet extremely well done. You get to know them with just the little details, and it works. This development is so well done it becomes almost impossible to see them in concepts black and white, good guy and villain. I found myself rooting for both (often times at the same time) as the two main characters seem to shift roles from villain to hero depending on the scene. You learn to love them when you see them on their own, and when they collide the interplay is just as good. I don't think I have ever seen a movie (sci-fi or otherwise) pull this off so well.

If you need other shows to relate for me Hunter Prey most reminds me of Enemy Mine and the old Star Trek episode where Kirk is on a deserted planet in a fight to the death with the lizard-like Gorn (funny that I found somebody in the IMDB message board having the exact same thoughts). Enemy Mine in that you have two separate races that are on opposite sides and that Star Trek episode because of the survival skills both use as well as the wonderful desert backdrop. Granted this is a very different movie from both so take that for what you will.

I love sci-fi for the technology, and Hunter Prey has some really nifty tech. Sure the rifles are generic looking (they were actually tweaked Nerf toy guns), but everything else was really cool. The soldier's armor looks like something you would always see illustrated in a book or comic, but hardly see in real life. The tech behind the suits is even cooler with their little computers (voiced by Buck Rogers star Erin Gray) that monitor your vitals and administer medication as well as do things like scan your environment and communicate offworld. Their is also a pretty neat pistol that knocks you off of your feet (sonic weapon maybe?). There is an assortment of other cool techie things shown throughout the movie that are designed smart and give that added flavor to the film.

The acting is actually pretty good. Granted some characters are behind makeup, but if you ask me an actor who can emote behind all of that just using mostly your eyes is a good one. Some acting can get just a tiny bit over the top, but it never falls into melodrama. It was treat having Erin Gray voice the miniature computer. I didn't even recognize her she was so good. It took the end credits for me to realize it was her.

Special effects are truly impressive and subtle you get very few space scenes and what you get is good. The really cool special effects are in the background like the orbiting sun and planets that give what's your average dessert landscape just enough of that offworld touch to reall sell it. There is one spaceship you see at the end of the movie and when it's in space it looks cool, but when on planet you do see the limits of the computer generated animation. Still nothing worse than you see anywhere else. Actually it's pretty awesome when you consider the budget.

Hunter Prey was made on a shoestring budget at a good deal less than $500,000. And that's 2009 dollars. Most TV sitcoms have larger budgets than that. What they do with that budget is truly impressive. Even if you take into account there are very few actors and they are filming in one location, plus special effects are sparse and of course the Nerf props you still have a good show of what you can do on a tiny budget. Camera work is professional with a good eye on what to shoot. Everything was on location, which would mean a good deal extra expense just for going outside. Is it Oscar-worthy movie making? No. Not in the slightest. Which brings me to the movie's shortcomings.

Being uber-low budget means the script couldn't get enough editing to tweak away some descrepancies. As much as I loved the plot some things, even after you factor all the clever twists and get a solid conclusion that wraps up the big questions nicely, still either felt awkward or didn't make sense. Granted you get the same things from big budget movies (mostly the ones with small minds), however in this arena it only makes the movie feel that much more low budget. These limitations hurt what is otherwise a lean and well oiled machine of a story. Also the soundtrack is... well... I didn't hate it. However the synth tracks that try to sound orchestral don't hit the mark. Again... it's a shorcoming of a tiny budget so this isn't really a big deal. The music just doesn't stand out as a positive, but it does fulfill its purpose.

The DVD is a pretty good sendup for a microbudget movie. You get a 5.1 Dolby Digital and a stereo audio mix for sound and a nice widescreen presentation. What makes this a treat is the audio commentary by Director Sandy Collora, the mastermind behind the movie. His commentary is filled with interesting tidbits on the making of the film. There is also a half hour "making of" documentary with interviews with the rest of crew that show you the little tricks they do in making the movie look as good as it does.

What can I say? Hunter Prey is a surprisingly good low budget science fiction film. It delves into character development rarely seen anywhere else. The shortcomings are way outshined by an impressive finished product. Do yourself a favor and see this movie.

I loved this refreshing, visually stunning, old style, character-based sci fi. I was captivated by the cinematography, and completely engrossed by the characters. It's a must see for any sci fi lovers, and a masterpiece in low budget film making. A remarkable film on all accounts.

I really liked this movie. One can sense the danger, planet conditions, and physical effort among the characters. Some unexpected twists takes it up a notch making for a more interesting story. This is a very serious sci-fi and the characters were all very convincing in their parts. It's a great story - I want more!

Well done!

Spoiler alerts.
I watched this film on Netflix last night, which is my routine before buying something i'm not familiar with. Bottom line is I enjoyed the film. Nice twists and references. I found that the views of the moons in the day sky was important to remind you that this was on an alien planet/moon, and not on earth, since there was no scenery other than desert.
Picture was very sharp. Thought I was watching a blu.
Not sure if this was a dvd defect but there was no menu that I could access which I found very odd. Anyone else have this issue?
The other point is that because of the helmets worn in a good part of the film, I had difficulty understanding some of the dialogue. There was no subtitles on this dvd. I found that to be a major distraction. This is not a vhs tape. This is a dvd. Hello? Subtitles? This should not even be an option, but mandatory.
The film rates 4 stars for me. The dvd features/subtitles or lack of is a 2.

When it first started, the initial cgi shot turned me off but once it got going I could tell it had a look that made it different than other low budget films I'd seen. The quality of the suits and the use of the mauser ammo pouches kept me watching initially I suppose more than anything. The use of helmets exclusively at the beginning was different since most movies don't do that sort of thing. At the very least you see the actors faces. The cinematography was really gorgeous. Fantastic scenery made it look big budget. I would say the thing that stood out the most was the acting by the 'fugitive' character and the last soldier. The acting, especially on the part of Jericho was really pro and didn't come across like one of those cheap scifi channel b movie. This was very enjoyable. I would like to see what the director could do with a bigger budget. The ending shot of the spaceship taking off was very good and far better than the opening shot at the beginning of the movie. The planets in the sky were ok but didn't look polished enough. You got the impression that the two main actors could really go places especially jericho.

I accidentally stumbled upon this film one late night on Showtime. I saw thirty seconds of it and was captivated by the look and feel of these "BOBA FETTS" roaming a barren wasteland. I couldn't turn it off, even though I'd missed the first fifteen minutes of it. Days later I still couldn't get this movie out of my head so I ordered the DVD from Amazon and watched it as soon as it came in. The next night I watched it again with the Director's commentary turned on. It was an awesome experience.

The look of the characters feel like they dropped out of STAR WARS, the pacing and landscapes and tight shots on the faces make it feel like Sergio Leone. It's such a simple concept. What's amazing is that the filmmakers put this together on a shoestring budget. You can tell there's a lot of love and passion that went into making this a reality.

The best compliment I can pay this movie is that I'm glad it came into my life. I wish I could buy the soundtrack and a copy of the script but... oh well. I'm looking forward to what Sandy and the crew do next. I'd love a HUNTER PREY 2 (as long as it doesn't suck)

The debut feature film by Sandy Collora (Sandy who?) is simply, quite extraordinary. To learn more about Sandy, check out IMDB or Wikipedia. To learn how to make awesome science fiction films on a shoestring budget, and yet produce something that looks & feels like it cost countless millions, then just watch Hunter Prey. Collora is both producer & director, as well as one the actors in the film, and carries out some of the production roles as well. The result is one of the best science fiction films of 2009/2010, alongside Monsters & the earlier District 9. The storyline is simple; aliens are hunting human prey across a desolate sandy landscape. The aliens are reduced to one, & the hunt becomes a game of wits between the hunter & the hunted. But as the story unfolds, nothing is as it seems, and the viewer is drawn into one deception after another, sort of like a good mystery novel that has several twists in the tail. The actors are all unknowns, and yet all rise to the task superbly. The hardware used in the film looks more professional than that used in most sci-fi films of recent years, and the cinematography is simply outstanding. Collora keeps a tight rein on the film, to ensure the action doesn't sag, and the script is always concise & words not wasted, or unnecessary. The quality of this film makes a mockery of many of the recent big budget movies of this genre, and shows just what can be done by an artist like Collora. He presents us with an apocalyptic space adventure borne of precious little finances, & succeeds beyond belief. I loved this film, and would happily give it 6 stars if I could.

As another reviewer has noted, many of the reviews for this film seem planted (excessive ratings/praise with little substance). It's not bad, and worth seeing once if you're an SF fan, but otherwise of little consequence.
The film is a sequel, of sorts, to Enemy Mine, the D. Quaid/L. Gossett film from 1985 (dir:W. Petersen). However, it is sufficiently detached that it's not necessary to know the previous film.
This film is a well-paced chase across an alien landscape, but really only 'alien' by virtue of an orange moon in the sky. The alien environment-suits teeter on the edge of parody but, as with the moon trick, I have to admire how good the film looks given the obvious budget constraints. It's also a serious film, and reasonably intelligent, despite the corrupting influence of military SF (one of the more appalling cultural swings of recent time). It's probably not military enough to satisfy those fans, not hard S-F enough to satisfy those of us from that era, not complex enough for drama lovers, and not spectacular enough for action fans. I'm not sure who's left to hand in all these inflated 5-star reviews.
Anyway, there are enough twists to keep one interested, and the film is no longer than it needs to be (an uncommon virtue these days). However, the dialogue is often unclear, and the resolution was as well, although that may have been a consequence of the former. I could have used closed captioning on several occasions.
Although there is almost no plot, the actors did a good job of realizing their characters, the effects were good enough, the film was smart enough not to become a joke, and the whole package was an enjoyable 90 minutes, which I doubt I will ever want to repeat (enjoyable fluff is still fluff). I hope the director gets a shot with a larger budget and a much more sophisticated script.