b"18 SEPTEMBER 23, 2022 The Great Eastern Mailmovie reviews www.waldowatches.comMovie Review by Michael WaldronTHE BEAST IN CINEMAS NOW TAMINGB EAST taps into Ghost In The Darkness with Idris Elba at the helm.THE BEASTLions are the King of the Jungle but is this film the king of the screen? No, it isn't - but it's a very solid film worth of a trip to the cinema. ROARING FILM FIT FOR CINEMA VIEWINGElba provides the human element and is good as always. He has incredible range and this time he is the every-man father scratching and clawingpassed and grief is affectingthe show by awing viewersseries, testament to hisrevenge. While there's a fewKormkur, who has done 2 to protect his children. He isall three in its own way. Theywith its raw power. It evokesthespian abilities. While theinstances of this historically,Guns and Everest previously, equally at home here as hemeet up with Martin, a naturefeelings of Jurassic Park,emotional parts of the film areit simply isn't realistic. Yes,does a great job of keeping it is playing Heimdall in thereservist played by Sharltoproviding the same feelingundercooked, Elba makes itI know it's a fictional plothumming along and making Marvel series, testament to hisCopley, who shows them aas the mighty T-Rex does,work by portraying the flawsdevice however it didn'tthe Lion the star of the show.thespian abilities. While thelocal Lion pride and a bit ofreminding you that whileof a struggling, grieving fathersit right for this reviewer. IDespite a few problems, emotional parts of the film arewhat Africa has to offer. Whatwe're top of the food tree,struggling to communicatequickly accepted that's thethis is an entertaining film undercooked, Elba makes itstarts as a holiday quicklygiven the opportunity thewith his children. direction it was taking andthat's worth a trip to cinemas. work by portraying the flawsturns dire as a Lion startslocal apex predator would likeFor all the positives packedafter that, I quite enjoyed theNot only are you supporting of a struggling, grieving fatherhunting the group, turninga word. into a short runtime, the filmride. local businesses by doing so, struggling to communicatetourist into prey. Elba provides the humanis let down by the lack of aThe aforementioned pacingbut this film also deserves with his children. The film is expertly pacedelement and is good asfully fleshed out narrative. Iis the real winner here as thethe in-cinema experience of Elba stars as Nate Daniels,at 93 minutes which meansalways. He has incrediblewasn't expecting a dramaticfilm has been condenseda quality sound system and a doctor taking his twoit's all about the action andrange and this time he is thesaga however parts of thedown to ensure there's noa big screen. It's not nearly daughters (Leah Jeffries andlittle room is left for anythingevery-man father scratchingstory lacked a genuine feelingdowntime. Even the quieteras good as The Ghost In The Iyana Halley) on a trip toelse. The Lion is the star ofand clawing to protect hisand is quickly forgottenparts of the film move alongDarkness but you can do a lot Africa to see their mother'sthe show and with the aidchildren. He is equally atafter the first act. The otherat a relatively high pace whichworse than this.homeland. Tensions are highof the booming roar of thehome here as he is playingnegative is the misconstruedmeans you aren't bored at as the mother has recentlycinema sound system, it stealsHeimdall in the Marvelnotion of animals andany stage. Director BaltasarRATINGAmber Midthunder stars asPREDATOR PREQUELit on Disney+. The post (or Naru, sister of Taabe (Dakotaongoing?) COVID situation Beavers), a young girl trying toPACKS SOME PUNCH has forced a lot of distribution prove her worth as a hunter.companies to lean on The film is set around 1719streaming platforms but it's and she keeps butting headsa shocker of a decision here with those around her whofrom 20th Century Studios. insists she does woman'sThere are some issues work instead. A Lion attacks the closing stanza didn't their encampment which setsprovide the oomph that the the wheels in motion for Narufilm deserves and undercuts and Taabe to hunt the big cata key character element. The and they both discover thatmisogyny in the script feels there's more than angry catsforced and while consistent in the wild.throughout, indicating it I expected this movie to bewasn't inserted randomly as Movie Review byawful however Trachtenberg'sa plot device, it fails to come Michael Waldron has breathed life into theacross as organic. There are franchise by cutting away a 20th Century Studios also some actions involving PREY lot of the rubbish. The cast isthe Predator that doesn't STREAMING NOW ON DISNEY+largely Native American (orbringing something newIt's got a great balance bycommunicates confidenceseem totally in sync with the Canadian First Nation's) andinto the fray. There are somepaying homage whereand responsibility so well.established lore which is a D ISNEY has dippedit makes me smile that theshots used that bring backpractical and delivering greatThere is no weak point to theslight shame. That being said, their toe into thehistory and the charactersnostalgic memories of theaction along the way.cast, and this is a credit to theif you enter this film and aim world's most pollutedwere not whitewashed, asoriginal Predator, the steroid- The decision to useDirector and Producers forto hold it to the highest of and largely disappointingso often happens with filmsladen Sci-Fi that set the worlda culturally correct caststaying true to the vision.standards, you are to blamepool. the Predator franchise.such as this. While I have littlealight in 1987. There are someis improved upon withThe film nails it from afor any disappointment. The franchise is seven moviesknowledge of these cultures,less subtle quotes that willMidthunder's performancetechnical perspective butUndoubtedly aided by low deep with the latest entry, athe internet suggests that Preymake old school fans smileas the primary protagonist.is seriously let down byexpectations, Prey runs at a prequel set in the US in theis true to historical elements of(or groan) and the PredatorShe owns the role, making thethe decision to go straightclean 100 minutes with no 1700s. This tally somehowthe Comanche Tribe, Predatoritself is a solid representationviewer take a vested interestto streaming. The modernfat and no downtime to leave feels low given how horridexcluded of course. From theof that classic foe we allin her coming-of-age storyversion of a Direct To Videoyou bored reaching for your some of the entries haveface paint to the costume tosaw 35 years ago. The newthat somehow works with amovie does this one no favoursphone. The film is a barrel of been and with this in mind,the weapons, everything isis some world buildingblood thirsty alien in the mix.as it was built to be a cinematicfun for fans of the Action Sci-Fi expectations were at an all- legitimate, and this brings anaround the Predator, at leastShe never looks out of place,release. Brilliant environmentsgenre. Sure, it's not Arnie and time low heading into Prey.air of credibility to the film.providing some context toadding another entry to thefilmed well, big action, a greatCarl Weathers in the jungleAgainst all odds, director DanPrey also taps into whatthe escalating violence, somepantheon of great femalescore and some brilliant soundbut as far as Predator films Trachtenberg has pulled it offhas made Top Gun: Mavericknew technology that's originalaction performances. Herediting make this a movie thatgo, this is one that more than and delivered a movie that'sand Jurassic World: Dominionand creative and an actualchemistry with Beavers isyou need to see at the cinema,holds its own.not only not terrible but alsosuch successespayingnarrative that doesn't makegreat and feels genuine, aidedyet the incomprehensible happens to be a lot of fun.homage to the original whileyou feel completely nauseous.by his performance whichdecision was made to popRATING"