Prey (I) (2007)

An American family on holiday in Africa becomes lost in a game reserve and stalked by lions.

Director:

Darrell Roodt

Writers:

Darrell Roodt (screenplay), Beau Bauman (screenplay),

Stars:

Bridget Moynahan, Peter Weller, Carly Schroeder

Cast

Credited cast:
Bridget Moynahan	...	Amy Newman
Peter Weller	...	Tom Newman
Carly Schroeder	...	Jessica Newman
Jamie Bartlett	...	Crawford
Conner Dowds	...	David Newman (as Connor Dowds)
Marius Roberts	...	Brian
Muso Sefatsa	...	Nephew
Jacob Makgoba	...	Local Hunter
Ashley Taylor	...	Rescue Chopper Ranger
Tumisho Masha	...	Ranger at Airstrip (as Tumisho K. Masha)
Mary-Ann Barlow	...	Ranger in Radio Room
Thijs Ocenasek	...	King Air Pilot 1
Louis Heering	...	King Air Pilot 2
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lee-Anne Summers	...	Hostess

Storyline

While working in a dam in Africa, the American hydraulic engineer Tom Newman brings his family to spend a couple of days in the Leopard's Rest Lodge. His fourteen year-old daughter Jessica is having friction with her stepmother Amy since she does not accept the divorce of her parents. On the next morning, Amy, Jessica and her brother David go in a game drive with a ranger while Tom goes to the dam. While driving off-road, David asks the ranger to stop the jeep to go to the "toilet", and unexpectedly they are attacked by a group of starving lions that kill and eat the ranger. Amy, Jessica and David are trapped in the jeep and stalked by the wild lions. When Tom returns to the hotel and finds that his family has not returned from the game, he asks for help to the experienced hunter and guide Crawford and together they seek Tom's family.

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Plot Keywords:

lion | jeep | africa | holiday | national park | 

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Taglines:

Out here, you're the endangered species...

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Genres:

Adventure | Horror | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site [South Africa]

Country:

USA South Africa

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 April 2007 (Hong Kong)

Also Known As:

Cacería Sangrienta

Filming Locations:

South Africa

Company Credits

Production Co:

Anant Singh Production, Videovision Entertainment, Distant Horizon

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Lion King (1994)

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Soundtracks

"Awaken"
Composed by Ron Brettel
Published by Mathambo Music
Administered by NORM

User Reviews

Dreary modern thriller yarn, with lions

This film pretty much sums up the problem with modern B-movie making. If Prey were made in the seventies, you could bet your bottom dollar that it would have been a gritty exploitation classic; but here in 2007, it's merely a predictable horror yarn where you can pretty much guess everything that's going to happen. The plot concerns a woman and her husband's two kids that get trapped in the middle of the savannah when their safari car breaks down and their guide is killed by lions. From there, it pretty much stretches the climax of Cujo out over eighty odd minutes. There are a few subplots, which involve things such as a family struggle as the daughter doesn't like her father's new wife, and the father himself sets out to save his family 'at all costs'. The film lays all it's cards on the table right from the beginning as we are let into the secret that not a single one of the 'beautiful' central cast is going to come to any harm at all, and that's very annoying as all you actually want to see is them getting eaten alive!

It's annoying that this film is terrible as there's actually a basis for a decent film in the middle of all the sap. There aren't that many horror films about big game, and a seriously good film could be made out of the idea of a bunch of people being stuck in Africa's lion territory. Director Darrell Roodt, who has a lot of experience in making films that nobody sees, fails to make the audience believe that his central cast are in any danger throughout the film; and this is a major flaw as a movie with one selling point needs to make sure that it makes that selling point count! The film doesn't have any atmosphere; the locations look nice, but nothing is made of it and really, anyone with a video camera could have made this film. Peter Weller is the only 'draw' where the cast is concerned, and he's not a big enough draw to ensure that the movie doesn't fail. To be honest, I don't like him much anyway. It doesn't take long for the audience to guess how this film is going to end; and indeed, that is exactly how it does end. The ending made me cringe for all the wrong reasons. There's a fair bit of blood, but other than that; this film has nothing in the way of positive elements, and I don't recommend it!