History YMMV / Prey2022

** Some in the [=YouTube=] critic scene, particularly [[AngryWhiteMan certain segments]] of the subsection that focuses on criticizing "forced diversity" content, spent much of the lead up to the movie's release declaring it a "woke failure", only to either say they were pleasantly surprised, begrudgingly admit it was better than expected (but still complain about their usual grievances), or quietly just full-on put their feet in their mouths about the movie.

** [[spoiler:Are the arriving Predator ships at the end there to get revenge on Naru for killing one of their own? Or are they there to offer her a proper trophy, [[Film/Predator2 like Greyback gave to Harrigan?]]]]

** The [=YouTube=] critic scene, particularly [[AngryWhiteMan the subsection that focuses on criticizing "forced diversity" content]], spent much of the lead up to the movie's release declaring it a "woke failure", only to either begrudgingly admit it was better than expected (but still complain about their usual grievances) or quietly just full-on put their feet in their mouths about the movie.

** The Predator is a vicious, bloodthirsty alien killer, but it has the typical Yautja sense of honor, and EvilIsCool is firmly in effect. The same can not be said for the French trackers, a bunch of racist cowards who are introduced having slaughtered an entire herd of bison (property of the Comanche) for their furs and who beat and belittle Naru and Taabe and use them as bait for the Predator. Naturally, the audience is invited to cheer once the Predator starts putting the hurt on them.

** The idea of a female Native American warrior facing a Predator is not new: it was explored in ''ComicBook/{{Katmandu}}'' in the 1990s, [[https://twitter.com/luisedgarf/status/1555825880601186306 though as a tongue-in-cheek one-shot image]], where the main protagonist, Liska, killed a Predator herself with nothing more than arrows. Also, and overlapping with HilariousInHindsight, [[spoiler: the image also depicts the same character also being ready to fight against two Predators, which is very similar to what happens in the end of the film, when the Yautja bring more ships to Earth and specifically to Naru's tribe]].[[note]]It should be noted, however, that ''Katmandu'' takes place in an alien planet far away from Earth, where their inhabitants are Native American-looking anthropomorphic felines, but their technology isn't far different from real human Native Americans, so it still counts.[[/note]]

* SugarWiki/SheReallyCanAct:

* WTHCastingAgency: It is very clear to any real French speaker that virtually none of the "French" characters, not even their leader or the one named character among them, is played by an actual Francophone. This is not a case of them having a strong French-Canadian accent or speaking in old antiquated French (as has been claimed); not only do they not know how to pronounce basic words, it is obvious their dialogue was first written in English before going through BlindIdiotTranslation. The result is a mess of unintelligible people saying things no real human being would say, which begs the question of whether the production just didn't care or if a lot of people lied on their CV.

** Some had this reaction to the new Predator, which has been established to be a different subspecies of Yautja in comparison to the others seen onscreen. A bulk of the criticism mostly went towards the Feral Predator's face, which was deemed ''hideous'', even by Yautja standards.

** The idea of a female Native American warrior facing a Predator is not new: it was explored in the FurryComic ''ComicBook/{{Katmandu}}'' in the 1990s, [[https://twitter.com/luisedgarf/status/1555825880601186306 though as a tongue-in-cheek one-shot image]], where the main protagonist, Liska, killed a Predator herself with nothing more than arrows. Also, and overlapping with HilariousInHindsight, [[spoiler: the image also depicts the same character also being ready to fight against two Predators, which is very similar to what happens in the end of the film, when the Yautja bring more ships to Earth and specifically to Naru's tribe]].[[note]]It should be noted, however, that ''Katmandu'' takes place in an alien planet far away from Earth, where their inhabitants are Native American-looking anthropomorphic felines, but their technology isn't far different from real human Native Americans, so it still counts.[[/note]]

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The special effects are top-notch for a mid-budget (approximately $65 million) installment of a major film franchise, particularly the practical effects, portraying the Predator as an imposing and threatening force as it leaps from tree to tree. It's not surprising, given Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (the effects house on prior movies) returned to provide the effects for the Predator.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The special effects are top-notch for a mid-budget (approximately $75 million) installment of a major film franchise, particularly the practical effects, portraying the Predator as an imposing and threatening force as it leaps from tree to tree. It's not surprising, given Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (the effects house on prior movies) returned to provide the effects for the Predator.

* AuthorsSavingThrow:
** The film takes a prequel approach to explore the Predator hunting in an older time, an idea clamored for by fans for years and one that, up until this point, hadn't been explored in a film format.
** The pretty simple plot also serves as a break from the conspiracy plot that plagued ''Film/ThePredator'', which apart from nods to the original films and [[Creator/SterlingKBrown Sterling K. Brown's]] performance, many fans hated. It also sheds the hated idea of the Predator species [[spoiler:preparing to declare war on Earth, emphasizing that, yes, the Predator's sole purpose on the planet is to hunt]].
** For quite some time, particularly after the ''Film/AlienVsPredator'' films came out, fans begged for a film that focused more on the Predators rather than left them as one-note antagonists, something the crossover actually got a fair amount of praise for. While not the starring presence, the Predator in this film does have more scenes alone of it tracking and actually hunting other prey besides humans.
** A more minor example, but many fans were happy to have a Predator film that ''finally'' breaks away from the naming convention of all the previous films' titles having some variation on the word 'Predator', which had gotten very confusing by the time ''Film/ThePredator'' came out.

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The special effects are top-notch for a mid-budget installment of a major film franchise, particularly the practical effects, portraying the Predator as an imposing and threatening force as it leaps from tree to tree. It's not surprising, given Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (the effects house on prior movies) returned to provide the effects for the Predator.

** "Barbie vs. Predator." [[labelnote:Explanation]]Fans of the film jokingly suggested that sequels should simply have the Predator invade other movies with absolutely no build-up. Given the upcoming ''Barbie'' film is already a ripe source of memes, many pitched the idea of a crossover between the two.[[/labelnote]]

* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The special effects are top-notch, particularly the practical effects, portraying the Predator as an imposing and threatening force as it leaps from tree to tree. It's not surprising, given Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (the effects house on prior movies) returned to provide the effects for the Predator.

** The Predator is a vicious, bloodthirsty alien killer, but it has the typical Yautja sense of honor, and EvilIsCool is firmly in effect. The same can not be said for the French trackers, a bunch of racist cowards who are introduced having slaughtered an entire herd of bison (sacred to the Comanche) for their furs and who beat and belittle Naru and Taabe and use them as bait for the Predator. Naturally, the audience is invited to cheer once the Predator starts putting the hurt on them.

** Is this Predator a proper Blooded warrior? [[spoiler:Its array of weaponry seems to suggest so, but given the fact it outright cheats by cloaking when fighting with Taabe and is the biggest example of CombatPragmatist than any other of the Predators put to film, does that suggest it's a younger and more arrogant warrior like the City Hunter in ''Film/Predator2''? Could it even be a scout, there to gain information to deem if the hunt on Earth is worthy?]]

** The film takes a prequel approach to explore the Predator hunting in an older time, an idea clamored for by fans for years and one that, up until this point, wasn't explored in a film format.
** The pretty simple plot also serves as a break from the conspiracy plot that plagued ''Film/ThePredator'', which apart from nods to the original films and [[Creator/SterlingKBrown Sterling K. Brown's]] performance, many fans hated. It also sheds the hated idea of the Predator species [[spoiler:preparing to declare war on Earth, emphasizing that, yes, the Predator's sole purpose here is to hunt]].
** For quite some time, particularly after the ''Film/AlienVsPredator'' films came out, fans begged for a film that focused more on the Predators rather than leaves them as one-note antagonists, something the crossover actually got a fair amount of praise for. While not the starring presence, the Predator in this film does have more scenes alone of it tracking and actually hunting other prey.
** A more minor example, but many fans were happy to have a Predator film that ''finally'' breaks away from the naming convention of all the previous films having some variation on 'Predator,' which had gotten very confusing by the time ''Film/ThePredator'' came out.

** The [=YouTube=] Critic scene, particularly [[{{AngryWhiteMan}} the subsection that focuses on criticizing "forced diversity" content]] spent much of the lead up to the movie's release declaring it a "woke failure" only to either begrudgingly admit it was better than expected (but still complain about their usual grievances) or quietly just full on put their foots in their mouths about the movie.
* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: There's a reason that Creator/DanTrachtenberg hired Sarah Schachner after playing ''VideoGame/AssassinsCreedValhalla''. The score is both beautiful and menacing all throughout and features Schachner playing almost all the strings herself.
* EvilIsCool: It's the Predator, what do you expect? This time around, he also sports a bonefaced mask that adds to the 18th-century setting and wields a shield that wouldn't look out of place in medieval times.
* FanNickname: The lead Predator in the film has already been dubbed "Boneface" or (following the naming convention of [[Film/{{Predator}} the Jungle Predator]], [[Film/Predator2 the City Predator]], and [[Film/{{Predators}} the Berserker Predators]]) "The Feral Predator" by fans.

* HilariousInHindsight: Controversial as [[Film/ThePredator the last film]] was for the fanbase, one point made in that movie is that the moniker of "Predator" for the antagonists functionally makes no sense when they are ''actually'' a [[HunterTrapper species of sport hunters]]—although as a basis for a joke at the expense of their menace. However, here it serves as a point of drama, as the belief for a while from the human's perspective ''is'' that they are being hunted by a powerful predator of some kind, the French hunting party makes a massive mistake of thinking the Predator itself [[SuicidalOverconfidence is just dangerous game]]. It's only when Naru realizes it's actually a hunter itself do the tables start to turn.

** The Predator is a vicious, bloodthirsty alien killer, but it has the typical sense of honor and EvilIsCool is firmly in effect. The same can not be said for the French Trackers, a bunch of racist cowards who are introduced having slaughtered an entire herd of bison (sacred to the Comanche) for their furs and who beat and belittle Naru and Taabe and use them as bait for the Predator. Naturally, the audience is invited to cheer once the Predator starts putting the hurt on them.
** To a lesser extent, Wasape from the Comanche hunting party also counts. Tasked by Taabe with bringing her back to camp, he shows Naru nothing but contempt and mockery, fighting and beating the shit out of her before tying her up like a prisoner. Her fellow tribesman he may be, it's doubtful the viewers were shedding any tears when the Predator shows up and cuts him down with ease.
* MagnificentBastard: The "[[CombatPragmatist Feral]]" Predator is a particularly vicious, [[GeniusBruiser yet no less cunning]] member of the Yautja race who arrives on Earth intent on hunting the most dangerous prey. Though wielding a more primitive arsenal than its later counterparts, the Feral expertly uses its weapons to its advantage in all forms of skirmishes with wolf, bear and human alike. The Feral tears its way through all foes and outwits the attempt by the French trappers to ambush it, instead twisting their trap around and picking them all off with stealth and tactics alike. Maintaining the same sense of honor that the rest of its race possesses, the Feral faces down Naru in a final skirmish and overcomes almost all of her wits to nearly strike her dead.

** The idea of a female Native American warrior facing a Predator is not new: It was explored in the FurryComic ''ComicBook/{{Katmandu}}'' at the 1990s, [[https://twitter.com/luisedgarf/status/1555825880601186306 through as a tongue-in-cheek one-shot image]], when the main protagonist, Liska, had killed a Predator herself with nothing more than arrows. Also, and overlapping with HilariousInHindsight, [[spoiler: The image also depicts the same character also being ready to fight against two Predators, which is very similar to what happens in the end of the film, when the Yautja bring more ships to Earth and specifically to Naru's tribe]].[[note]]It should be noted, however, that ''Katmandu'' takes place in an alien planet far away from Earth, when their inhabitants are Native American-looking anthropomorphic felines, but their technology isn't far different from real human Native Americans, so it still counts.[[/note]]
** Some, er, ''particular'' fans scoffed at the idea that a "primitive" native woman could defeat a technologically superior foe through misdirection and trickery, apparently forgetting that that's exactly how Dutch defeated the Predator in the [[Film/{{Predator}} original film]].

** The CGI wildlife (the snake, mountain lion, bear, etc). While they don't ''look'' too bad, the way they're animated isn't accurate to how they move in real life giving away too much that they're not real.

* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: After the [[{{Understatement}} highly contentious]] fiasco that was the [[Film/ThePredator last movie]], many fans had low expectations going into this film only to come out pleasantly surprised, citing the simple yet effective plot, gory action scenes, gorgeous visuals, and most of all, "re-fanging" the Predator and making it truly terrifying again. Even the harshest critics of the more recent films, while not necessarily singing its praises, are willing to give this film a recommendation.

* UnexpectedCharacter: [[spoiler: Raphael Adolini, a character initially referenced through the inscription on his flintlock pistol in ''Film/Predator2'' and whose sole physical appearance prior to this movie had been in a one-shot comic book from 1996. Not many could have expected him to ever make his cinematic debut.]]
* SugarWiki/VisualEffectsOfAwesome: The special effects are top-notch, particularly the practical effects, portraying the Predator as an imposing and threatening force as it leaps from tree to tree. It's not surprising, given Amalgamated Dynamics Inc. (the effects house on prior movies) returns to provide the effects for the Predator.
* WatchedItForTheRepresentation: The film received a lot of pre-release buzz for having a predominantly First Nations cast, and for being the first major Hollywood film to have a Comanche language dub. There was even some hope that the film could reignite interest in the language, which as of 2007, only had about 100 native speakers left.
* WTHCastingAgency: It is very clear to any real French speaker that virtually none of the "French" characters, not even their leader or the one named character among them, is played by an actual francophone. This is not a case of them having a strong French-Canadian accent or speaking in old antiquated French (as has been claimed); not only do they not know how to pronounce basic words, it is obvious their dialogue was first written in English before going through BlindIdiotTranslation. The result is a mess of unintelligible people saying things no real human being would say which begs the question of whether the production just didn't care or if a lot of people lied on their CV.

** The idea of a female Native American warrior facing a Predator is not new: It was explored in the FurryComic ''ComicBook/{{Katmandu}}'' at the 1990s, through as a tongue-in-cheek one-shot image, when the main protagonist, Liska, had killed a Predator herself with nothing more than arrows. Also, and overlapping with HilariousInHindsight, [[spoiler: The image also depicts the same character also being ready to fight against two Predators, which is very similar to what happens in the end of the film, when the Yautja bring more ships to Earth and specifically to Naru's tribe]].[[note]]It should be noted, however, that ''Katmandu'' takes place in an alien planet far away from Earth, when their inhabitants are Native American-looking anthropomorphic felines, but their technology isn't far different from real human Native Americans, so it still counts.[[/note]]

** The [=YouTube=] Critic scene, particularly the subsection that focuses on [[{{AngryWhiteMan}} criticizing "forced diversity" content]] spent much of the lead up to the movie's release declaring it a "woke failure" only to either begrudgingly admit it was better than expected (but still complain about their usual grievances) or quietly just full on put their foots in their mouths about the movie.

** The [=YouTube=] Critic scene, particularly the subsection that focuses on criticizing "forced diversity" content spent much of the lead up to the movie's release declaring it a "woke failure" only to either begrudgingly admit it was better than expected (but still complain about their usual grievances) or quietly just full on put their foots in their mouths about the movie.

* HilariousInHindsight: Controversial as [[Film/ThePredator the last film]] was for the fanbase, one point made in that movie is that the moniker of "Predator" for the antagonists functionally makes no sense when they are ''actually'' a [[HunterTrapper species of hunters]]—although as a basis for a joke at the expense of their menace—however, here it serves as a point of drama as the belief for a while from the human's perspective ''is'' that they are being hunted by a powerful predator of some kind, something that the French hunting party makes a massive mistake of doing thinking the Predator itself [[SuicidalOverconfidence is just dangerous game]], it's only when Naru realizes it's actually a hunter itself do the tables start to turn.

** The YouTube Critic scene, particularly the subsection that focuses on criticizing "forced diversity" content spent much of the lead up to the movie's release declaring it a "woke failure" only to either begrudgingly admit it was better than expected (but still complain about their usual grievances) or quietly just full on put their foots in their mouths about the movie.

* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail: After ''Film/ThePredator'' proved to be arguably the most contentious and loathed entry in the franchise to date, many had little hope for this film, which seemed to be shared by the studio given the film was dropped on Creator/{{Hulu}} the same day as other notable properties with much bigger marketing (''Film/BulletTrain'' and ''Series/TheSandman2022''). However, this film became a surprise hit amongst critics and audiences, with many hoping the franchise would continue with more period-piece stories.