What's new

Robert Harris

Archivist
Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 1999
Messages
18,429
Real Name
Robert Harris
A thought before I go into the tech review. It's odd that Dan Trachtenberg'sPrey went direct to Hulu, as -

1. It's a good film for what it is;

2. It's beautifully shot in Alberta, Canada, and DP Jeff Cutter uses the turf to advantage.

In the end, it's terrific fodder for those who have a large 4k panel, projection and Atmos, as everything technical works here.

Initially (pre-credit?) I had my doubts, bur then the film opens up and the resolution is magnificent. Atmos creates a huge sound stage.

Unlike the earlier films in the Predator universe, Prey is a prequel, set in 1719 within the Comanche Nation, and lead Amber Midthunder walks away with the film.

If you have the requisite gear enabling you to decode the disc, grab a copy. It's a great ride. If not, there's always Hulu.

Now the important point - the slipcover. It's vibrant, dashing and exciting, leading one to believe that this might be an action adventure of some sort.

The colors are superb, with Ms Midthunder above the title in emerald green war paint, which jumps off the muted background, with a layer of iridescence. This could be another one of those First Edition slipcovers that may be selling for six figures to collectors on eBay. Be forewarned.

It's nice to see the Fox logo being used.


Image – 5 (HDR)

Audio – 5 (Dolby Atmos)

Pass / Fail – Pass

Plays nicely with projectors - Yes

Makes use of and works well in 4k - 9

Worth your attention - Yes

Slipcover rating - 6

Highly Recommended

RAH


Thank you for supporting HTF when you preorder using the link below. As an Amazon Associate, HTF earns from qualifying purchases. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

 
Last edited by a moderator:

JimJasper

Second Unit
Joined
Dec 21, 2004
Messages
294
Location
Oregon
Real Name
Jim
Great review. DigitalBits' own Bill Hunt, likewise, gave Prey a strong review on story, and outstanding on video and audio qualities.
 

Kyle_D

Supporting Actor
Joined
Aug 15, 2004
Messages
861
Real Name
Kyle Dickinson
I am very much looking forward to revisiting this one on disc, as I only watched the HD stream when the film was first released before Hulu upgraded it to 4K HDR.

The film is better than it has any need to be. Not only is it by far the best of the Predator sequels, it's one of the better action movies of the last few years, and it deserved a theatrical release.
 

Robert Harris

Archivist
Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Feb 8, 1999
Messages
18,429
Real Name
Robert Harris
I've watched the film three times since it's streaming debut so I'm looking forward to watching my 4K/UHD this week.
I’ll be interested in your thoughts as to the viability of the disc vs 4k streaming on your panel. My son asked me that question earlier today,
 

madfloyd

Stunt Coordinator
Joined
May 18, 2017
Messages
203
Real Name
Ian
Worth the price of admission.

It appears that a butterfly flew too close and rubbed off some of its wing scales. You’ll want a protective enclosure to help retain the cover’s value.
Absolutely, since it's a buy-low-sell-high investment that's going to fund both my retirement and my home theater addiction, blemishes must be avoided.
 

Todd Erwin

Reviewer
HW Reviewer
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Apr 16, 2008
Messages
10,454
Location
Hawthorne, NV
Real Name
Todd Erwin
What the disc has over watching on Hulu is Dolby Atmos. Hulu always seems to be behind the times in terms of audio technology. Hopefully that will be remedied when Disney eventfully merges the service with Disney+.
 

Robert Crawford

Crawdaddy
Moderator
Patron
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 9, 1998
Messages
67,902
Location
Michigan
Real Name
Robert
Actually, technology challenged. This is where Hulu has almost always lagged. Hulu only upgraded to 5.1 just a few years ago across most devices.
We are talking about the presentation-wise advantages a 4K/UHD physical media would have over a 4K digital media. Granted, some of those advantages are not easily recognizable in normal playback mode. However, Atmos audio and some difficult film sequences can be noticeable on most screens.
 

Stephen_J_H

All Things Film Junkie
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Messages
7,898
Location
North of the 49th
Real Name
Stephen J. Hill
What the disc has over watching on Hulu is Dolby Atmos. Hulu always seems to be behind the times in terms of audio technology. Hopefully that will be remedied when Disney eventfully merges the service with Disney+.
It should be. In the Great White North, this streams on the Star portion of Disney+ with Atmos and 4K. That being said, lossless audio and less compression are always better, so I will probably pick this up, with the least important reason being to complete my Predator collection.
 

jayembee

Senior HTF Member
Joined
Mar 29, 2020
Messages
6,779
Location
Hamster Shire
Real Name
Jerry
I have the streaming version but will get the disc for the slipcover.

Worth the price of admission.

It appears that a butterfly flew too close and rubbed off some of its wing scales. You’ll want a protective enclosure to help retain the cover’s value.

I'm going for the Best Buy SteelBook, but I have to say that if it's one of those things that BB has already sold out on (last time I looked, on the website, it was still listed as "Coming Soon" and not available for pre-order pick-up) I won't be too sad, as the regular sleeve has a nicer image than the SB. :thumbs-up-smiley:
 

Robert Crawford

Crawdaddy
Moderator
Patron
Senior HTF Member
Joined
Dec 9, 1998
Messages
67,902
Location
Michigan
Real Name
Robert
The UHD disc blows both the Dolby Vision 4K Hulu version and the included 1080p Blu-ray out of the water.

Yup, at this moment, I'm watching my 4K/UHD disc.
 

JoshZ

Senior HTF Member
Joined
May 26, 2012
Messages
2,300
Location
Boston
Real Name
Joshua Zyber
I'm going for the Best Buy SteelBook, but I have to say that if it's one of those things that BB has already sold out on (last time I looked, on the website, it was still listed as "Coming Soon" and not available for pre-order pick-up) I won't be too sad, as the regular sleeve has a nicer image than the SB. :thumbs-up-smiley:

As expected, the Best Buy SteelBook listing switched from "Coming Soon" directly to "Sold Out" this morning.
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Sign up for our newsletter

and receive essential news, curated deals, and much more







You will only receive emails from us. We will never sell or distribute your email address to third party companies at any time.

Latest Articles

Forum statistics

Threads
357,073
Messages
5,130,129
Members
144,282
Latest member
Nielmb
Recent bookmarks
0
Top