‘Prey’ Easter Eggs and Nods to Films of ‘Predator’ Past
This article contains possible spoilers for Prey, click here for the spoiler-free review.
The newest and possibly best installment of the Predator franchise, Prey, was released this weekend. From the trailers, you could tell that this film was set far back in time. It’s the first time we’ve seen the Predators in a setting that wasn’t modern at the time. They’ve fought in the Vietnam War, the concrete jungle of Los Angeles, their planet, and somewhere in Southern Georgia. If we include the Alien V. Predator films, then Denver and Antarctica are also on those lists. Now, with that being said, something very peculiar happens at the end of Predator 2, coinciding with the ending of Prey.
Predator 2 is a film full of Easter Eggs, so seeing a prop from the movie be used as an Easter Egg later on is quite on the nose for the franchise. In Predator 2, we see a xenomorph skull and fossil engravement of a face hugger. In Prey, the Predator has a partial piece of a xenomorph skull as a helmet. This creates a giant question and possible pothole, Ridley Scott has said that the Alien films aren’t in the same universe, but it’s just confusion at this point. Clearly, these films are in the same universe, and the only issue is WHEN were the xenomorphs created? In Prometheus, we thought the answer was pretty obvious. However, the Xenomorph skull in this film and the Alien material in Predator 2 predate that.
That being said, There are a ton of questions answered in this film. In Prometheus, we see that the humans from the past have interacted with Engineers, so them seeing the Predators so early on isn’t far-fetched. In Alien V. Predator, we see that Predators have interacted with Native Americans in Central America. They used them for sacrifices in order to contribute to the hunt. The hunt has always been what the Predators do. It’s no different in Prey. The film is entirely about the hunt, both Naru’s and the Predators.
Read: Full Circle Flashback: ‘Predator’ (1987) Review: “A Decent Action Flick”
Director Dan Trachtenberg shows just how much he loves the Alien and Predator franchises in this film. The nods aren’t all throughout the film, but they are definitely there. As I have mentioned before, the predator has the xenomorph skull as its helmet. The most intriguing and important of them all is the pistol. The pistol signifies two things, all of these films are definitely connected, and this isn’t a reboot of any sort. Also, Predators will be returning to Earth to fight Naru and try to take her spine. This hopefully means that we get a sequel with Trachtenberg returning.
For Predator fans, that pistol is special. It shows just how long Predators have been coming to Earth and seeking out challenges. Naru, Dutch, Higgins, Royce/Isabel, and Quinn McKenna are apparently a part of a long line in the humans to face a Predator. Somehow, these humans found a way to defeat these perfect hunters. The pistol was given to Higgins as a trophy for defeating a Predator. Whereas usually, they level a few city blocks after defeat, they awarded Higgins. Even in AVP, you get to see how they destroyed everything around them after a loss. There are so many questions about these franchises and their crossovers, but lately, this newer batch of directors and writers has been giving us plenty of answers.
Now, the only thing that would help is a very accurate timeline. One that consists of who actually created the xenomorph and when. Was it the engineers creating a bioweapon to stop humans from taking their violence across the galaxy? Could it have been the Predators trying to create the ultimate game? Maybe a jealous and very upset android named David starting chaos across the universe? There are definitely unanswered questions that came from inconsistency among the filmmakers. No, I’m not saying that Alien and Predator need a 10-year MCU-style plan. Some consistency with origins across the board would be nice, though.
In conclusion, Prey was the steroid shot the Predator franchise needed. After critical failures such as Predators and The Predator, it was good to see a film bring the franchise back to form. Easter Eggs add to the nostalgia and give audiences something to relate to. It makes for a great way to connect, which is what Prey did. It brought Predator fans things we’ve wondered about. The weapons are the same as the humans in some ways to make the grounds a bit even. This is what a Predator film needs and what we got in Prey.
Have you seen Prey? Did you see the nods and Easter Eggs? Leave a comment below!
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