Was Prey’s Divisive Predator CGI Necessary?
Predator’s fifth installment Prey was extensively praised for its pace, personality development, and story arc, but the release of behind-the-scenes videos of the Predator clothes without CGI had many fans complain about it, leading to wonder whether it was really necessary. Prequel to the iconic 1987’s Predator, Prey is set in 1719, and it follows Naru (Amber Midthunder), a partner of the Comanche that wants to prove herself to the community as a hunter. Prey is the first Predator movie to feature a female character as the protagonist, to publish straight to streaming, and to be set in the past, leading the Yautja warrior Naru to operate differently from those met in previous Predator movies.
Prey’s Predator (Dane DiLiegro) became the object of discussion among fans of the franchise after BTS videos of the Yautja warrior costume without CGI appeared, showing a highly realistic and altogether scary figure. Contrarily to Predator’s previous installments, Prey relied on a mix of practical effects and CGI, rather than fully on CGI as 2018’s The Predator did or entirely on empirical effects exemplified by the Predator suit, as happened with the first three Predator installments. Yet, many fans felt CGI wasn’t needed and instead damaged the costume as seen in the BTS videos, as they believed it could be seen as somewhat fake, making it less easy to be scared by the Predator.
Although the Predator clothes visible in the behind-the-scenes videos looks stunning and detailed enough that it could pass as a real alien predator warrior, Prey is made better by the light use of CGI. While its predecessor The Predator relied more heavily on it and Predator, Predator 2, and Predators tended to rely on practical effects only, Prey offers a balanced alternative, where the core of the franchise – the use of a costume for the Predator – isn’t lost, but only slightly revised. This way, Prey manages to get the best of both worlds, keeping the Predator tradition intact and also being able to rely on CGI only to get an overall better effect.
Why Prey’s Predator CGI Was The Right Choice
Dane DiLiegro is the predator Yautja warrior in Prey.
A central complaint Predator fans had about the use of CGI in Prey following the release of BTS videos revolved around how the Predator’s suit and headpiece were so detailed and well-made that they didn’t need CGI to make it more realistic. Instead, the glistening effect on the Predator’s skin damaged the work done on the costume, as it looked worse and less scary post-CGI correlated to the BTS videos. While having such a negative view of CGI, in general, is understandable, especially for movies that heavily rely on it where the effects just make a scene look unrealistic, that isn’t the case for Prey. The bulk of the effects are still practical, and the fact that CGI is used only for polishing works in the film’s favor, making it a welcome plus. If it weren’t there, Prey wouldn’t be completely harmed, but by being there, it makes the Predator scarier and more authentic than previous Predator films just for the small details the CGI adds.
Debates on the use of CGI in films have become more and more prominent through the years, with many viewers opposing the use precisely for how the final product is perceived as not realistic enough. While in some cases objections can be warranted, it doesn’t feel that way for Prey, precisely because the final product includes a mix of practical effects and CGI that proved to be the best approach, especially when looking at past Predator movies. Using CGI only to give more authenticity to the Predator’s appearance is commendable and makes a potential Prey sequel even more thrilling, especially if it were to come from the same team that made Prey such a success.