They Stole This
There's an excellent fan-made video on YouTube set in medieval England where two knights confront a predator. This looks very similar to that.
shareAnd that was better.
shareBetter than the 2018 film I'll give it that, no way is it better than Prey though.
shareI just watched that video "Predator: Dark Ages" and although the budget is much, much lower it gets the Predator down way, way better than Prey (which was OK, I'd give it a 6.5) did.
The actor who plays the Predator captured Kevin Peter Hall's movements and the Predator looks like an actual Predator and not 2022 CGI which never ages well and will look laughable in 30 year's time whereas the practical Predator from the 1980s film still looks good today.
I saw a low budget Blade Runner fan film ("Tears in the Rain") on Youtube which was also better than BR2049.
It just goes to show that a bigger budget doesn't mean shit if the people making the film don't love or "get" the originals in the first place.
I love both practical and CGI effects. I love Jurassic Park for example, a film that utilizes both to great effect and how they used CGI for the scenes of the T-Rex in motion etc.
Blade Runner 2049 uses a lot of practical sets and built miniatures and then using CGI for the large establishing shots to expand the scale. I really like that film, I know it's pacing and runtime isn't for everyone but I felt it was very faithful to the original film. I will check out this fan film you mentioned though, it's always great to see what fans come up with. That Star Wars fan film on YouTube Darth Maul: Apprentice I think is fantastic.
As for Prey I thought they did a great job with the Predator. He's portrayed this time by Dane DiLiegro who I thought brought a real weighty physicality to the role and moved like a capable and savage hunter. I really liked the design of this Predator as well with the mask, the gadgets and the weaponry. I actually didn't mind the CGI for the face when the mask came off, I thought it looked pretty good in the lighting they had for the scene.
I also thought the film was fresh yet comfortably familiar of the first film as it hits a lot of the same plot beats of the original film and is similarly paced so I do disagree, I think Dan Trachtenberg understood why I love the first Predator film and with Prey he gave us a thrilling action film with one of the coolest Predator designs.