Following the success of the classic ‘80s action movie Predator, the subsequent sequels in the franchise have attempted to recapture the magic from the Arnold Schwarzenegger-led movie, but few have succeeded. However, the series’ latest entry, Prey, has been hailed by many fans as the best movie in the series since the original dropped in 1987. But that brings us to this question, which protagonist stands above the other: Dutch or Naru? New franchise addition Amber Midthunder and her colleagues debated this very thing.
When CinemaBlend’s Sean O’Connell spoke with director Dan Trachtenberg and the movie’s cast during our 2022 San Diego Comic-Con Prey interview, he posed to them this question: if Dutch and Naru went up against each other, who would emerge victorious? Check out how they responded in the post below:
Amber Midthunder, who plays the young Comanche warrior Naru who protects her tribe from a dangerous alien in one of the best movies on Hulu, confidently answered the question, hinting to her director and cast that they “all know the right answer.” Dan Trachtenberg picked Naru, adding the solid reasoning that she has a headstart in Prey that Dutch from Predator doesn’t quite have. The movie’s Predator actor Dane DiLiegro, who dealt with some tough physical challenges in his costume, said that due to Naru's deep knowledge of the forest, he’d choose her as well. Then Midthunder said:
I could take him.
The director agreed on her skill but didn’t think the actress herself could take Dutch. Amber Midthunder joked she “can hunt now,” before saying that was fair. You gotta love how headstrong the actress is about her character's odds of winning this fictional fight!
Of course, it’s pretty subjective, and wherever your alliances lie in terms of both Predator movies might inform your own opinion on the matchup. Each character comes from a completely different era. Prey takes place in 1719 in the Great Plains and follows Naru becoming a great hunter while defending her tribe from the extraterrestrial threat. Dan Trachtenberg also made a point in contrast to both movies, saying that he really loves that Naru has an arc of “seeing her try” to get the Predator rather than a role like Dutch's, who takes the alien with “nonchalance.” Check out CinemaBlend’s full Prey interview:
Since its streaming release, the movie has been met with the Amber Midthunder-led movie has received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics and audiences alike. CinemaBlend’s own Prey review awarded the movie a 4 out of 5 stars and called it “the best Predator movie in years, possibly ever.” The movie has also caught the attention of OG Predator actor Bill Duke, who praised Midthunder’s performance in the movie.
Since the its release last weekend, the movie has become the No. 1 premiere on Hulu to date, including all film and TV series according to the streamer. If you’ve yet to experience the new Predator film, it’s available to stream now with a Hulu subscription.
