I can't say I'm a great admirer of Mr. Maas or his works. Still, credit where credit is due : Mr. Maas is one of the most consistent filmmakers of the Netherlands. He has carved himself a very specialized niche (let's call it comical horror and gore) and he sticks to it, with all the loyal faith of a guide dog. No gadfly he : he knows what he likes and he continues to produce it, come rain or shine.
Moreover, he is honest in describing his ambition : he just wants to give the viewer some jolly good scares.
"Prooi" (or "Prey" in English) follows the pattern to the letter : Mr. Maas promises a rogue lion going on a bloody rampage through the Netherlands and that's exactly what you, the viewer, get. There's roaring, there's springing, there's dismemberment and there's blood - enough blood, in fact, to repaint the pyramid of Giza. There are also a lot of pursuits and hunting scenes, up to and including through some of the busiest cities of Europe. And that's it : if you want petty details like backstories, exposition, logic, witty dialogue, character development or insightful comment go and watch some Woody Allen.
This robust attitude is the reason why the movie does not explain the sudden presence of a lion : the lion is there, period. Who cares if the beast escaped from a circus, swam all the way from Africa or rode a bike from Finland ? Or it's just as possible that the lion used to be the class pet of a Dordrecht school for very young children. ("But before school closes for Christmas vacations : who wants to take little Fluffy home ? Remember, no more than five hyena carcasses a week ! Fluffy is becoming a little chubby !")
I didn't like the movie much, although there were some funny touches here and there (Dick Maas is absolutely correct in pointing out that the Netherlands are filled to the brink with artistic and heraldic representations of lions, while the sudden appearance of a real lion would create a screaming, howling crisis). However, for lovers of the comic gore genre "Prey" is Dutch catnip of purest quality.
Moreover, he is honest in describing his ambition : he just wants to give the viewer some jolly good scares.
"Prooi" (or "Prey" in English) follows the pattern to the letter : Mr. Maas promises a rogue lion going on a bloody rampage through the Netherlands and that's exactly what you, the viewer, get. There's roaring, there's springing, there's dismemberment and there's blood - enough blood, in fact, to repaint the pyramid of Giza. There are also a lot of pursuits and hunting scenes, up to and including through some of the busiest cities of Europe. And that's it : if you want petty details like backstories, exposition, logic, witty dialogue, character development or insightful comment go and watch some Woody Allen.
This robust attitude is the reason why the movie does not explain the sudden presence of a lion : the lion is there, period. Who cares if the beast escaped from a circus, swam all the way from Africa or rode a bike from Finland ? Or it's just as possible that the lion used to be the class pet of a Dordrecht school for very young children. ("But before school closes for Christmas vacations : who wants to take little Fluffy home ? Remember, no more than five hyena carcasses a week ! Fluffy is becoming a little chubby !")
I didn't like the movie much, although there were some funny touches here and there (Dick Maas is absolutely correct in pointing out that the Netherlands are filled to the brink with artistic and heraldic representations of lions, while the sudden appearance of a real lion would create a screaming, howling crisis). However, for lovers of the comic gore genre "Prey" is Dutch catnip of purest quality.