A group of para-military mercenaries kidnap unsuspecting people off the street in order to hunt them in the forest as part of their training regimen. The mercs make a fatal mistake when they unknowingly grab 'Nam vet and Special Forces-trained tough guy Mike Danton (Ted Prior), who proceeds to lay waste to their ranks. Also featuring Cameron Mitchell as the hero's father-in-law, David Campbell and Fritz Matthews as the chief villains, Suzanne Tara as the damsel-in-distress, and Troy Donahue (!!!) as a corrupt senator.

This is firmly in the so-bad-it's-good category, with a low budget accenting the film's overly ambitious aims. Prior is a sight to behold, with his muscle physique on display for much of the film as he runs around in jean-shorts and that's it, except for the occasional small tree branch he drapes on himself as camouflage. With his blond mullet haircut and a laughable intensity, he's very entertaining, if not actually for the intended reasons. The film is very brutal, with lots of killings, a sexual assault, and some dismemberment. It's produced so ham-handedly though that it's unlikely to offend.

Beefcake "actor" Ted Prior (brother of writer & director David A. Prior) stars as Mike Danton, a former Marine, in this B level gem. It's about as far as you can get from high art, with a whole lot of completely inept action sequences and hilariously lame performances. Obviously owing a heavy debt to that familiar old plot of "The Most Dangerous Game", it's also clearly inspired by "First Blood" and its sequels, as well as "Commando".

Colonel John Hogan (David Campbell) leads a group of mercenaries. They're hired for a gig by an unscrupulous "businessman" named Michaelson (Troy Donahue). The thing about these guys, though, is that they like to have thorough training sessions before the actual missions. So they abduct guys like Mike, and chase them through the California woods. But they've made an extremely dumb move in selecting Mike this time around, and he's going to give them what-for in a major way.

Top billed Cameron Mitchell, who plays a former cop and the father to Mikes' wife Jaimy (Suzanne Tara), is very much just here for his name value. He has little to add to the plot. Instead, the action focuses on the studly Ted P., who for much of the running time darts around in short shorts. Ted may not be Olivier, but his emoting near the end still needs to be seen to be believed. Campbell is amusing as the money hungry villain, as is Fritz Matthews as Lieutenant Thornton, his main henchman.

"Deadly Prey" can boast a steady supply of violence and a respectably high body count, but it might not be gory enough to suit some tastes.

The absolute best moment of this epic occurs between Mike and Thornton. You'll know it when you see it, and may howl with appreciative laughter.

"Deadly Prey" is deliciously daft nonsense, with an ultra corny theme song to serve as perfect accompaniment.

Seven out of 10.

A group of sadistic mercenaries led by the ruthless Colonel John Hogan (a deliciously slimy portrayal by David Campbell) kidnap people and hunt them down in the woods like animals as a training exercise. However, the mercenaries get more than they bargained for after they abduct two-fisted former Marine and Vietnam veteran Mike Danton (played with mucho macho aplomb by blonde beefcake Ted Prior).

Man, does this hilariously horrendous honey possess all the right wrong stuff to rate highly as a definite four-star stinkeroonie: Ham-fisted (mis)direction by David A. Prior, ineptly staged action scenes, over-the-top violence (Danton breaks one man's back against a tree and beats another guy with his own freshly severed arm!), poor acting from a lame mostly no-name cast, cheesy one-liners aplenty, lots of ugly mullets, a ludicrous premise that's treated as seriously as a heart attack, priceless moments of Danton clad solely in Daisy Duke denim shorts roughly it in the wilderness (two words: worm eating), cartoonishly nasty villains, and a ridiculously script that offers an unholy blend of "First Blood" and "The Most Dangerous Game." Cameron Mitchell basically just takes up space as a hard-nosed ex-cop, Troy Donahue snarls it up nicely as evil millionaire Don Michaelson, Fritz Matthews has a field day as vicious flunky Lt. Thornton, and busty brunette Dawn Abraham cuts a foxy figure as mean bitch Sybil. The pulsating score hits the right-on funky syncopated spot. Fantastic crap.