By George & Josh Bate
Three years ago, director Dan Trachtenberg breathed new life into the Predator franchise with Prey, a thoughtful and character-driven adventure that took the franchise 300 years into the past and marked the best Predator film since the 1987 original. Long had fans wondered what it would be like for a Predator to go head-to-head with Earth’s most storied warriors, and Prey more than delivered on that premise, pitting a young Comanche woman against an extraterrestrial Yautja for an epic battle situated in an extremely well-crafted film. With Predator: Killer of Killers, director Trachtenberg takes this concept a step further by showing battles between Predators and other of history’s most renowned fighters – Vikings, Samurai, and a World War II pilot. In addition to standing out as the first animated installment of the franchise, Trachtenberg’s latest also surpasses the high bar set by Prey and steals the title of the best Predator film since the original.
Predator: Killer of Killers divides its 90 minute runtime into three vignettes that depict human history’s most fierce warriors battle a species whose culture entirely revolves around hunting others. The first vignette depicts a Viking mother, who, with her young son, seeks revenge while unknowingly being hunted by a Predator. The second vignette fast forwards to feudal Japan and tells the story of two childhood friends who now find themselves on opposing sides. The final vignette follows an ambitious World War II pilot as he becomes aware of an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause.
Killer of Killers plays as an adult, refined animated film in the vein of some of the best shorts of Star Wars: Visions. The film is heavy on the action and does not shy away from blood and guts, featuring graphic and innovative kills from start to finish. Those approaching a Predator animated film thinking the change in medium would result in a blunting of the franchise’s hallmark violence will come away shocked at the brutality of the action on display. Trachtenberg, alongside co-director and screenwriter Micho Robert Rutare, craft numerous dynamic action sequences that have you on the edge of your seat. A brilliantly executed sequence involving a group of Vikings fighting another group of Vikings and designed to resemble an uninterrupted take is just one of many action scenes that stand out. The directors also ensure that they appropriately vary the action depending on the historical era of focus (i.e., the action in the first vignette about Vikings is decidedly different in choreography and directing than action in the second vignettes about Samurai in feudal Japan).
To characterize Predator: Killer of Killers as just an action film would be to sorely overlook the depth of character and emotion it contains. Each vignette focuses on a unique protagonist with characteristics inherent to their historical era while possessing timeless qualities that reverberate throughout history. Their stories prove so interesting that the addition of a Predator almost feels like the cherry on top of a delicious cake, so to speak. In other terms, the three vignettes are gripping and emotionally resonant independent of any Predators. This is evidenced by the fact that each vignette takes its time before introducing the Predator, allowing the stories to breathe and the characters to flesh out before things take an extraterrestrial turn. Also highlighting how impactful the three vignettes are is that any of them could easily have been expanded to be a full-length feature film, a rare quality only a select few anthology films like this possess. It is impossible to pinpoint a weak-link amongst the three segments of the story as all make for such engaging viewing.
The delicate balance between considerate character work and fandom wish fulfillment warrants particular plaudits. Anyone watching Predator: Killer of Killers simply to see one of cinema’s most iconic creatures go head-to-head with Vikings, Samurai, and World War II soldiers will not come away disappointed as the film more than lives up to its immense potential. But, also, anyone seeking a more contemplative and intimate story with characters to root for and stories to invest in will similarly find joy here.
Across the three vignettes, the lore and culture of the Predators is expanded in ways never before seen in a Predator film. While a myriad of comic books and novels have elucidated the world and ways of the Yautja, all seven franchise films to date have largely avoided heading into world-building territory. Predator: Killer of Killers reverses this trend by intriguingly, in both overt and subtle ways, expanding our knowledge of the titular creatures.
Part of this subtle world-building comes from the different Predators that appear in the film. As demonstrated in promotional footage, Killer of Killers features a range of different Predators, not just the type introduced in the 1987 classic. The diversity of the Predators not only offers a refreshing range of antagonists, but it also shines a greater spotlight on the nuances of Predator culture. If there’s any fault to be had of the new film though, it is the relative lack of threat and horror posed by the Predators. Although the Predators are certainly fearsome throughout, their portrayal leaves them a bit under-powered and even unthreatening at times, a contrast to how the species has been typically portrayed.
The culture and lore of the Predators becomes even more apparent in an extraordinary and surprising final act. Much of Killer of Killers seems to play rather predictably until a final act that takes the film (and franchise more broadly) into completely unexpected narrative territory. Without this final act, Trachtenberg and Rutare’s film would have still excelled in a number of areas, but, with the final act, Predator: Killer of Killers is elevated to newfound heights. All of this is capped off by a scene after the title sequence that blows the door wide open for what the Predator franchise can achieve and has us eager to see what’s next.
Encompassing the entire film are stunning, jaw-dropping visuals. The most apt visual comparison for Killer of Killers is Netflix’s Arcane, although the style of the new Hulu release stands out as truly singular. Each of the historical eras are brought to life with incredible detail and a variety of colors, while the character designs and facial detail enhance immersion and investment in an already emotionally rich story. The action, as previously stated, is dynamic and varied and is alone worthy of giving the film a watch. Predator: Killer of Killers is the kind of animated film that will convince even the most stubborn of viewers that animated films are genuine films and not just cartoons for children. It is to the Predator franchise what Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was to Spider-Man, a monumental achievement that breaks the boundaries of what animation can achieve.
VERDICT: 8.5/10
Following the universally praised Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers sees the long-running sci-fi franchise switch from live-action to animation for an installment that is the best film in the franchise since the 1987 original. Directors Dan Trachtenberg and Micho Robert Rutare craft a refined Predator film filled to the brim with dynamic, gorgeously animated, and brutally violent action. The wish fulfillment of seeing Predators come face-to-face with human history’s fiercest warriors lives up to, and even exceeds, its incredible potential across three distinct vignettes. Surrounding the action, however, are strong stories of three protagonists, whose journeys prove compelling and emotional independent of any extraterrestrial killers. Meanwhile, calculated world-building makes for an intriguing exploration of Predator lore and culture that goes far beyond any Predator film to date, even if the titular creatures are disappointingly under-powered and lacking in threat. A surprising narrative turn in a jaw-dropping final act takes the film to newfound heights and blows the door open for what directions the franchise can head into next. All achieved by stunning visuals that beautifully complement the emotionally rich storytelling, Predator: Killer of Killers will prove to be the kind of animated film that will convince even the most stubborn of viewers that animated films are genuine films and not just cartoons for children. The film is to the Predator franchise what Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse was to the Spider-Man franchise, a monumental achievement that breaks the boundaries of what animation can achieve. Somehow topping the excellent Prey, Predator: Killer of Killers makes the wait for Predator: Badlands all the most excruciating.