Predator Killer of Killers, the latest addition to the Predator franchise, marks the franchise’s first foray into animation. Serving as an anthology film, the story focuses on three characters, a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for vengeance, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a battle for succession, a WWII pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause. Over the course of the film, these three stories would come together in a satisfying way, revealing that each have one common enemy- The Predator.
Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, who directed the previous film in the franchise, 2022’s Prey, another film which received a straight to streaming release (Hulu in the US and Disney+ internationally) and would go on to earn acclaim from both critics and audiences. Directing the next film in the Predator franchise, the upcoming Predator Badlands, Killer of Killers feels like a precursor to that film in a lot of ways, a side project serving to set the stage for audiences before the huge, sprawling vision of Badlands is brought to the big screen.
As a result, Predator: Killer of Killers is a film that feels slight in scope. Featuring smaller stories that play as personal reflections, the film would arguably be better served as three episodes of a Predator-themed miniseries. Lacking much in the way of depth, these stories essentially follow the same general formula including familiar plot beats and revelations, but in spite of their flaws, the level of storytelling on display is solid enough to provide some decent entertainment.
Above all else, the highlight of Killer of Killers has to be the animation. Turning to a ‘making CGI look hand drawn’ approach, one that has helped the Spider-Verse films and the recent Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated efforts so successful, the animators implement that approach beautifully here. Boasting visceral violence and gore, many will surely find themselves taken aback by the places the film goes early on in setting the tone. A dark film overall, it certainly does not hold back its punches. Meanwhile, the cinematography, staging, and action set pieces are simply next level. Trachtenberg is the real deal as a filmmaker and if he were to bring this type of bold filmmaking to Badlands, though with a stronger narrative attached, it has the potential to be one of the best films of the year.
At the end of the day, while far from perfect, Predator: Killer of Killers is a piece of filmmaking that is a technical achievement on so many levels. That being said, it is a shame that the film will not receive a theatrical release as it deserves one. A film that would have played even better on a big screen, perhaps it will be given the big screen treatment before Dan Trachtenberg’s Predator Badlands is released later this year.
Trailer
Score: 75/100
*still courtesy of 20th Century Studios*
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