Directed by Dan Trachtenberg, Predator: Killer of Killers is an anthology film that follows three of the fiercest warriors in human history: a Viking raider guiding her young son on a bloody quest for revenge, a ninja in feudal Japan who turns against his Samurai brother in a brutal battle for succession, and a World War II pilot who takes to the sky to investigate an otherworldly threat to the Allied cause. But while all these warriors are killers in their own right, they are merely prey for their new opponent — the ultimate killer of killers from the stars, the Predator.
In 2022, Dan Trachtenberg revived and rejuvenated the Predator franchise from dormancy with his phenomenal work with his prequel entry to the series called Prey, which, despite being forced to a be a straight to Hulu release, was beloved by everyone and was successful enough to warrant a physical media release. This resulted in Dan Trachtenberg being given the opportunity to make another Predator film for a theatrical release that comes out later this year but before that he had been secretly making the first animated installment for the franchise in the form of an anthology film that follows three predators that came to Earth in three different eras of human history hunting down what they consider to be “the strongest prey”.
After how much I loved Prey I was definitely eager to see what special project that Trachtenberg was working on was going to be like, and after finally getting a chance to watch it I can confirm that this is yet another amazing and worthy entry into the franchise that should not be missed. Trachtenberg proves himself to be the greatest blessing that the Predator franchise has ever received as he once again breathes new and creative life into the world of the alien hunters with this beautiful and unique entry that delivers three compelling and brutal stories in one fantastic package. It is an ambitious, world-building fight for survival that spans across multiple time periods before culminating into one grand event, cementing this film as easily one of the best of the series next to the first film and Prey.
In this film we follow three different eras of human history, which include the Viking Age, Feudal Japan, and Word War II, each having their own unique human characters and respective Predators that they conflict with. Each character is given a great performance by their respective cast members and good enough development in each of their stories that are all written and executed in different styles to match with the era they exist.
The first story is called “The Shield” which follows a Viking warrior named Ursa (Lindsay LaVanchy), who leads her son Anders (Damien Haas) and the rest of her clan on an expedition to destroy an enemy tribe and their leader who murdered Ursa’s father, all while a Predator stalks them. This story plays all the beats of a brutal Viking revenge saga with a beast of a Predator thrown into the mix, and the resulting combination is absolutely brilliant. It is an action-packed and gory-as-hell story that gives a great first impression for the rest of the film, displaying gorgeous and fluid animation set within the hyper-violent era of Vikings and a compelling revenge-driven character leading the charge.
The Predator featured in this story is the largest Predator featured in the series so far, an absolute monster that relies heavily on brute strength and an enhanced arm device over the usual weapons that past predators relied on to hunt and kill their targets. The design of this Predator is fantastic and he certainly comes off as one of the most intimidating of the lot we see in this film that fits perfectly in a battle against vicious Vikings.
This story surprisingly has some emotional depth to it as well as a very interesting theme regarding revenge and how letting rage drive your life and all of your actions will make you lose everything, especially in battle. While this is a theme we’ve seen countless times in other media it was unique to see it in a Predator film and see it being executed really well in a short amount of time.
After a violent but great start to the film we get the next story called “The Sword”, which is set in Feudal Japan and follows two sons of a samurai warlord who, after being forced to fight each other at a young age to decide on who would be their father’s successor, now end up facing each other in a deadly duel that ends up getting interrupted by the arrival of a samurai/ninja inspired predator who’s looking to kill the deadliest warrior between both of them. For as long as the franchise has been in existence people had been begging for a Predator story to be set in Feudal Japan and after years of waiting that wish has been granted with this stunning and tension-filled story that is crafted to absolute perfection.
This story is a classic samurai epic that is brought to life through amazingly animated action and masterful visual storytelling that didn’t even need a single word of dialogue to get you engaged with it. I’m a sucker for all elements of classic Feudal Japan stories, from the drama to the tension, so to see it combine into the violent and horror elements of the Predator universe in such a fantastic way made this story easily my favorite of the three. With how well executed it was I would have loved to have gotten a full two-hour-long film about these characters and the badass Predator featured in it because that’s how incredible it was.
The third and final era story featured in this film before the culmination event is called “The Bullet”, which is set in World War II following a young man named Torres (Rick Gonzalez) who was drafted into the U.S. Navy as a fighter pilot and encounters a hyper lethal Predator, who’s specialty is air combat, that begins hunting down him and his squadron up in the war torn skies over the Atlantic Ocean. This story combines the action and thrills of Top Gun in a WWII setting with the grand sci-fi scale and excitement of the Predator universe, offering a very fun and intense battle story that you can’t help but be absolutely absorbed into.
It’s been a long time since any WWII-related story has ever had me engaged but with this story I was on the edge of my seat the whole time, loving every minute that was on screen. Everything involving the pilots and the Predator was done with such ferocious tension and you find yourself really caring about our leading character Torres as he uses ingenuity to combat this tactical foe from the stars in such a thrilling cat-and-mouse game.
All three stories were awesome in their own way but things take a surprising turn in the third act of the film that cleverly culminates all three stories into one grand event that not only offers a compelling action-packed story of its own but also hugely expands the lore of the Predators in a way that has never been done before in the franchise. I truly couldn’t believe the insane stuff I was witnessing in this final act which ends the film on a high note while simultaneously setting up a bright future for the series going forward, with one crazy reveal as well as some teases for the upcoming Predator Badlands.
While a part of me wishes this film was much longer and dived a bit deeper into the three time periods featured in this film, I was still immensely satisfied with what we were given and how it opens the doors to a realm of endless possibilities for the Predator series to go through. I loved how each setting adds a layer of depth and nuance to our history while reimagining humanity’s most brutal eras through the perspective of the iconic alien hunters, while also having an excellent narrative that weaves in compelling character stories into a rich, evolving mythology that you can’t help but be so engaged in and desperately want more of.
The animation is absolutely flawless in every frame of this film as it utilizes the same kind of 3D/2D hybrid animation featured in projects like Arcane but a lot more bloodier and violent. Everything from the action to the character designs to the backgrounds is given so much immense detail for each story, making them all stand out on their own based on the respective era. Combined with gorgeous cinematography and incredible editing the Predator Universe is beautifully brought to life in the most visually captivating installment of the franchise next to Prey.
Adding on to all of it is a fantastic score by composer Benjamin Wallfisch, who after giving us chills and thrills with his work in Alien Romulus has come on board to the world of Predator to deliver some epic music for these incredible stories that fit for each era.
This film proves that Dan Trachtenberg is truly the right person to helm the franchise going forward with his ability to deliver creative and refreshing stories to the Predator universe, and proves that this universe can even work in an animated format. If you are a fan of the Predator series as a whole or even just Prey itself then you are guaranteed to love this special installment and should definitely consider watching it whenever possible. I’m going to give Predator: Killer of Killers an A = 97.
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